We achieved something. Thanks for your help.

Contact lists for our politicians were posted here early Sunday. The Daily Telegraph reports that MPs got close to 300 emails per electorate on the weekend, 20 – 1 in favor of Abbott. My message Friday and the message of emailers was that a shift to Turnbull would split the party. Passion against Turnbull runs deep.

Multiple Liberal MPs received close to 300 emails, per electorate, from the party faithful at the weekend with support for Prime Minister Tony Abbott running at “20-1”.

It can also be revealed in February 2009 when Mr Turnbull was Opposition Leader he trailed Labor 58 per cent to 42 per cent on the Newspoll two party preferred vote.

The Liberal Party’s primary vote was just 32 per cent.

Backbench MPs across Australia contacted by The Daily Telegraph last night confirmed constituents had launched an uprising against the change.

West Australian MP Ian Goodenough, who hails from Julie Bishop heartland, said his constituents had demanded Mr Abbott remains Prime Minister.

“My emails are running at a ratio of 20 to 1 support for the Prime Minister and Facebook is around 10 to 1,’’ he told The Daily Telegraph last night.

South Australian MP Tony Pasin said he had received more correspondence on the leadership issue than any other issue since he has been in parliament.

He confirmed most were from Liberal Party voters warning against a change in leadership.

“It’s the issue that’s attracted more traffic in my office than any other period since we were elected in 2013,’’ he said.

I was surprised when I searched on Saturday that there were not more contact lists posted in other places. (Did I miss them?) It suggests fans of small government are a bit naive and disorganized. It’s a true grassroots thing, isn’t it? (Andrew Bolt has picked up the email list from here yesterday after the vote.)

Thank you from me to all the readers who responded to the call for feedback to our MPs and Senators. To the cynics and the pessimists, I say, never give up. Your voice does matter, but fans of big-government and big-handouts don’t want you to think that.

But there is a lot to do.

9.6 out of 10 based on 76 ratings

96 comments to We achieved something. Thanks for your help.

  • #
    Bulldust

    What this shows is that 39 of the Libs are not interested in their supporters intent. Also, I wonder whether this has only bought Tony time until his next major “captain’s call” stuff up. He will have to be so careful from now on that he will be even less effective. Past experience tells us that he will stuff up again … even a minor slip will be played up by the media, because they know he is already wounded.

    Here’s hoping he can bring the nation around to a mature conversation about fixing the budget, but I doubt it. Much as I wish Australia could have this conversation, I think the evidence suggests we have started down the path of Greece and Spain … sure we are a decade or so behind them, but the political conversations about entitlements are surely leading us there.

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      Ted O'Brien.

      BD. List your “stuff ups”. But before posting your list here check whether they were real stuff ups or baseless allegations.

      In my view one of Tony Abbott’s biggest problems has been the changes to Clive Palmer’s policies post Al Gore’s visit. Those changes have required a lot of time wasting negotiations. The time wasting has to stop, and Tony Abbott must call Clive Palmer out.

      Clive’s world has shrunk dramatically with the Queensland election.

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      el gordo

      Australia won’t be heading down the path of Greece or Spain because of our huge resources and small population. The Free Trade Agreements with China, Japan and South Korea should kick start Abbott’s infrastructure revolution, coupled with mass immigration, which will produce growth.

      At the moment the world is in a deflationary spiral and Abbott plans on avoiding it.

      Forget his gaffs, its primarily a leftoid obsession on twittersphere.

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      • #
        el gordo

        If further proof is needed.

        ‘China’s inflation rate plunged to 0.8 per cent in January, its lowest level for more than five years, heightening fears of deflation in the world’s second-largest economy.’

        AFP

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            el gordo

            I agree the red capitalists are trending down the same path and there is no easy solution. Xi thinks his two silk roads to the Middle East and Europe will give him time to restructure.

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          Bulldust

          We may have huge resources and a small population, but that doesn’t stop governments from spending beyond their means. To paraphrase John Mauldin, each country has its own path for getting into their debt trap (referring to Japan, EU PIIGS, etc). Everyone says they aren’t Greece, but the end result is pretty much the same. Once the debt can’t be paid then the game is over.

          Right now Greece can no longer pay its debt. The EU and Greek politicians do their little dances, but mathematically the debt issue is unsurmountable. Meanwhile the politicians ignore the debt elephant in the room.

          End result? I believe the Grexit will happen sooner rather than later, and the ruling party is waiting to be kicked out of the EU, rather than step out. That way they can blame the EU for not playing along. Typical political approach.

          When Greece exits they will default on the 60% of debt held by EU countries… causing another banking crisis. The may default by refusing to pay or by paying in new Drachmas which will be worthless. End result is the same … default by another name is still default.

          As I said, Australia is a long way off being Greece, but there is no reason why we can’t end up like them if we don’t get a real conversation going about changing the direction of the budget. It is easier to make small adjustments now, rather than massive corrections later. I know that sounds like the scare campaign of the warmists, but in the case of budgetting it is demonstrably true. The warmists are yet to demonstrate a system going out of kilter. The Australian Fed Budgets certainly are, and both Howard and successive Labor governments are to blame. Personally I don’t care about laying blame, but do care about getting the system fixed.

