There’s nothing unusual about this comment:
The federal government has accused the opposition of “arrogantly” getting ready to ignore the advice of Labor’s expert panel on asylum seeker policy – even before its report is handed down.
The panel, headed by former defence chief Angus Houston, is expected this week to suggest how the border-protection deadlock could be broken.
But opposition immigration spokesperson Scott Morrison on Tuesday said the coalition was standing by its policy of processing asylum seekers on Nauru, reintroducing temporary protection visas and getting the navy to turn back boats when it’s safe to do so.
In a speech to the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Mr Morrison said the expert panel should adopt the same approach, or alternatively recommend an election.
Yep, nothing unusual. The Liberals are indeed arrogant, they are again making noises about ‘boat people’ being an election issue, and – sigh – they want another election. How many is that, the number of times they’ve called for one?
I thought I’d try counting.
- Feb 26, 2011: Tony Abbott calls for election on carbon tax.
- March 9, 2011: From the Liberal Party website, Tony Abbott wants an election.
- March 18, 2011: Abbott mocks Labor over ties to climate ‘extremists’ (and wants another election).
- March 23, 2011: Abbott calls for new election on carbon tax.
- May 11, 2011: Joe Hockey says Coalition will try to force early election (surprise, surprise).
- May 12, 2011: Budget lacks legitimacy and integrity: Tony Abbott (and he demands election).
- May 15, 2011: On ABC Insiders Abbott calls for an election.
- May 16, 2011: On Tony Abbott’s own web page . . . he calls for an election.
- May 30, 2011: Julia Gillard listens to actors but not voters on carbon tax, says Tony Abbott (who wants an election).
- May 30, 2011: Tony Abbott, Greg Hunt say Julia Gillard should go to election, avoid carbon tax ad campaign.
- June 6, 2011: Tony Abbott says PM doesn’t have mandate to introduce carbon tax (plus he wants an election).
- June 12, 2011: From the Liberal Party website, Tony Abbott wants an election.
- June 20, 2011: Abbott calls for people’s vote on carbon tax.
- June 30, 2011: Tony Abbott calls for an immediate election after ‘the experiment that failed’ (referring to a minority government).
- July 2, 2011: Abbott interviewed in Port Lincoln. He calls for an election.
- July 11, 2011: Pollution tax won’t cut emissions: Abbott (and he calls for an election).
- July 13, 2011: Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott face angry public in carbon tax pitch to the nation (and Abbott calls for an election).
- July 17, 2011: From the Liberal Party website, Tony Abbott wants an election.
- Aug 16, 2011: Tony Abbott joins carbon tax rally to call for fresh election.
- Sept 4, 2011: Abbott calls for election as PM digs in on leadership.
- Oct 13, 2011: Scott Morrison calls for an election because of the blocked Malaysia deal.
- Oct 16, 2011: A big week in politics (and Abbott wants an election).
- Nov 2, 2011: Abbott renews call for election on migration policy.
- Jan 24, 2012: Opposition frontbencher Christopher Pyne is urging Prime Minister Julia Gillard to call a federal election.
- Feb 3, 2012: Here’s something different: Joe Hockey says that Rudd will be the new PM and he’ll call an election.
- Feb 23, 2012: Opposition leader Tony Abbott says an election is the best way out of Labor leadership debacle.
- Feb 23, 2012: Abbott to call election if government falls. WTF!
- Feb 27, 2012: Vote a stay of execution for Julia Gillard, says Tony Abbott (and calls for an election)
- Feb 28, 2012: End of distraction praised as Abbott calls for election.
- April 23, 2012: Government pressured (by Christopher Pyne) to call election after Slipper steps aside as Speaker.
- April 30, 2012: Abbott pressures independents over Thomson affair (and calls for an election).
- May 25, 2012: In an interview with Neil Mitchell Joe Hockey says the people want an election (in other words, he does).
- June 21, 2012: In an interview on 2GB Scott Morrison calls for an election.
- July 16, 2012: Just had to put this one in. In reference to the Lib’s IR policy Hockey had this to say: We will release it well before the next election. The next election is scheduled for the 2nd half of next year. If we followed the lead of the Labor Party, we would be releasing our policy in the second half of next year. (But I thought they wanted an election now).
