Roy Morgan, which normally goes easy on “beauty contest” questions, has today entered the fray with a phone poll of 527 respondents. It gives Brendan Nelson the same 9 per cent preferred prime minister rating he suffered from Newspoll, with Kevin Rudd on 77 per cent compared with Newspoll’s 70 per cent. That’s not the worst of it though: on the question of preferred Liberal leader, Nelson can only manage equal fourth place behind Malcolm Turnbull (24 per cent), Peter Costello (18 per cent) and Joe Hockey (13 per cent). Nelson and Alexander Downer are both on 9 per cent. Kevin Rudd is favoured as Labor leader by 66 per cent over 15 per cent for Julia Gillard; in the absence of Rudd, 50 per cent would favour Gillard over 8 per cent for Wayne Swan.
[Parliament isn’t interesting without Question Time.]
Why do you hate democracy so much?
Passing legislation is more important than question time, especially considering the standing orders that the previous government left the new one.
[Late news is that a Newspoll of 1,100 respondents found the paper cut out of Rudd the preferred Leader of the LNP Opposition coming in at 80%, followed by a paper cut out of Julia Gillard at 15%]
I think a cardboard cut out of Brenden Nelson may rate higher than the actual Brendan Nelson.
GP. The Australian taxpayers pay good, hard earned money to have am effective, operational Parliament which governs for the nation
It is NOT funny and as far as the Coalition and its supporters wishing it to a pointless exercise, then I think they should all wake up to themselves or resign and join a circus where their suspect talents would be better appreciated.
No 51
ShowsOn, you fiendish imbecile – I did not object to or profess to hate the democratic process.
I simply said that parliament, in my view, is not interesting without Question Time.
No 53
The Australian taxpayer expects the government to be held accountable, not missing in action during parliament.
It seems that your respect for our Parliament may be as low as that of the members for Moncrieff and Cowper, Generic Person. Keep up the good work. Like the Opposition, you are only increasing people’s respect for you.
55.
I won’t answer that. Looks like you have fallen back into your parallel universe again.
the ghost of 1972 snedden, lynch and withers must have been summoned
from the get go they harassed whitlam as they were still in “born to rule” mode.
“according to the opposition leader (snedden) we were very rowdy ….and speaker Cope couldnt handle us”
No 56
Andos, if I did not respect Parliament I would be supporting the use of military force to keep the ALP from being in Government.
Back in reality, I respect the democratic process and the election of new governments, even if I disagree with the political philosophy of the new government.
[It is NOT funny and as far as the Coalition and its supporters wishing it to a pointless exercise, then I think they should all wake up to themselves or resign and join a circus where their suspect talents would be better appreciated.]
I think I know what this is actually about. The opposition doesn’t want Wilson Tuckey or Sophie Mirrabella standing up during private member’s business so they can slur Aboriginals. They don’t want Dennis Jensen, or half the National Party members standing up to deny climate change. They don’t want Bronwyn Bishop moving private member’s bills to stop people burning the flag.
Simply put, the opposition front bench doesn’t want the Saturday papers featuring articles reporting Friday sittings where the opposition will be shown as a rabble full of policy extremists.
THAT is why they don’t want private member’s business on Fridays, with the opposition leadership unable to control their own back bench.
[Back in reality, I respect the democratic process and the election of new governments, even if I disagree with the political philosophy of the new government.]
So STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT DEFYING THE RULINGS OF THE CHAIR.
The Speaker controls the House, for us to have a functional legislature, we need the rulings of The Speaker to be adhered to.
Your mob will get their turn in ~15 years time, so just sit back and be patient.
Let’s not get too precious, fellow slightly left of centres. The merit of our point is so obvious that to continue to labour it makes us appear sanctimonious.
Laugh of the day is the suggestion above that we should think of the poor constituents not being able to have their grievances aired by private members. Are these the same constituents who apparently voted Liberal? Is it seriouslysuggested that pollies on either side give a damn, or indeed are allowed to give a damn, outside of the party line?
[They don’t want Bronwyn Bishop moving private member’s bills to stop people burning the flag.]
I support the upstanding member for Mackellar in that respect. People should be gaoled for burning the flag.
[So STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT DEFYING THE RULINGS OF THE CHAIR.]
Perhaps they should not defy the chair, but the speakers should be competent enough to use their full suite of powers to keep parliament under control.
The seargent in arms should feature regularly. The MPs will soon learn.
The behaviour of the person in question today reminds me of a cricket team…does not accept the umpire’s decision and will carry on like teenage bitches because they did not get their way.
As a team, they should take their bat and ball home…as they are not fit to represent their constituents.
Time for a new political force to represent the conservative voters…I have voted conservative before…but never again!!!