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          • #
            Bulldust

            PS> Apologies for the first post being a bit of a downer, but my cynicism runs deep when it comes to politicians. They are, by and large, duplicitous, arrogant, and ego-centric bastards. And that’s just their good qualities…

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            • #

              The only thing is Bulldust, the EU Banks mostly got out of their Greek debts. They’re owed a few hundred million tops. The billions are owed to EU treasuries, taxpayers in other words, mainly Germans.

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          • #
            el gordo

            The Coalition desperately wants to get the budget passed, but confronted by a hostile Senate they may have to rethink strategy.

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            • #
              Dennis

              Independent auditors have confirmed the budget financial crisis handed over by Labor in with their 2013/14 Budget traps and commitments that had no provision made to fund. It is unacceptable that the first Coalition Budget, 2014/15 financial year, has taken so many months to get passed the Senate opposition. Announced during May 2014 and by December 2014 about 80 per cent passed, and in the outstanding 20 per cent are savings amounting to some $30 billion.

              And the next budget for 2015/16 is due for announcement in 3-months time.

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          • #
            karl

            You seen the riots when the Greek government introduced austerity measures and were voted out for doing the right thing. I fear we have already reached (the real) tipping point where the number of taxpayers is out numbered by those living off them. The right has failed to capture the media and educational classes and can’t win without one of them.

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      Graeme No.3

      For those interested:

      Debt per head of population in Greece $A 44,000

      Debt per head of population in Queensland $A 18,000

      Debt per head of population (Federal) $A 16,616

      Debt per head of population (Federal & States) $A 28,011

      All figures rounded.

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      • #
        Dennis

        Graeme do those figures include government owned private companies for which debt is not shown in government budgets. For example, NBNCo for the federal government? NSW government has business structures to, electricity producers for example.

        And by the way, when the last NSW Labor Government sold about half of the electricity assets valued at $12 billion they rushed sale through and achieved only $5.9 billion. And after retiring debt used to pay “dividends” to the state government only $800 million remained.

        The squandering of our monies and the deceitful creative accounting Union Labor indulges in when they hold power cannot be excused.

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        • #
          Graeme No.3

          Dennis.
          Don’t know.
          Just grabbed figures off http://www.australiandebtclock.com.au/

          Labor in charge of selling anything doesn’t seem to get a good price. We’ve had a case recently in S.A. where some land was sold off in a very odd manner. The Court took a very dim view of the proceedings but couldn’t quash the contract. Trying to cover this up may be why Jay Weatherall suddenly seemed to convert to support for nuclear power.

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          • #
            Dennis

            And I forgot local government debt all around the nation Graeme. I believe that the real debt liability, let alone annual interest liability, in total, would horrify taxpayers. Well the minority of financially literate taxpayers.

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  • #

    Salutary reminder from the plebs that the electorate counts.
    Thx Jo for the email list and call to action.

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    TdeF

    Well done! The incredible attempt to remove one of the world’s most significant Anti Warmists has failed. Disgracefully even Barack Obama did his best to deride his host Tony Abbott at the G20 and repeat the lie about 97% of scientists and the collapsing Barrier Reef. It was an insult to Tony and to the people of Australia who had voted overwhelmingly to remove the spectre of Green/Red activism.

    Elected in a landslide only 16 months ago, the very attempt was unbelievable especially with no viable alternative? The Global Warming battle is still on for November in Paris and the UN/IPCC/Greens will not give up with their attempt to create a world government, with themselves in charge of the money. As the chief of the UN Climate group said, they are rewriting the world economy. It has nothing to do with Climate.

    It was a puzzle that 40 backbenchers wanted him gone, but about the same number were new to their seats and saw what happened in Queensland, so you could only conclude that 40 new people cared more about keeping their jobs than doing what they were elected to do.

    How the Greens/Labor call themselves progressive is beyond me when they are against any progress, dams, farming, cattle, nuclear, development, manufacturing, technology. Almost no other energy source could be more anachronistic, less progressive than windmills, a power source which vanished world wide two centuries ago and for good reason. As for solar, it is near worthless for real energy where and when you need it. As Climate Councillor Will Steffen effectively said, we only have to cover half the state in solar panels to supply current power needs.

    The battle for mankind has to be energy storage or so called ‘renewables’ are simply useless. Hydro is a good example of peak energy on demand, a hybrid system but there are other forms of storage.

    For those in Labor seats, remember that almost invariably, your member owes their seat to Green preferences. That is the only reason they obey absurd Green policies. Even Bill Shorten refuses to contemplate nuclear power for South Australia despite Bob Hawke recommending it.

    We need manufacturing (without Union extortion as at Toyota). In fact Abbott should try to keep Toyota. He needs to legislate to give them the power to negotiate directly with their employees, something refused by the High Court. We must not become a totally dependent country and we need to use and exploit our most valuable resource, natural coal.

    Congratulations to everyone. Well done. They will try again, before November.

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    • #

      Say, wonder does Tony Abbott read Jo Nova? )

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      • #
        Winston

        You betcha!