- July 17, 2012: Opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne has laid out plans to move under-performing teachers out of the profession as part of its education policy (and calls for an election).
- July 18, 2012: Joe Hockey wants an other Labor leadership spill or else they should call an election.
- July 20, 2012: According to Pyne, the Slipper scandal was yet another reason why the government should call an election.
- July 21, 2012: “If this Government cannot solve the crisis at our borders then they should call an election” (Michael Keenan, Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection).
(Phew, I got sick of looking).
And that’s only a sample! I’ve not included YouTube videos of live interviews where there has been a call for an election and neither have I searched for statements from all the Liberal politicians. Who knows how many calls there might have been from Malcolm Turnbull or other prominent players. And neither have I bothered with the Nationals, of which I’m sure Barnaby Joyce has called for an election on numerous occasions.
So far we have calls for an election because of the carbon price, the 2012 Budget, The Slipper scandal, under-performing teachers, Nauru, border protection, migration, the Labor leadership challenge, Julia Gillard winning that challenge, no more distractions, the minority government and Craig Thomson. What on earth will they think of next?
Anyone would think they want an election!
Café Whispers 
What else would you expect from the Fiberal party. they run from one thing to the other, with the carbon tax, which has proved to be just Hot air from Idiot Boy.. They ppl in Queensland want an election now just after 4 months, of having Newman in Charge. This proves along with all the Other State Liberal parties that are running the states, is they have no frigging idea. All the bastards do is slash and burn and hurt the disadvantaged. This is why They should be kept in Opposition Federally. All Idiot boy will do will be destroy this country, and put it back 50 yrs.
So Morrison has decided the reason for the PM bringing together the expert panel on Asylum Seekers is to decide if there should be a General Election.
I smell a hint of desperation as the Coalition begin to realise the 2013 poll is no gimee. You bet your sweet life it isn’t.
The Coalition is really desperate for an Election. After all, they have been running the election campaign since August 2010 and they know people are losing patience. Much as the Coalition doesn’t like it, they are coming to accept that the election is likely to be late in 2013 as the electoral cycle swings around in its normal way.
Because of this, they are planning a whole series of wonderful Christmas presents for us in the 2013 Christmas Season. One of these is the standard “socks and ties” present we have come to expect from our Patriarchal Coalition friends.
Useless!
I thought the calls for an election were rung out daily. Have the media missed some?
Dafid..Tony’s worst nightmare, that there should be solutions to problems.
Archie, how long is it now that Tony has been desperate…
I love the comparison, the Two Tones – Abbott and Windsor. Abbott, shrill and desperate and Windsor practical, pragmatic and seeing the bigger picture.
Whether you agree with Windsor’s and Oakshott’s decision you have to admire the fact that they have kept to their commitments against some very strong critisism (and immense pressure).
I wish either were my local member.
Goodness, it must be the silly season because every time I read Migs’ title I think of it in Chinese.. The Libs want a what? I doubt that they will be receiving either in the near future, but in the mean time..
they are so desperate for some form of “emergency election”, because they know that they cannot compete on the basis of policy, or the welfare of our country and people, in a “fair election”.
the ultimate failure lies in the lnp’s abandonment of reality – most notable wrt to agw,
but readily evident from their economic “skills” as mirrored by the state premiers.
propaganda (courtesy of the msm), is all that is left when reality is abandoned, and seems to be the only offering from the lnp
Or perhaps it’s..
The NO Coalition wants an election? I never knew that!! I thought they just liked saying NO — a lot!
Migs. the Libs want an election – No, you’re kidding. Whoda thunk it?
This is toe issue Abbott is saying yes and Gillard is saying no (H)
Rabbit, I agree..stay focused. The media were a little successful against Oakeshott, less successful due to Windsor’s far more pragmatic nature.