They are the perpetual skid-mark on democracy.
The Opposition surely wants to show itself as a competent and viable alternative? Taking digs at Rudd and negativitity has already been shown a useless tactic, they haven’t learnt this yet?
Rudd presented himself as a postive alternative without the negative attacks and behaviour and won – wonder if there is a message in that?
The best that can be said of the LNP at the moment is that they are a Random Rabble. I am reminded of those birds squarking at the feet of buffalo.
The cardboard cutout was funny. Great work! They should have had a moving arm and a voice saying, “when it comes too and the challenge is and the question is. “
[Laugh of the day is the suggestion above that we should think of the poor constituents not being able to have their grievances aired by private members. Are these the same constituents who apparently voted Liberal? Is it seriouslysuggested that pollies on either side give a damn, or indeed are allowed to give a damn, outside of the party line?]
Good point Fulvio.
ShowsOn @ 60,
Bingo!
[I support the upstanding member for Mackellar in that respect. People should be gaoled for burning the flag.]
Well go on, petition her to raise it as a private member’s bill. Please do it, it will be entertaining.
Incidentally, I heard more climate change denial in parliament this week from than at any other time in the last few years. It is bizarre listening to (opposition environment spokesman) Greg Hunt crap on about how serious the Liberals think climate change is, followed by Dennis Jensen and miscellaneous National Party hacks who think it is non-existent.
Greg Hunt has a much harder job than either Peter Garret or Penny Wong.
No 69
Yes, I’ve personally spoken to Mr Jensen and I think his views should be silenced in this regard.
The LNP must be pragmatic about its policies if it is to move on.
Steven Ciobo and Luke Hartsuyker spent the afternoon playing dennis.
Isn’t it obvious what the LNP (the party you’re having when you don’t have a party) is doing? At each Monday party room meeting they will take a vote (secret, of course). The person voted the most objectionable the preceding Friday will get to be leader of the opposition for a week, the second will be deputy.
Today’s Hansard is now up for anyone who wants to read what happened.
http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/reps/dailys/dr220208.pdf
Remember, Hartsuyker, Abbott and Ciobo were frequently talking after they had been told to sit down, so it is likely a lot of that will be omitted.
I’m agree with the polls.
I would definitly rate Nelson deep below Turnbul and Hockey.
And the cross-dressing Downer is as ugly as Nelson
[Liberal frontbencher Andrew Robb says Mr Rudd should be ashamed.
“What the Government has done is contemptible,” he said.]
Not our fault says Andrew Robb. Not their fault says Generic Person.
No! it’s all kevin Rudd’s fault, so there. The Coalition are not to blame for their bad behaviour. No, No. It is all Kevin Rudd’s fault.
Just who do these people think they are kidding , besides themselves.
Forgot the link.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/22/2170175.htm
3 more years and we’re hopefully back in power in NSW, hopefully! 🙂
No 78
The People of NSW would have to be obscenely obtuse to re-elect Morris Iemma and his pack of dopes.
Clearly the Opposition thinks the House is their personal property, to do with as they like. In your own house you can misbehave, shout, rant and rave and no-one can throw you out, or so the theory seems to be going.
For the last two weeks the Opposition have been conducting a campaign of trivial points of order, usually on “Relevance”. This is rich coming from them, who used QT to lambast the then Labor Opposition with every possible insult, half-truth and smear that it was possible to cram into the 5 minutes allotted for an answer. Not only disgraceful behavior, but hypocrisy at its worst.
Following on from this we have them now refusing to vacate the chamber when ordered to do so by the Speaker, or Deputy Speaker.
I believe their plan is to make a mockery of the House and its norms, forcing the government to enact ever stricter and Draaconian Standing Orders until expulsions become a routine procedure.
Then they will have their tame journalists, led by the ABC (who love a “scandal”) write it all up as, “Both sides are just as bad as each other.”
It’s therefore incumbent on Rudd to resist the temptation to unleash the dogs. He did a pretty good job of turning his back on Howard and Costello during QT when in Opposition. It riled them something awful, causing them to lose their cool, rather than Labor to lose its.
I agree that something’s got to give before things are brought back to a modicum of civilised behavior. Whether changing standing orders is the best way, I don’t know. I think a few bad polls might do the trick better than anything the government can drum up in a hurry.
Nelson, already on 9% (both Morgan and Newspoll) will start to worry, and pretty soon, if these tantrums cause any more polling blood to be spilled than there is already on the floor. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if this is some kind of oblique destabilisation campaign by the Turnbull forces to humiliate Nelson and tip him out.