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      • #
        Rereke Whakaaro

        One of his staffers will. Feeling the pulse of the people and all that.

        Blogs like this have a direct line into the seat of power. And the fact that a lot of commentators are obviously science literate, will not go unnoticed.

        Whether the politicians want to take notice and act upon it though … that is another matter.

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          Truthseeker

          The link to the Telegraph article also has a poll that is still running that asks who should be Prime Minister. Vote for Abbot!

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      Bobl

      Actually Will said there is enough sunlight to supply power needs (one would have to assume by tiling victoria with solar panels) However solar panels are at best 20% efficient, and when it’s cloudy they are only about 4% efficient, so to get RELIABLE power (assuming the storage problem could even be solved) one actually needs to tile 25 times the area of Victoria to supply Victorias power needs – according to the math challenged Will Steffen

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      Dennis

      TdeF manufacturing industry in Australia is not viable, motor industry a good example. To start with, as published in the Australian Financial Review last year, rounded off figures, the total cost of employment of skilled labour in Australia (that is all related costs not just wages) exceeds A$600 per day as compared to the US where the cost exceeds A$400 per day. In developing nations such as India, where many motor vehicle manufacturers now have production plants, the cost is less than A$200 per day.

      A large manufacturing business I once managed no longer produces its products in Australia, factories closed and now warehouses and offices only. Even with the most up to date equipment to increase factory efficiency/production the other costs do not allow an Australia based business to compete with imports. When Ford, GMH and Toyota (Mitsubishi pulled out earlier) decided to move offshore around 80% of motor vehicles purchased by Australians were imported models. Without government purchasing fleet vehicles maybe the motor vehicle manufacturing industry would have moved away when Mitsubishi did.

      When shareholders realise that their return on investment can be increased substantially by moving the business to a country like India, lower cost power, land and buildings, cost of skilled labour, far less red and green tape, there is no contest.

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        Dennis

        One other example, a Perth Western Australia designed motor yacht ( I forget the brand) featured a couple of years ago in a boating magazine, built in WA, cost about A$1.5 million to buy, the production was moved to the US and imported identical vessels could be sold here for about A$900K.

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    stan stendera

    I have been reluctant to comment on Australian politics since I am a US citizen. It is your business. However, now as the spill is over I can comment. If you Aussies get rid of the great man Tony Abbott, you are crazy.

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      Kevin Lohse

      Pixelling as a true Brit, I totally agree with you. Well done Australia.

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      Yonniestone

      It’s ok comment away, after all there’s plenty of Aussies here that have “Hung $h!t” on other countries including yours truly. 🙂

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    • #
      Peter Miller

      All over the western world, the politicians seem intent on shutting down the lights, as they pay homage to the green mania.

      Abbott is one of the few who stands against this insanity. I do not pretend to understand Australia’s voting system other than its complexity makes it unfit for purpose.

      Anyhow, he has survived and I sincerely hope that he is someone who will drive a wooden stake into the heart of the ultimate lunacy planned for Paris later this year.

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        PeterK

        Peter: I too am having a very hard time understanding Australia’s voting system. I have tried reading items on the internet to get a better grasp but it just muddies it more for me.

        Can anyone offer a simple, short and to the point material that can be read and easily understood re how the Australian voting system actually works.

        Thanks

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        • #
          Annie

          All I know is that it is a system that allows someone with 2% of the primary vote to become a senator; part of a senate that can block sensible action by a government to clean up a previous government’s irresponsible spending. A new government that came into power by a landslide.

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          Bobl

          It is a bit wierd. Essentially it works like this, on a ballot you number all the candidates in order of preference.

          Lets say there are 5 candidates, so after the first round of counting there are 5 piles of votes. The pile with the least votes are then taken (this candidate has lost) and the votes distributed among the remaining 4 piles according to the second preference on those ballots. After that the pile with the least votes is taken and distributed to the remaining 3 piles by second and third preferences, then 3rd is distributed to the last two. This then becomes what we call the two party preferred vote.

          The problem with the system is that lower preferences have the same value as a first preference, as long as you don’t run last this means that someone with very few first preference votes can get up, even though only a few people had them as a first preference. This happens all the time in the senate election.

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        • #

          PeterK,

          I contribute to, and am now the Editor of, a U.S. based blog site which operates out of Harrisburg in Pennsylvania.

          The site owner asked me to write a Post attempting to explain the electoral process here in Australia.

          This was done in the run up to the Federal Election in 2010.

          It might help you, so here’s the link to my Post.

          The Australian Electoral Process Explained

          Tony.

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            PeterK

            Thanks Tony: I’ve pdf’d your write-up and will read it slowly over the next couple of days.