Min, Tony was quite relaxed just after the 2010 election. Even tho he didn’t have the raw numbers, it was obvious that the Independents would back him After all, a female PM was a ridiculous idea! Even when Windsor and Oakshott helped create a temporary Labour Government, there was no need to panic. All that was needed was his trademark bullying and things would soon be straightened out. After he was able to create the “Julia Lied” lie in Feb ’11, he was certain that the Independents would switch sides very soon.
It didn’t happen!
All the legislation being passed, even under the pressure of manipulated polling and his brutal attacks on the Government, both inside and outside the Parliament, eventually began to ring the alarm bells and he started threatening to repeal everything the Gillard Government passed. Having failed at beating a woman, Abbott began playing the man. Thomson and Slipper were his favoured targets. Then those tactics began to fall apart!
Now that the economy is going gang-busters, the Mining Tax is giving Australia a fair price for its wealth, the Carbon Price is operating, the NDIS is happening and there are questions about the behaviour of a number of his colleagues the penny* has finally dropped. Abbott’s desperation now has an air of resignation.
Unable to change his negativity as that would be giving in to a woman, the daily “pressers” are becoming boringly repetitious and even he realises that. The latest poll shows an improvement in the Government’s figures and it is legitimate to ask if this is a genuine shift in public sentiment or another deliberately manipulated result aimed at “encouraging” the Opposition to find someone new!
Sometime soon, there will be a ritual “Knifing” and there will be another LOTO!
*Penny; an oldtime coin of the Realm likely to be resurrected should the un-evolved Abbott ever become PM
Archie, I will have to disagree with you on Tony being relaxed after the ’10 election. His eyes were glazed, he had lost when Archbishop Pell and god almighty had told him that this was hissss desssstiny..my pretty…
Smeagol whoops Abbott then set about demanding his destiny. Thief! Thief! Baggins! We hates it! Hates it! FOREVER!
Min, the smeagolitis kicked in before the 2010 election but for a while he was quite sure he could overcome the rejection.
GandalfPell probably told him that God was testing him. Those pesky independent Hobbits would soon fall into line!The desperation has been a growing thing as tactic after tactic has failed. We all know what happens when a Real Man is continuously bested by a mere woman. It is not a pretty sight! He is now looking resigned to his fate!
When even the Jesuits are telling Abbott (who admits to attempting to join them) he’s gone too far – the man is becoming a liability to the nation.
Just a thought, what say IF Abbott wins the election..stuffs it up so badly that he loses the following one then what is Team HasBeens going to look like in say 4 or 5 years time. What will 2017 or 18 look like..Will J. Bishop still be able to squeeze into those Armani skirts? Will Hockey still be treasurer? Will Prissy Pyne’s hair still be in those wrinkly cute curls.. Hey Migs, that could be a topic.. Our politicians 5 years hence..
I’ll still be incredibly good looking in 4-5 years time. 🙂
Rabbit, you are indeed a fine
whinewhoopsie, I meant wine…We all KNOW what the liberals want, it is what they deserve that should be inserted in them!
As for Morrison…He’d be more at home cross-dressing as Clarke Kent in a phone box!
Abnott’s desperate for an election before he loses the leadership.
Abbortt shouldn’t get to budgie…. oops,…. I mean cocky 😀 .. he might have forgotten about this ‘funtional’ Govt. ….. he keeps crow’n on that Julia hasn’t achieved anything ….. how about this list from Who? Why? topic here at CW..
Keith Warren
February 24, 2012 @ 2:01 pm
OK. Let’s have a look at the facts of what HAS happened in the last 12 months…
+ National healthcare
+ Labor’s Tax take 21.75% of GDP Vs 25% under Liberals
+ BER saves $1 billion a fortnight in unemployment
+ Govt deficit is 3.4% of GDP and compares to deficits of over 10 per cent of GDP in the US and UK
+ Lowest net government debt of all AAA rated economies
+ 63 New regional cancer centres
+ 850,000 fulltime jobs in 4 years
+ Unemployment half the world average
+ Lowest interest rates in 60 years
+ iiNet predicts 27% cost drop on NBN
+ Infrastructure budget tripled
+ Doubled funding to Health
+ Doctor training places doubled
+ Double funding to Education
+ $2.2 billion mental health package.
