Wednesday 17th of April 2024
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phoney tony .....

phoney tony .....

from Crikey .....

Tony Abbott's struggle with the truth

Canberra correspondent Bernard Keane writes:

TONY ABBOTT

The best spin I've seen about Tony Abbott's disastrous 7.30 Report interview is the fact he's willing to admit he lies reflects a commendable honesty, much better than most politicians who lie without ever acknowledging it. Abbott has boldly broken down the fourth wall of politics, turning to the audience and pointed out that he's just working to a script, not actually saying what he means.

In short, Abbott is authentic and honest because he admits you can't believe him. Nice.

The "all politicians lie" theme is a distraction -- especially given Abbott's claim a script is a guarantee he's not lying hardly stands up to the reality that politicians deceive a whole lot more when making speeches than when answering questions. All politicians might lie, but prime ministers are held to a different standard. Like treasurers, their words have to be carefully chosen. They speak with the authority of national leadership, and their words have impact -- economic and financial impact, for starters, but impact even beyond that. The idea that any words not uttered in the course of a scripted speech -- does that include ad libs in speeches? -- come with an asterisk can't apply in that role.

But Abbott's more pointed problem is that twice in the space of four days he has been subjected to mild pressure by journalists and both times he has lost control. Talking on Friday with Neil Mitchell about being rolled by shadow Cabinet over his handout to stay-at-home mums should have elicited "I don't discuss what happens in shadow Cabinet" -- a legitimate answer at which he eventually arrived -- but instead he ummed and ahhed and said yes, and no, and maybe.

And when grilled by O'Brien on the juxtaposition between insisting he'd have no new taxes, and his paid parental leave levy, instead of emphasising the temporary nature of the levy and the long-term benefits to business of lifting the participation rate and the need for it because Labor had sent the Budget into deep deficit, he decided to confess that when he's pressured in interviews, sometimes he says things that aren't true, or goes too far in his statements.

Dead set, Tony? We'd never have guessed.

Getting carried away in the heat of the moment was also Abbott's explanation for why he didn't really mean it when he described climate change science as "crap", although his climate action policy seems to suggest he was being pretty honest.

What would Abbott be like representing Australia in international negotiations? What would he be like dealing with business? It's not only the media that subjects political leaders to pressure.

The other issue is that there is long-term context to Abbott's remarks. In my follow-up piece today, I refer to John Howard's remarkable capacity to backflip on beliefs he'd held for decades, but still be perceived by voters as a bloke who stood for what he believed in. I was going to include Abbott in that, as one who had learnt well from his mentor. But the difference is that while most of Howard's back flips took place over a period of years, Abbott's take place over weeks, as if by being younger and subject to an ever-faster media cycle, Abbott had accelerated the process. While he took several years to change his mind on parental leave, his reversal from dogged advocate of the Malcolm Turnbull ETS strategy to die-hard opponent happened over a matter of months, and his no-new-taxes promise barely last a few weeks.

But Abbott also has long-term form in struggling with the truth in interviews. In 1998, he -- commendably -- undertook a personal mission to destroy One Nation, partly by funding a disgruntled member, Terry Sharples, in legal action. Trouble was, he later denied to the ABC ever funding Sharples -- a blatant lie he was sprung on in 2003. Then there was his curious denial of meeting George Pell during the 2004 election campaign, until Tony Jones jogged his memory and Abbott suddenly recalled that he'd met him the previous week.

Other Abbott credibility gaps haven't been his fault -- such as when his "rolled gold" Medicare safety net election promise was overruled by Cabinet (which would appear to disprove the idea that scripted remarks will always be honoured).

But the impression remains: when put on the spot by the media, Abbott makes stuff up to get himself out of trouble. Stuff that eventually gets found out.

Maybe we're all so jaded and post-modern now it no longer matters to us. In which case, we should stop lamenting about how "all politicians lie" and look at ourselves instead.

Typical-Arrogant-Conservative-Hyperbole.

I thought that Abbott's non-event Budget reply in Parliament was disgraceful especially when he said that Jolly Joe would give a definitive savings speech and answer questions to the nation's Journalists at the National Press Club today.  The listeners and TV audiences were treated with unconcealed contempt.

As "Phoney" Tony has already prepared us - truth didn't happen!!! Abbott must have understood that Joe would also concern himself with a "snake oil" address of hyperbole of the worst kind - without any mention of costing his "savings" other than handing out a slip of paper and passing the buck to Andrew Robb for a "talk back" tonight. And, will that be the end of it? Or will this charade continue until the election? Fair dinkum.

Is this an Opposition of rabble or not?  Does any of the Corporation's press understand the second insult that "Phoney Tony" has given them? 

A West Australian Journalist called it a "poor show" that Hockey had decided to give out a slip of paper after the question time so that they couldn't ask questions of it!  Even Mark Riley, a known conservative, was also constrained to criticize Hockey's method which had clearly surprised a large audience of journalists and apparently businesspeople.

This is what the Australian people can expect from this Corporation's arrogant representatives in Parliament.  As far as I know, Hockey didn't even give the journalists a copy of his speech.  So much for democracy should these remnants of Howard's "New Order" achieve the goal of the Murdochracy and steal our government benches and return WorkChoices.  Struth.

Does anyone now really doubt Abbott's "confessional of dishonesty"?  Can anyone seriously accept that Jolly Joe is a new "Captain Smirk" going by his disgraceful and insulting performance today?