            Peter

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          • #

            Tony good post but let me explain some points for those that do not want to look at your site.
            There are many voting system and many think they prefer an optional voting system first passed the post. Just remember that Adolf Hitler was voted in by about one third of those that voted and with a turnout of about 80% (1932). He did slightly better in the next election but by banning some parties and putting fear into the electorates but still did not get a majority. With optional voting thugs can intimidate voters as also has happened in communist countries. That is the sort of system union thugs (and the ALP)want.
            Anyway, back to the Australian systems
            1/ Voting is compulsory (but that does not mean you have mark your voting paper)
            2/ In the lower houses of parliament except Tasmania and ACT there is single member preferential voting. Qld has just introduced optional preferential voting where you need to mark only one candidate but others including the Federal lower house every candidate must be numbered and, where there are more than two candidates, for the majority of the electorate the least disliked will get up (eg Clive Palmer (PUP)was the second choice of ALP and Green voters and managed to squeeze in by a small margin. Independents get elected this way.
            3/ Tasmania and ACT have multi-member electorates working on the Hare-Clark system which is meant to give some representation to smaller parties on a limited proportional basis. Some of the first candidates votes are passed on to the next preferred candidate. Tasmania and ACT have elected Greens as the third member in a number of electorates
            4/ The Federal senate is suppose to be a state’s house like in USA but each State has more members (except ACT & NT there are 12 member which sit for 6 years with 6 up for election each 3 years unless there is a double dissolution). The present voting system is based on the Hare-Clark but a bad change was the above the line voting which allows parties below the line to work out the preference distribution. This has allowed greens and minor parties such as Motoring Enthusiates and PUP to gain seats.

            A good and simple change to senate voting would be to do away with above the line voting and require optional preferential voting (1 to 6 candidates being numbered)
            A more drastic system would be to create more states (say split QLD into 4) so that each state would only have two senators as in USA. That would get rid of the Greens and minor parties but still allow Independents.
            Finally, a good move would be to have a recall system as in Switzerland and some states of the US. Members such as Oakshott, Windsor, Slipper, Craig Thompson, Lambie etc could be recalled to face the electorate if they no longer represent the votes who elected them.

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        • #

          Peter K, fair question. Do you feel any better informed?

          We have two halves: The House of Reps, and The Senate. We don’t vote for the PM directly (unless we live in his actual electorate). The M.P.s in the House of Reps vote for the PM, which means the PM can change without a public election (and seems to happen a lot lately, but that’s not “normal”). In the Senate, each state gets to elect 6 senators regardless of the size of the state (and territories get two). MP’s face an election every 3 years or less. Senators get 6 years.

          We have compulsory voting, so everyone has to turn up or you get a fine of $25 or so. I used to think that was good. I don’t anymore.

          We have preferential voting (as Bobl) explained. Which I like, but it can get gamed… and a voter either has to number each of the prefs (from 1 to as much as 110 sometimes), or they have to just pick 1 party, and live with that party’s registered list.

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        clive

        I agree,if the UN get their way in Paris,we are DOOMED.Lord Monckton said last year that the Un needs get be rid of Abbott and the Canadian PM to bring in their New World Order.God help us if they get their way.
        Thanks to Jo,we have all the names and Email addresses of our Pollies.We should put this to good use.

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      Bobl

      Comment away, sometimes it’s good to get an outside perspective. I certainly have a bit to say about the USA’s rather odd democratic system which devolves to a single partisan individual the ability to legislate and frustrate the will of the people as expressed by the people’s representatives in congress.

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    PeterPetrum

    Thanks, Jo. I wrote to my MP, here in the Blue Mountains, with my views on what would happen to the party (again) if Tony Abbott was replaced by Turnbull. I also wrote to Sinodinos and expressed my disgust at his lack of loyalty, considering the support Tony gave him over ICAC. Just shows that the public can count, sometimes. I think Pickering also had a list, but not sure if it was as comprehensive as yours.

    Now, let’s hope that our PM gets into gear. Certainly his performance in question time, and that of his ministers, has made Labor look very weak indeed so far this week.

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      Ted O'Brien.

      Sinodinos of all people!

      His goose should be well cooked now!

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        Winston

        His has been the most indefensible action of the last week. It should be sayonara for Sinodinos.

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          Catamon

          ” His has been the most indefensible action of the last week. It should be sayonara for Sinodinos. ”

          Utter Brilliance Winston! Are you advising Tony, Brian, Peta ?? If not, for the good of the country, you should be.

          Hounding Sinodinos out of the party, ( the bloke who is going to be up in front of ICAC again later this year and knows all about the whole laundering developer donations for the NSW party via the Feds and the Sydney Water stuff ) is like a great idea!!! He will be so chastened and eager to be worthy of Tonys admiration again there is no way he will even consider dropping any of the Libs in the cacky over their fund raising in NSW.

          Except maybe Jo since i dont think Tony actually likes him very much??

          We should email him! That works well doesn’t it??

          STOP THE SINODINOS!! Its even three words and Tony will love that. 🙂

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          • #
            Winston

            Abbott showed tremendous loyalty to Sinodinos when most would have dumped on him. At the first opportunity, Sinodinos publically dumped on Abbott, and timed it to coincide with a proposed spill.

            Even if his opinion that Abbott should go for the good of the party or the good of the country, or whatever, he was the last person who should have stuck his bib in where it wasn’t wanted. As his previously spotless reputation has been recently sullied by his poor performance at ICAC, he certainly wasn’t adding credibility to calls for Abbott to stand down, but I’m sure he thought he was such an upstanding member that everyone admired that his opinion would persuade the undecided to dump him.