+ Increase in Family Tax Benefit (FTB) an additional $4,200 a year for each eligible teenager that stays in school
+ Banning mortgage exit fees on new loans.
+ Construction of Solar Dawn renewable energy facility with billions of commercial investment.
+ For the whole of the 2010-2011 financial year, the economy grew 1.8 per cent
+ The Atlantic magazine named Gillard as one of its “2011 brave thinkers” for her resolute strength in pushing through a carbon tax
+ Wayne Swann named as World Finance Minister of the year
+ The Credit Suisse 2011 Global Wealth report revealed that Australia’s median wealth is the highest in the world at US $220,000
+ Trade Surplus – the biggest surplus in raw terms for the past 40 years of records compiled by the ABS
+ The number of people filling for bankruptcy in Australia has fallen by 16%
+ business investment spending is expected to grow by 15 per cent this year and another 15 per cent next year. – Ross Gittin
+ Only time in Australian history we have AAA credit rating from all three Global Credit Agencies.
+ Proposes conscience vote on same sex marriages.
Julia is doing a GREAT job under extremely difficult circumstances.
( cue Iain and co )
LOVO, what you’re describing there, are in Abbott’s words, a do-nothing Government. 😉
What a lazy dysfunctional bunch!
LOL 😆
There are lots of great examples of what has been achieved by this govt. in the CW cellar Migs, 🙂 … great examples such as Kieth Warrens back in Feb., or this from only a few days ago….
Reproduced from the Australian Financial Review:
That’s the “big” myth blown
The conventional wisdom on the side of politics that is big spending and big taxing has been dramatically turned on its head with the 2012-13 budget.
The facts in the budget papers show undeniably that the Labor side of politics is able to deliver smaller government through low spending and taxing as a share of the economy. The Coalition parties, conversely, err on the side of higher spending with the budget surplus objectives inevitably met by high tax receipts.
The facts show that the fifth Labor budget in this political cycle has in place a quite massive 4.3 per cent cut in real government spending in 2012-13, the largest single-year cut yet recorded.
In nominal terms, government spending falls in 2012-13 for the first time. Adding context to this extraordinary spending restraint indicates that in the three years since 2009-10 there has been a cumulative total of zero growth in real government spending, restraint only exceeded in the three Labor budgets from 1986-87.
Not once did the Howard or Fraser governments in about 20 years in office achieve a single year where government spending was cut in real terms, while Labor governments have been able to cut real spending in five years since the mid-1980s. Viewed another way, the 2012-13 budget will see the ratio of government spending to gross domestic product fall to 23.5 per cent. This is 0.7 per cent of GDP lower than the average of the 12 Howard government budgets. In today’s dollars, that is around $10 billion less spending. What is equally striking, in the four years to 2015-16, this ratio will remain at or below 23.7 per cent, a four-year run of low spending not seen in more than three decades.
In terms of taxation receipts, the return to trend economic growth will see the tax-to-GDP ratio rise to 22.1 per cent in 2012-13. In the prior three years, the tax-to-GDP ratio averaged 20.4 per cent to be at levels last seen during a Labor government in the early 1990s and not delivered by a Coalition government since Billy McMahon was prime minister in the early 1970s. Not once did the Howard government have the tax-to-GDP ratio below 22.2 per cent and its average tax take was 23.4 per cent.
For the current Labor government, the tax-to-GDP ratio will, in each of the eight years out to and including the forward estimates, be below the average tax take of the previous Coalition government. If the 2012-13 tax take was equal to the average of the Howard government, Labor would be collecting around $20 billion in extra revenue and delivering a budget surplus close to 1.5 per cent of GDP.
Rounding out the myth-busting fiscal performance of the Labor government is the turnaround in the budget bottom line of 3.1 per cent of GDP in 2012-13. This is more than double the next-biggest single-year contraction in fiscal settings and reflects both cuts in spending and some pick-up in revenue as the economy returns to trend growth. It is beyond argument Labor governments function with a lower tax take than Coalition governments and at the same time have a propensity to rein in spending when the economy is growing.