Whatever happens I’m bloody outraged at the present Coalition tactic. As many have said above, they don’t own the Parliament, they don’t make the rules any more and they don’t have a clue about policy, now that their main Howardist planks have been cut away from them (by themselves, ironically, as if it had to get any more pathetic before they wake up). They are under the twin delusions that QT is “what it’s all about” and that they are somehow “winning” the QT war, so therefore… guess the rest. I know it’s idiotic, but when their benches are full of idiots, what does anyone expect?
[Whatever happens I’m bloody outraged at the present Coalition tactic.]
What a bloody surprise, Bushfire Bill. Should we have expected anything less from you, given your undoubted ALP apologism?
Being a pack of dopes (for up to 11 years at a stretch) is not beyond the capabilities of the Australian electorate….
No 82
Fulvio, I think you’ll agree that not even John Howard’s suite of ministers sunk to the lowly depths of Morris Iemma’s ministers.
19 Generic Person – didn’t the Speaker suspend parliament first up? Surely you’re not trying to justify such bad behaviour in parliament are you? If this were the Labor Party doing this you would be calling for all of them to resign.
# 82 Lol, it was Keeting, the ALP should have offered someone else.
GP, you don’t have to be a political bigot to understand that this kind of behavior is truly outrageous.
Please: give us one reason to praise it.
Absolutely love this.
[re the cardboard cutout.
It’s frighteningly realistic, nothing to say, 2 dimensional, stiff, soulless…freaky.
And the Abbot cutout standing next to it is just as disturbing.
Anyone got a match? ]
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/22/2169665.htm
#78
Do you really think that is possible???
Up here in QLD we are in the same position…what would happen if there was an election and noone turned up???
78 John of Melbourne – A lot can happen in 3 years. Hell, there could be 3 more oppostion leaders in that time. I agree that Labor seems to have run it’s course in NSW but don’t right them off yet. The Libs really know how to lose elections.
Oops pressed SUBMIT too early…
It can’t be heloping Nelson.
It can’t be helping the party’s electoral prospects.
Friday is an extra day compared to Howard’s time, so Parliament is not being truncated.
They seem to setting out to prove that Parliament can only be one thing: a circus.
They cannot possibly win this fight. They don’t have the numbers.
So, once again: tell us what there is to praise about the Coalition’s behavior.
Scorpio, lol, very funny!
Ideas for the Coalition for the next Friday session. Nelson stands up and says, “The Honourable The Prim Minister Mr. Kevin Rudd could not be here today neither he nor the cardboard cut out but we dis brin in this vintage bottle of earwax.” Lol, now that would be funny, Chaser funny 🙂
#89 Gary Bruce,
I agree with you! The Libs ecspecially in NSW, know how to lose elections.
No 92
Backstabbing Brogden ended their chances in 2007.
John Of Melbourne, you’re further gone than I dared to hope.
Rudd’s stated intention of improving Parliamentary proceedings in the furtherance of good governance must win out over this clearly disruptive behavior of the Coalition.
It’s lose/lose for your side, mate. All it will do is confirm in the minds of the voters why they chucked Howard and his gang out of office.
Trashing the procedures of Parliament because they lost office is utterly childish behavior and will be remembered next election.
The Libs have taken the attitude of “If we can’t have the parliament operating the way we want it to then we’ll make sure it doesn’t operate at all. Who is wasting our money, the party that wants to see parliament operate or the one that makes sure it doesn’t? Hell the Libs didn’t even have a Friday sitting. So much for Friday question time and accountability back then. Hypocrites.
John of Melbourne,
Are you channelling Glen now. Earwax. LOL
Bushfire Bill, you could be on to something with your theory of Turnbull forces using parliament to destabilise Nelson. The dogged determination with which the attacks on the speaker persisted hints that it was more about internal Liberal Party infighting than whether Rudd was there or not.
The latter would not stir up the vitriolic behaviour that a good public Liberal Party power struggle would produce.
[Libs didn’t even have a Friday sitting. So much for Friday question time and accountability back then. Hypocrites.]
It is hardly hypocritical. The issue here is that if the PM wants to extend Parliamentary sittings in order to enhance the democratic process, then he should fully commit to it, rather than approaching it half-heartedly.
GP wrote: “The issue here is that if the PM wants to extend Parliamentary sittings in order to enhance the democratic process, then he should fully commit to it, rather than approaching it half-heartedly.”
Says who, GP?
The only ones saying this are the Oppositon, i.e. the MINORITY in Parliament. They must accept the rough with the smoot. This behavior won’t change Rudd’s mind.
By the way: have to found anything to praise yet in the currect tantrum throwing tactics?
Answer the question, GP.
99 [By the way: have to found anything to praise yet in the currect tantrum throwing tactics?]
He has indeed BB as a Turnbull surporter he is proud of the destabilising of Nelson on display today and approves of it wholeheartedly.