            So, yes, he was the last person who should have been disloyal to Abbott, no matter what opinion he held as to the merit or otherwise of Abbott’s leadership. I hope that helps Cat, as I know you have trouble with the complexities of human relationships.

            As far as your conspiracy theories, I suspect the Obeid mafiosa and their Labor pals have much more to worry about if Arthur indeed knows anything, and quite frankly if someone is corrupt on the Liberal side of politics, they (i.e ‘we’) are more than happy for them to be hung out to dry. I would insist on it, no matter who it is.

            Whereas on the Labor side of politics they make them P.M (Gillard- AWU slush fund, Rudd- Heiner Affair) or opposition leader (Shorten- AWU & peripherally covering up HSU), make them party president (Michael Williamson- HSU) and /or preselect them for seats as a reward (Craig Thompson- HSU/Prostitutes-R-Us scandal). What a fine bunch they are.

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      scaper...

      I called a Minister, Senator and backbenchers, mobile numbers. This was about nine days ago. Was careful not to abuse their colleagues, stated my disappointment and warned that the disunity would leak their base to the Australian Liberal Alliance.

      They were not aware of the Party. Don’t believe it had much influence as they supported Abbott but I did notice they were vocal (media) in support.

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    bemused

    I really hope that Abbott takes this as a salutary lesson and truly does change his current style. The government simply has to go on the attack, ignore the chattering classes, trough feeders, MSM and polls and start enunciating good policy and keep telling the public that it’s a hostile senate that’s preventing the implementation of such policy.

    If ministers aren’t prepared to get out there and talk the talk and walk the walk, they need to be replaced. And they need to be allowed to do so and not be hobbled by the office of the PM. If they lose the next election because they communicated with the people, implemented (or attempted to implement) good but tough policies, they can do so with honour.

    Shame the senate and shame Labor for simply being obstructionist. All the fuel is there, just light the fire.

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    Ted O'Brien.

    The result was the best available, provided Tony Abbott knows what the problem is and rectifies it. The problem is that he has a allowed the liars a free, unchallenged run. Especially those who maintained a vicious vilification campaign against him personally.

    And I repeat that Malcolm Turbull’s behaviour has at all times been exemplary. He, too, would make a good prime minister if he wakes up to the AGW scam. The issues criticising him were all beat ups by very poorly educated journalists and vituperative opposition figures.

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      manalive

      Malcolm Turbull’s behaviour has at all times been exemplary …

      Oh no, remember ‘Utegate’.
      Giving Turnbull responsibility for the ABC was incredibly naive and stupid.

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      bemused

      I can honestly say that I’ve never, ever, trusted Turnbull, from day one. It’s not just that he’s supported Leftist policies in the past, but there’s something else about him that makes me extremely wary about his trustworthiness and true beliefs.

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        TdeF

        Could it be that he made his money as a partner in Goldman Sachs? The people who were major pushers of the fake mortgages which brought down world economies with the GFC. He is utterly now compromised as a politician pushing the worthless international taxation system called an Emissions Trading Scheme, operated by exactly the same people. The world needs bankers but they do make money entirely from the hard work and risk of others. You have to wonder why someone worth $150+Million bothers but you know the answer, as with Rudd.

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        clive

        He’s a Goldman Sachs Bankster,which says it all,really.He’s in it for himself.

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      bemused

      It just hit me. Every time that I hear or read anything about Turnbull, all that comes to mind is that, in so many similar ways, he is Australia’s Al Gore.

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        Yonniestone

        There you have it, $150+ Million will buy a nice position of power high up the World Government pyramid.

        “And when Malcolm saw the breadth of his domain he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.” just doesn’t sound right does it?

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        Dennis

        Food for thought: Spotted dining together in a restaurant in China last year Messrs Rudd & Turnbull, spotted at a Canberra Chinese restaurant dining together Messrs Palmer & Turnbull. Invited to Australia for public and private meetings Al Gore by Clive Palmer. A sample of a wealth creation club?

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      PeterPetrum

      “And I repeat that Malcolm Turbull’s behaviour has at all times been exemplary.” Oh, Ted! Come off it. He made a total mess of his last attempt to lead the LNP and his totalal inability to do ANYTHING about the ABC shows just where his loyalty and ability lies.

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    Robert O

    Hopefully PM Abbott will be more collegiate with the coalition members and not pussyfoot around with his opponents. He should start with a new ABC board and then get them to appoint a new CEO, otherwise the undermining will continue, and if Malcom doesn’t want to then find him a new job. We have been subject to a constant barrage of hottest years, hottest temperatures recorded, wild predictions and so on by a very biased media and it will continue unabated until Paris. The other players, Milne, Shorten, and Malcom? all believe in global warming and a futile carbon tax, so if PM Abbott falls, we will be signed up to one whether we want it or not and irrespective of any real evidence, just predictions coming from failed models. Frightening isn’t it: Decisions made by politicians based on advice from scientific activists whose future depends on this hypothesis.

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    david purcell

    I agree Robert O. Paris is a big worry especially if there were to be a change in leadership. Would be a disaster if Australia and Canada signed up with no “get-out” clause.

