While watching the swearing in ceremony live on the ABC yesterday morning was interesting, what was more telling was there interview with Tony Abbott.

Tony's usual squeaky clean appearance was gone, to be honest he looked like he'd been through hell. Massive frown lines on a forehead that usually looks like someone polishes it. They also shows video of him the night before, where he looked worried but but not such obvious frown lines.

I'd say far from waking up unprepared, that Mr Abbott has been up all night (possibly drinking) and hadn't come up with an ideas on what to do now.
Tony Abbott is screwed and he knows it, all Rudd has to do is smile and he gains an appeal Tony never had.

*Disclaimer: I don't like Tony at all, I think he's not playing with a full deck. His lust for power is rather disturbing (statements made to independents that he "would do anything" to get into power). That snide look makes me wonder just what he really thinks of other people.  However I'm not going to resort to calling him the sort of names like some have done to Julia Gillard.







That disclaimer - while being honest about not liking Tony Abbott, you have got to be kidding me when you say he has a lust for power and will do anything to get into power.

Take a look at the meglomaniac that has just taken over the reigns. Even his party dumped him before because of his ego.
And then take a look at the goose that was just deposed. All the backhanded deals she did with the Greens and Independants just so she could stay in power. None of them were good for the country and now we are lumbered with additional taxes and lame policies that were introduced to satisfy the loopy Greens and so called Independants.

Julia or Kevin - same horse, different jockey, or as one person commented on TV, chicken smeg or cow smeg, they both stink the same.

you have got to be kidding me when you say [Member for Warringah, Tony Abbott] has a lust for power and will do anything to get into power.

Take a look at ... All the backhanded deals she did with the Greens and Independants(sic) just so she could stay in power.

Mr Windsor said: "The decision to put a price on carbon was a condition of the formation of government." The Prime Minister had not won the election, which had produced a hung parliament.

"The Leader of the Opposition knows that very well, because on a number of occasions he actually begged for the job," Mr Windsor said. "And he made the point, not only to me but to others in that negotiating period, that he would do anything to get that job.

"You would well remember -- and your colleagues should be aware -- that the only codicil that you put on that was: 'I will do anything, Tony, to get this job: the only thing I wouldn't do is  .'

she was the leader whom they could trust more easily.

Abbott said the Coalition's broadband policy, which would see the National Broadband Network (NBN) scaled back to a fibre-to-the-node (FttN) network in most areas currently slated to get fibre to the premises (FttP), is strong because of Turnbull.

"We have a strong and credible broadband policy because the man who has devised it, the man who will implement it, virtually invented the internet in this country. Thank you so much, Malcolm Turnbull" he said.

Turnbull's notable position in the telecommunications industry prior to becoming the shadow minister for communications was his role as the founding chairman of OzEmail from 1994 to 1999. Contrary to Abbott's claims, OzEmail was the 33rd internet service provider (ISP) in Australia

...
If those words uttered to the three independent members were innocent (as you suggest), I wouldn't be so concerned about this site's filter.

At least one large political party had to do the deals. The incumbent Prime Minister was successful in closing the deals partly because she was the first leader instructed by the Governor-General to form a government but also because she was the leader whom they could trust more easily.

About 90+ parties are registered to stand in the elections in the Eastern States.

The senate ballot paper is limited to 1m width, presumably because that is the maximum width of the printing machines.

90+ columns of parties on the ballot paper might mean printing in 6-point typeface.

Magnifying "panes" will be provided.

Thank goodness that you can vote "1" above the line. My shaky hand would not be able to fill in all 300 boxes.

Parties can register up to three above the Line tickets, which are supposed to be viewable somewhere in the voting hall.

Some voting booths (made of cardboard) should be 1m wide too.

It may be symptomatic of Julia and her advisers that she called an election on Yom Kippur.  That just has to be stupid.
Rudd was right onto it yesterday.

Are we worrying about election day being held the same day that some minority religion has one of its holy days?

Certainly not.
My comment was made from a purely political perspective. Julia needed all the votes she could get. Part of the attempt would logically be to keep the minority happy as far as possible.

Funny thing is we get all these nut jobs on here worrying about Australia being subject to sharia law within the next decade.

Are we worrying about election day being held the same day that some minority religion has one of its holy days?