None of the above facts deals with the philosophical issue of whether “big” government is more desirable than “small” government. That is for others to debate and most times it depends on the state of the business cycle.
Suffice to say, the updated facts on government spending and taxing in the budget papers confirm that Labor delivers smaller government than the Coalition. This is important to recognise because it repudiates the mantra from various opposition spokespeople about this government being “addicted to tax” or not delivering “genuine savings” in terms of cuts in government spending. Nothing could be further from the truth.
LOVO’s on fire this evening. Best that I shut the bar then.
Guess I’ll just haffta wonder the cellar on my ownsome then.. 😦 … as usual …. 😦
( cue violin) 😦
Big round of drinks for LOVO
It must be Paul’s shout.
I was thinking along the lines that it was going to Iain’s shout. 😉
😆
I have noticed that Ricky over at Political Jelly has told Iain to put up or shut up.
http://politicaljelly.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/the-cost-of-free-speech.html
Paul, Iain’s shout would be as boring as his comments.
more right wing BLAH BLAH BURP BLAH!
😆 🙄 😳
cheers
I reckon it’d be a home-brew. 😦
Sour milk would be Iain’s drink 😆 😈
Paul you’d be suprised what’s in Migs’ cellar…. its an information super cellarway 😀
Iain dosnt put-up….. he dosnt shut-up either.. all talk, no walk…. just like the party he trolls for …. *scroll*
This is the southern wing of the cellar under the Café.
Maybe that’s what it looked like last time you were down there Migs. LOVO has taken up residence since 😉
http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=I5008190220731879&pid=1.1
They’d be all your empty bottles wouldn’t they, Bacchus. 🙂
Oops 😳 Wrong photo attached to previous post – should have been:
😉
😆 ………..HEY!!!
Ahh, a bottle of red and a wander in CWs cellar, I could think of worse ways to wile-away the hrs.. 😉
Bacchus, that’s the new tasting room in the southern wing.
That first photo was of the yard out the back of the cellar Migs, but I can’t take credit for all of those bottles. I had some help 😉
Bacchus, I didn’t think you needed any help. 😯
I didn’t think you needed any help
Well others may dispute that assertion
😯
Others may assert that I’m beyond help (but my daughter’s opinion doesn’t count 😀 )
I have not seen much of Iain but from what I have seen, accepting drinks from him would lead to derps, not burps!
Archie, Iain has not got a sense of humour, only a sense of rumour.
😆
Iain only has a scent of humour ………… 😀
Skeptical & LOVO, is Iain a spent bloomer?
I note that Iain does his usual link to his blog so as to get hits and allow his crazies loose in the comments.
How about responding in the blog that made the challenge for once.
For someone with his own blog, he spends (wastes) a lot of time filling up the pages of CW. One would have to conclude that his blog is every bit as boring as his, alleged, comments here: eg;
They’re lying bastards.
They’re dysfunctional lying bastards.
Yeah, the bastards.
etc etc
😆
cheers
BTW right wing BLAH BLAH BLAH
Gee I ahve not even previously commented on this thread and I still cop it from Möbius and Skeptical, Gee my influence on debate must be really powerful that I am invoked and vilified even before I join in the fray.
Sadly I’m off to see my doctor today so I’ll be out until this afternoon so I’ll do my best to catch up then.
That said what precisely is wrong with the opposition calling for another election?
Oh that’s right the Labor/Greens Government is so despised that they will be decimated at the election when ever it is called so its natural that the opposition should call for the very thing that you minions of the left fear most, a day of reckoning for this despised and desperate administration. They know full well that Gillard (or her replacement) will cling like grim death to the keys to the lodge for as long as they can. Who would blame them when they face a decade at least in the wilderness?
Yet more BS from you Iain. The fact is that we have these things called ELECTION CYCLES, but your mate Abbott-& his buddies in the Mainstream Press-are so petulant that they don’t think the normal rules apply to them. I recall a certain despised government-which won less than 50% of the 2PP vote in 1998-go from one debacle to the next between 1999 & 2001, yet never once did we hear the Democrats, The Greens or Labor calling for an election every other day-because they accepted the way the system worked. However, that’s the difference between NORMAL people & the “Born to Rule” Sociopaths who make up the Liberal-National Party.