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    pat

    jo –
    your lists played a huge part in preventing Turnbull taking over. that is no small achievement.

    to make everyone’s day – a fun story from the UK and a Job Ad some might like to apply for!

    8 Feb: Guardian: Jamie Doward: Climate change marchers told to hire private security firm
    Campaign Against Climate Change says Britons now have to ‘pay to protest’ after police refuse to close roads along route
    The right to stage demonstrations in Britain could be threatened following a demand that climate change protesters planning a march next month hire a private firm to oversee it – a role previously carried out by the police.
    The Campaign Against Climate Change (CACC) says it is effectively being made to “pay to protest”, after learning that its demonstration in London, which could attract up to 20,000 people, will carry a bill of thousands of pounds.
    Following negotiations with the Metropolitan police, the Greater London Authority and Westminster city council, the organisers of the Time to Act march – which is supported by the People’s Assembly Against Austerity, the Stop the War Coalition, Global Justice Now, Avaaz and Friends of the Earth – have been told the police will no longer facilitate the temporary closure of roads along the agreed route…
    New, more restrictive, interpretations of traffic laws, coupled with constrained policing budgets, lie behind the Met’s decision…
    These bureaucratic obstacles have angered campaigners seeking to push a green agenda before the election…
    The Met spokeswoman said the police’s core responsibilities were “preventing and detecting crime, maintenance of the Queen’s Peace and protecting life and property”. She said that because the proposed demonstration, on 7 March, was expected to be crime-free there was little requirement for it to provide a policing operation…
    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/07/climate-change-marchers-private-security-protest-police

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    Salary: $60,954 – $72.095
    Closing date: 23 February 2015
    Salary: $60,954 – $72,095 per year, plus an additional Personal Staff Allowance ($23.523)
    The Climate Change Campaigner is responsible for identifying campaign opportunities to progress action on climate change that support the Leader’s parliamentary and community work. They will ensure that Greens’ supporters are informed of the work of the Leader and the Australian Greens, including production of print materials and online content…
    The position is offered under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 and conditions are outlined in the Commonwealth Members of Parliament Staff Collective Agreement 2012–2015. The salary package is supplemented by a personal staff allowance in recognition of the long and irregular hours and other special features of this position. Generous employer-sponsored superannuation of 15% is also offered…
    Please note that all Leader’s staff positions are open to restructure following an election, change of leadership or term expiration. Senator Milne’s current Senate term expires on 1 July 2017.
    http://www.probonoaustralia.com.au/jobs/2015/02/climate-change-campaigner#

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      ianl8888

      your lists played a huge part in preventing Turnbull taking over

      And you know that how, Pat ?

      One would need to know how many of the 60% of Libs who voted against a spill had intended to vote for a spill but then changed their mind after the email “storm” … and then you would have to trust their answers. But Pollyanna is a common enough mindset – it’s just an alternate “reality”,you know

      [I see that Jo N calls comments such as this “cynical and pessimistic”. Well, she has no idea what cynicism really means. And as far as “negativity” goes – another favourite PC crime, perhaps the worst. Yes, that’s mild sarc]

      back to reality, an interesting list just released. Here are the people who are reviewing the BoM “adjusted temperature” issues:

      http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/baldwin/2015/mr20150119.html

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        ianl8888

        … just released

        Wrong, sorry – released three weeks ago

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        Andrew McRae

        Agreed there is no way to know how effective the public’s emails were, especially as knowing how many politicians changed their minds because of emails would first require the politicians to admit they were going to dump Abbott. So we’ll never know.

        I imagine people in marketing must have this problem all the time.

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    MudCrab

    I know it sounds egotistical, but the Liberal Party still does belong to the members.

    Most of the time we float around in our own little social circles going from fund raiser to fund raiser and having the occasional moan.

    Then every so often people like Turnbull remind us that if we wanted to support Labor policies we would have voted for them. About then we remind the elected members that while we may not in many cases be able to formally effect policy, we are also the ones who stand in the sun all afternoon come election day.

    To paraphrase the ETS issue that cost Turnbull his job in the first place “You want to support the ETS, you can put up your own ****ing election posters”.

    The Media might get all high and mighty, making bold statements based on opinion polls on what the Liberals NEED to do to survive, but at the end of the day, the Liberal Party does not belong to them, it belongs to it’s members.

    Despite what the media is willing to confess, there are a very large amount of the Liberal rank and file who still have not forgiven Turnbull for ETS and are not remotely interested in trusting him again.

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      GregS

      Hear, hear. As another long suffering member who is always called on for donations, working parties, long roadside vigils, handing out how-to-votes, scrutineering, etc., occasionally it feels good to get angry occasionally and say enough.

      For my own little branch we have our own disagreements but in this case we were united, we don’t want Labor-Lite.

      I am also sick of the Labor and Green supporters who are vocal on social media, twitter and the comments in papers who sway the media tarts with comments that Turnbull is a Liberal they COULD support. Except they will never vote for him when they have the option of an ALP or Green candidate. I guess we conservatives just don’t dominate the chattering classes.

