Mr Shorten said Mr Howard had made the comments in frustration at his protege's "timidity" on the Coalition's policy plans.
‘‘We all know the opposition, or at least the strategists in the opposition leader’s office, think that a workplace relations debate is the equivalent of them eating a bowl of rat poison,’’ Mr Shorten said. ‘‘Even though we know that many in the opposition ... are itching for that debate.’’
Claiming the Coalition intended to strip workers of penalty rates, Mr Shorten said such benefits for thousands of workers, including hospitality and office shift workers, meant the difference "between making ends meet and not making ends meet".
"The Coalition has an IR policy in witness protection,'' he said. ''We want a debate on industrial relations ... We say to Mr Abbott, bring it on. Politics should not be a guessing game."
Mr Swan also seized on positive comments Mr Howard made about the Australian economy, arguing the former prime minister had ''belled the cat'' on the Coalition's carbon tax ''scare tactics''.
In his Westpac address, Mr Howard said: ''When the Prime Minister and the Treasurer say that the Australian economy is doing better than most, they are right. I agree with them.''
Mr Howard also said there was ''no doubt'' the Australian economy was performing relatively well, but added the ''overwhelming'' reason for this was found in Australia's ''geography'' or mineral resources.
Describing the Westpac speech as ''remarkable'', Mr Swan said Mr Abbott should follow suit and stop ''trash talking'' Australia's economy.
''If it's good enough for John Howard to acknowledge the strength of the Australian economy, it ought to be good enough for Tony Abbott,'' Mr Swan said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/workchoices-belongs-in-the-past-says-abbott-20120827-24v6f.html#ixzz24kEyazHC

 

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Whatever he calls it eventulally, Tony Abbott's policy on industrial relations is based on industrial strength floggings of workers... But Tony has not found the enticing name for it... unless he knows and does not want you to know...

 

 

It’s not very neighbourly but an ‘‘Anyone But Abbott’’ campaign to run a candidate against the opposition leader has been started by a man who lives in the same street.
Bruce Butler, who works for the Commonwealth Bank, said he approached friends to start up a website and search for a suitable local candidate to run in Warringah.

Leadership is about inspiration and motivation. Most of the time, when Tony Abbott speaks, people stop listening. 

The group felt that people wanted to give the Liberals a crack at government ‘‘but no one wants to give Tony Abbott a crack at it’’. In this situation ‘‘the only option we have is to try to unseat Tony Abbott’’. It’s a token gesture: the opposition leader had a comfortable 59 per cent of the primary vote in the 2010 election.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/tony-abbotts-problem-neighbour-20120828-24x6i.html#ixzz24mwRRvjq
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Prime Minister Julia Gillard's behind has featured in television discussion once again as feminist icon Germain Greer defended her earlier comments.
"Women are fat-arsed creatures," she told ABC's Q&A last night.

You may have noticed that since I made my unwise speech, I did say get rid of the bloody jackets and she bloody did. 

"Go right ahead Julia, wave that arse!"
On her previous appearance on the interactive TV panel, in March, Ms Greer said Prime Minister Julia Gillard wore unflattering jackets and had a "big arse".

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/greer-defends-fat-arse-pm-comment-20120828-24x5i.html#ixzz24mxCOnOs

 

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Meanwhile we've been assured by Tony Windsor, that Tony Abbutt told him he'd do everythink to get the prime mustership but sell his arse... though I really believe he'd be happy to give it away... to friends like miners and Bigbux... And yes I have made a Freudian slip somewhere in this sentence... It's for you to find it...

 

 

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott has been forced to relegate John Howard to the position of being ‘‘two prime ministers ago’’ as he dismissed his former leader’s advice to bring back statutory individual employment contracts.

A week after harking back to the ‘‘golden age’’ of the Howard government, Mr Abbott said the former PM was ‘‘three Liberal leaders ago. That was then; this is now’’

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbott-consigns-howard-to-the-ir-dustbin-20120827-24wpm.html#ixzz24n238DwH

 

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Here we go again... Michelle Grattan seems to take Abbutt at face value...  Hey, Michelle, the guy lies... If you believe one word of his recanting of Rattus the First, you need to change your glasses to double-two coke bottle bottom... 

HE'S a man's man and Tony Abbott wants you to know one thing about this photograph. He was not having a pedicure.

The Liberal leader is captured in this image having a foot massage - in China.

The photograph was taken by the West Australian secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Steve McCartney who bumped into him in Beijing.

Mr McCartney posted the photograph on the social networking website Twitter today.

“Bumped into Tony Abbott getting a pedicure, while I was on holiday in China,’’ he said in his post.

http://www.news.com.au/national/tony-abbott-wants-you-to-know-its-not-a-pedicure/story-fndo4eg9-1226459982646

Millions of children and low-income patients will get free dental care under a landmark $4 billion package of reforms announced by Health Minister Tanya Plibersek today.

Announcing the changes this morning, Ms Plibersek said providing free care would cut waiting lists, free up "massive resources" in the dental sector, and improve the dental health of people across the country.

She said the spending would be in two key areas:

• $2.7 billion to provide subsidised treatment for children aged between 2 and 18 years whose families are eligible for family tax benefit A.
• $1.3 billion on early intervention care for low-income Australians and those in remote rural areas.

"We will have a generation of kids for whom going to the dentist is as easy as going to the doctor," she said.

But she warned that the $4b package was contingent on the states and territories continuing to fund dental care at or above their current levels of spending.

The scheme is due to start next June.

Ms Plibersek said figures showed that one in five of Australia’s lowest-income people had not been to a dentist "in over five years, if ever."

"And we know that low-income households have more than double the number of family members with untreated tooth decay compared with high-income households. It’s just not good enough."

Ms Plibersek also said the Government was scrapping the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme, championed by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott during his time as health minister in the Howard government.

"That is a scheme thought up by Tony Abbott in the last dying days of the Howard Government. It's been one of the most widely misused schemes ever designed in our public health system," she said.

"This is a scheme that Tony Abbott as Health Minister said would cost $90 million a year, it's costing about $80 million a month now and there has been massive over-servicing and reports of rorting in this scheme.

"There have been dentists charging millions of dollars, in some cases doing work that is completely unnecessary and in some cases charging for work that hasn't even been done.

"It is an extremely poorly designed scheme and I am very pleased to be seeing the back of it."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-29/plibersek-unveils-4b-dental-reform-package/4230196?WT.svl=news0

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And from what I saw of the interview, Tanya Plibersek, when asked about Abbott possibly saying NO to the new scheme, she politely mentioned something like there would be strong chance he would be opposing the scheme but he would be "toothless" on this issue...