The people he has mostly offended should be the small L Liberals and the Journalists who traveled quite a distance to listen to - a non event? A captive audience indeed.

To finish a good day of deception for the "snake oil" salesman, the indignity of Mark Riley and the man from the West Australian really put him off balance and, this time; this person did "lose it"!

I wonder if any of the MSM will address this exposure of dishonesty as it really happened?

God Bless Australia and protect us from “Jack-me-Hearty” Joe.  NE OUBLIE.

 

 

Did the axis of deception get away with it?

I guess that, like everything else, the Abbott; Hockey and Robb axis of lies and deception will depend on what the MSM tells the Australian people.

After today surely, no one can believe anything they say.

As Bernard Keane observes.....

The "all politicians lie" theme is a distraction -- especially given Abbott's claim a script is a guarantee he's not lying hardly stands up to the reality that politicians deceive a whole lot more when making speeches than when answering questions..... (Emphasis added).

All politicians might lie, but prime ministers are held to a different standard. Like treasurers, their words have to be carefully chosen. They speak with the authority of national leadership, and their words have impact -- economic and financial impact, for starters, but impact even beyond that.

I defy any person watching "Jack-me-hearty Joe" at the National Press Club today to tell me - or themselves - what the Liberal rabble's policies are and where the so-called savings may be.  And more importantly - where will the axe fall on our citizens old and young?

One of the emerging tragedies of the next election is the distinct possibility that the Greens may destroy our Finance Minister's place in Parliament.  Lyndsay Tanner is a brilliant academic and has a mind like the proverbial "steel trap". 

That loss to Australia would be enormous especially when it would be an act of "spite" by the Bob Brown/Milne people who are currently more interested in their own power than the future of Australia and its climate.

Conservatives have always been a "no go" with the Greens because the latter's policies are too much anti-pollution for major Corporations but - Labor was always interested in implimenting some measure of dealing with climate change.

Nevertheless, it is conveniently ignored by the MSM and the opportunist Greens (who may well rue the day they betrayed our Government) that the Greens defeated Labor's attempt to impliment at least a start to the ETS when they voted against it in the Senate. 

Now, like the hypocrites they are, they see another opportunity to drive the sword deeper into their wounded ex-partner.  There is no pride or decensy in this Greens party and the judgment of the Liberals may well prove the demise of another minority party - just like Meg Lees achieved when she betrayed the Democrats with the biggest tax in Australia's history - Howard's GST.

It is accepted that politics is a dirty game and that Media Barons have too much say in who will be elected in so-called democracies but - the terrible fact is that the State Elected Senators operate on party lines which ignore all state boundaries and as such, like the power mad Greens, have a tendency to try to "punch above their weight" and use the misnamed "House of Review" as a weapon to do so.

God Bless Australia and protect our government - down with Brown.  NE OUBLIE.

Are we at war with the foreign Corporations?

Yesterday I posted my attitude of disgust at the insulting arrogance of the Corporation's media - but I di opine that the Murdochracy would abuse their right to "free but biased opinions on the public".

I wrote:

To finish a good day of deception for the "snake oil" salesman, the indignity of Mark Riley and the man from the West Australian really put him off balance and, this time; this person did "lose it"!

I wonder if any of the MSM will address this exposure of dishonesty as it really happened?

And I suggest that our readers consider this "luvely" opinion from a Murdochracy "Journalist" named Ian Smith who, makes his contribution even more ludicrous in the extreme.

And I quote the Murdochracy inter alia:

Politicians frequently are attacked for their excesses, yet those who report on those perceived indulgences, the journalists, are living examples of the cliche "all care and no responsibility".

Yesterday it was best illustrated by the acerbic performance of Andrew Probyn of The West Australian, who berated Hockey for showing poor form by not distributing his speech and detailed spending-cut measures before his appearance at the National Press Club. After a wild rant, Probyn got around to asking a question on e-health.

If he had had the requested papers in his hand during the speech, Probyn and many of his peers no doubt would have flicked through the documentation and taken scant note of Hockey.

No my disallioned friend, that's not the way it is supposed to work for anyone other than your Jolly Joe "victim".  When a politician asks for and is granted a "get together" with all main stream journalists, whatever their bias, he/she is obligated - that is obligated - to deliver the presentation that they have assured the audience will happen.  No - Ian Smith?

Is this person fair dinkum? If it had been a serious critique on foreign Journalism in contemporary Australia, then he could have made a valid point.

However, he failed to mention that the diehard Conservative Journalist Mark Riley, was also very peeved at the insult Abbott/Hockey gave them.  It meant to him I warrant, that he had nothing to talk about and that he could have stayed at home and let Hockey post his unquestionable statements. 

IMHO, this regimented "typist" has only highlighted the fact that opinion based Journalism is a method of ignoring the truth and reporting fantasy.

The truth of the issue is without question:  Abbott failed in his Budget reply.  Hockey did not allow the media (even Murdoch's ?) to ask questions about their non-existent policies - and this peanut thinks that a) the Abbott/Hockey/Robb insult to the information hungry Australians was justified?  And b) that the media character assassination of another politician, namely our Prime Minister, is par for the course?

No Journalist worth his/her salt would allow their name to be associated with the crass demands of the Murdochracy and their fellow travellers.

Take notice Peter van Onselen.

God Bless Australia and allow journalists to write according to a respect for their profession.  NE OUBLIE.