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    pat

    pull the other one, Laurent:

    9 Feb: Guardian: Reuters: France says UN climate talks crucial for world security
    ‘The survival of the planet itself is at stake,’ French foregin minister Laurent Fabius says at UN climate talks in Geneva
    French foreign minister Laurent Fabius launched a round of global climate talks in Geneva on Sunday and warned that world security, as well as the environment, depended on their success.
    The week-long meeting is the first in a series that is meant to culminate in a globally binding agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Paris in December, with a target of limiting the rise in global temperatures to 2C above pre-industrial times.
    Countries, companies and other organisations are expected to announce commitments to cut emissions in the run up to the Paris meeting…
    “Without sounding too grandiose, the survival of the planet itself is at stake,” Fabius told reporters in Geneva. “You have rising sea levels, acidification of the oceans, immigration sparked by climate change, droughts that are much more severe.
    “And then there’s an aspect that we don’t talk about much: the impact on security. If you have climate degradation, global security as a whole is degraded, there is immigration, and the fact that we fight over resources, be it oil or water.”
    Fabius said 20,000 delegates and a similar number of guests, plus 3,000 journalists, were expected to attend the Paris talks. He said 195 countries would be represented, but it was not decided which heads of state or government would come…
    Governments are due to submit their national plans by an informal deadline of 31 March to give time for the United Nations to compile them before Paris…
    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/09/france-un-climate-talks-security-fabius-geneva

    it hasn’t started well:

    8 Feb: Bharat Press India: Zee News: EU wants India to contribute to the UN Green Climate Fund
    Geneva: The European Union Sunday stated it expects India and different rising economies to contribute to the Green Climate Fund after 2020, stating that “geopolitical realities have modified considerably”…defies the precept of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) which, India argues, is the primary precept of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
    The onerous fault strains between developed and creating nations was obvious as soon as once more in the first session of the six-day local weather change talks which started in Geneva in the present day.
    Elina Bardram, head of the European Commission delegation said that for a profitable deal in Paris all main economies and different nations ought to submit their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) by the finish of March and that there’s “no excuse for them not to achieve this”.
    The place will ruffle many feathers in the creating (developing?) world…
    ***South Africa, talking on behalf of M-seventy seven plus China, and supported by BASIC, LMDC and different teams of small nations, warned that “any try to re-negotiate, re-write or re-outline” the primary rules of the UNFCCC would delay the means of reaching the Paris settlement…
    http://bharatpress.com/2015/02/08/eu-wants-india-to-contribute-to-the-un-green-climate-fund/

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    Rollo

    Turnball lost his leadership postion due to his professed views on carbon emissions, but when are his critics going to come out of the closet? I’m sure most politicians know that anthropogenic CO2 related thermal runaway is total crap, but which liberal strong-man(or woman) is going to say this on Q&A ? Maybe if Tony A gets the flick in another 6 months, or whenever,he can declare himself a sceptic as a parting gesture. In the mean-time I’ll be making good use of Jo’s list!

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    TdeF

    Then you have the press set against Abbott. If he even winked, he was a sex fiend or misogynist monster. If he has a strong belief, he is inflexible. If he gave a cost free honour, it was a sign of dementia. The people who were very happy to make dead wombat specialist, Chief Climate Alarmist Tim Flannery Australian of the year were upset at the recognition of Prince Phillip who has been the very effective patron of hundreds of causes and deserved recognition. No, nothing Tony did was good. If Tony spent two weeks with aborigines every year for many years, he is an opportunist. If he was captain of his team fighting bushfires and putting his life at risk again for years, he was showing off. If he swam, ran and cycled competitively to raise money for charities, he was a sports nut in lycra.

    We have to accept that nothing Tony does is any good but so far he has rid us of the Carbon Tax, stopped hundreds of people a year drowning in the Timor Sea, is emptying the refugee centres and is trying his best to stop Australia drowning in a sea of debt. Free trade agreements with Korea, Japan and China are amazing. Even the NBN is now going to use satellites and the first Ariane satellite was just launched to provide high speed phones and internet for tens of thousands of remote people in this huge country. Judged on his performance in 16 months, he has worked miracles, but he cannot get a mouse through the senate and it is all his fault, apparently. His budget which asked people to tighten their belts in tough times is ‘unfair’ as well. We need more politicians like Tony and his team. Of course the Greens hate him with a great passion. You can understand why.

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      Yonniestone

      If PM Abbott is serious about snubbing COP21 he will need Dennis Jensen on board as a mouthpiece to take some flack from him, lets face it Jensen’s not shy when telling it how it is and this is a crucial part of winning over a CAGW brow beaten public, when people finally realize just how much they’ve been had it’ll make Abbotts job of deconstructing the green cult/industry, especially Agenda 21!

      This is only wishful thinking on my behalf based on the idea that the LNP is wanting this also.