Also, Iain, the only reason Abbott & his cronies want an early election is so that they can (a) get into office, under the radar, before their ultra-dodgy policies (such as they have) can be subject to proper scrutiny & (b) before their rampant fear campaigns of the last 18 months can be exposed for the bullshit they are. Rest assured that Labor’s position in the polls will continue to rise-slowly but surely-as people realize Abbott’s “Armageddon” was nothing but smoke & mirrors. This will, of course, be ably assisted by the ongoing incompetence of the 3 East Coast Coalition governments!
Heard on the ABC this morning that T Rabbott, has disputed everything that JG said in regards to the rises in the cost of power (electricity), so this proves conclusively that he should be in charge of the LNP, as not only does he know more than the;
1,Economic experts world wide
2,UNHCR and the experts in AS policy
3,Climate experts
4,Treasury
But now also the experts at the power regulators.
I am sure that it won’t be long before he undertakes to re-write the Bible and nominates himself for the office of Pope
He is obviously the font of all knowledge, wisdom and understanding, and clearly should be running everything…..NOT.
The man (?) must be a genius of the same calibre of… Homer Simpson…DOH!
Migs, might be a good subject for another post?
😆
Cheers
Oh and BTW, he is such a good judge of character that he supports the likes of;
Kathy Jackson
Ashby
Bolt
Jones
Murdoch
Rhinoarse
Palmer
etc, not to mention such moral bankrupts as Pyne, Mirrabella, Hockey and his chosen deputy Bishop…….The list goes on and on, which brings us back to Iain (goes on and on!)
👿 😆
Cheers
Iain and,
Because Abbott sounded like a spoilt brat (which indeed he is), and because he lost he wanted a re-run. And because he has done ZERO else for the betterment of Australia. Hey Tony where are all your amendments to legislation?
Oh, and to bring it back to subject, they should get their election so that he take his rightful place as the ruler of the universe….not.
A worthy read by Barry Jones..
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/stupidity-is-on-the-rise-in-our-age-of-enlightenment-20120808-23uiq.html#ixzz230DULqdS
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Cu, Abbott’s position has been shaky in it’s entirety but at least some in the media are starting to take notice.
This from the same article CU:
“One has got to ask how long Tony Abbott can keep this up for. Here is a matter of serious public policy surrounding the expenditure of over $40 billion dollars within just five years that is substantially greater than the effect of the carbon tax, and Tony Abbott has nothing to say.
Just so it’s clear for those readers unfamiliar with the topic, residential electricity prices nationally will have almost doubled from about 15 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2008 to about 25 to 30 cents in 2013/14. Of that rise the carbon price accounts for about 2 cents. Other green schemes such as the Renewable Energy Target account for less than a cent. The market price for the actual generation of electricity (excluding the impact of the carbon price) in the eastern states is at its lowest level in more than a decade. The rest of the rise is largely due to network expenditure.”
TA has no idea as to what he is talking about.
More from that article:
“Tony Abbott’s own spokesperson for energy, Ian Macfarlane, as well as Malcolm Turnbull, have both publicly acknowledged that there is a serious problem with excessive network expenditure, and having state-governments as both owner and regulator of power sector assets.
There is likely to be 12 months until the next election. Tony Abbott will not be able to survive this long based solely on his existing repertoire of slogans because the media will demand to know more.
The question is does he actually know what he wants to achieve from government, and do his colleagues agree with him?”
TA is getting more desperate, believing in his own spin when others in his party are telling him something different.
Maybe they want an election, one they have demanded without success since the count was over at the last. Demand they might, succeed they will not.
CU
in the immortal sentiments expressed in that great aussie movie “the castle”
Yer dreamin!
The Labor party and Gillard have had nothing more than a dead cat bounce in the Polls, after all as the boats keep coming and the negative consequences of the carbon tax keep breaking cover do you really think that Labor can dig them selves out of the hole they are in enough to retain office???
It will take a great deal more than some rosy spectacled musings in the Fairfax press to save Gillard.