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    pat

    10 Feb: A Beginner’s Guide to Speaking Climate
    by Naharnet Newsdesk from Agence France Presse:
    Outsiders who walk into a U.N. climate conference often experience a “beam-me-up-Scotty” moment.
    Like Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, they find themselves in a alien world where the people speak Climate, a language as unsettling as Klingon… and nearly as impenetrable.
    Veteran speakers know a BINGO from a TUNGO. An ENGO from a YOUNGO. A NAMA from a NAPA. A COP from a MOP.
    They read ‘non-papers’ about hot air, and talk wistfully about the days of the QUELRO. And they understand that Bottom Up versus Top Down is not smut — it’s about alternative approaches to climate policy.
    A new six-day round of negotiations opened in Geneva on Sunday, a stepping stone to a conference in Paris in December where a post-2020 deal must to be sealed.
    Here’s a primer on what negotiators are saying…READ ON IF YOU WANT TO LEARN CLIMATE-SPEAK
    http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/166845-a-beginner-s-guide-to-speaking-climate

    the updated negotiating text being worked on in Geneva.
    any text inside brackets is still up for negotiation, including this opening line***:

    pdf: UNFCCC: WORK OF THE CONTACT GROUP ON ITEM 3 Section C
    8 February [email protected]
    General / Objective1
    0. ***[The objective of this agreement is to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in line with the ultimate objective of the Convention and to maintain and increase resilience to the adverse effects of climate change] …
    http://unfccc.int/files/bodies/awg/application/pdf/[email protected]

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      Marty

      Seriously ? A Non-Paper, on which Un-Resolutions are based no doubt.
      Should make the job of denying it afterwards all that much easier.

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    Goldman Sachs paid the HIH liquidator so MT didn’t have to testify. I think he’s compromised.

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    George McFly......I'm your density

    Well done Jo

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    Turtle of WA

    Well done Jo, well done BoltA and well done readers.

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    Lord Jim

    Insofar as opinion polls matter, the essential poll for 10/2/15 2PP was 54 ALP, 46 LNP; Abbott approval in Jan 15 was 37%, Shorten 39%.

    here

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    llew Jones

    Great outcome for your initiative Jo. Been fun watching the ABC political commentariat trying hard but failing to get Abbott kicked out of the Prime Ministership.

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    spangled drongo

    Thanks, Jo. Put the list to good use. I’m sure it made a difference.

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    Turnbull is in the pay of Big Smug.

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      Yonniestone

      Sure, that dragon was a nasty piece of work but wasn’t he killed with a black arrow?

      Oh SMUG, by bad but quite ironic as the two being connected with ‘GOLD-IN SACKS’ 🙂

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    redress

    new website………..http://climatechangepredictions.org/

    have fun……..with the stupidity of CAGW

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    Sull

    Thank you for the reminder of how silly this truly is. You people matter.

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    Don Gaddes

    It doesn’t matter who is ‘running the country’. Until the revenue base is viable there will be deficit problems, and political brawls rather than effective government. The solution is really quite simple – a graded, ‘universal’ GST, offset by NO INCOME TAX. Individuals and companies should be able to earn as much as they like – they are taxed when they spend it,(or move it off-shore.) This would wipe out the Tax Avoidance/Minimisation Industry over night – and provide a fair, stable, ongoing and flexible revenue source for ALL governments.

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    Roy Hogue

    Congratulations Australia!

    Question: Is this likely to embolden Tony Abbott to speak out against the climate nonsense and get rid of the last vestiges of your government’s involvement in it?

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    Alexander K

    As a long-time Australia-watcher, I am delighted that Jo’s pro-democracy actions have had an impact. I just hope that the feral/Left Australaisan media can be countered in some way soon.
    I am an Aussie-watcher because my late father was a passionate Australian, despite spending most of his life in NZ from a very early age.
    There are huge societal differences between Australia and NZ. NZ has always had to be very careful economically, as we do not have Australia’s enormous natural resouces. Also, because of differences in early immigration patterns from Europe, NZ (fortunately) missed out on the radical Socialist/Communist component that has blighted the Australian Union movement for many years. During my boyhood in the ’40s and ’50s, listening to stories about ‘Aussie Redfeds’ from old hands in our agricultural and Railway unions was an education I have never forgotten.
    If the Left’s media influence can be countered, if Tony Abbott sticks to being the decent bloke he obviously is and if the UN’s machinations toward world government is seen off when the world’s educated population sees sense about the current climate scam, I am convinced Australia can become the ‘lucky country’ again. Despite Obama’s best efforts to the contrary.

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    richard

    you are a star Super Nova.

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    FIN

    Congratulations you’ve just scored a brilliant own goal! You’ve just given Shorten his best chance of being PM in 18 months time. Well done!

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      Graeme No.3

      Now all he has to do is stay in charge for 18 months, while developing policies which will convince people that he should be PM. The Latter might be a big problem as he hasn’t shown to date any sign that he understands economics/ budgetting/ or that he has ever read about Mr. Micawber.

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      The Backslider

      given Shorten his best chance of being PM in 18 months time

      Nobody is ever going to vote for Shorten…. not in a pink fit.

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    richard

    I believe this shows how the power is draining from MSM to internet blogs etc.

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    Luke Warmist

    Well done you guys! (…now if we could just get rid of Obummer)

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    Alexander K

    Sorry, Mods & Jo. I was annoyed by what I saw as FIN’s attack on Jo’s incredibly successful political email campaign.
    Point taken!

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