Leigh Sales
Wow. Just, wow.
If you weren’t watching the ABC’s 7.30 last night then you need to. And fast. Because presenter Leigh Sales’ interview with Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has broken out of Canberra’s political bubble and got everyone talking.
It was an unusual interview to say the least. Sales, who is a phenomenally competent journalist was in spectacular form.
She came out strongly from the start, armed with facts and figures and across the detail in a way that took the Opposition Leader completely by surprise. Which in itself was surprising.
Especially the part where she forced him to admit he hadn’t read the BHP report he was using to attack the Government.
The mood was icy by the completion of the segment. The Opposition Leader’s performance was not a strong one and on issues like the carbon tax, asylum seekers and the Prime Minister’s popularity – areas where he usually dominates the debate – he seemed to fall apart.
You can watch the interview on the ABC’s website here.
Here is a taste (but the transcript really doesn’t do it justice) of how it all transpired:
Tony Abbott
LEIGH SALES: Have you actually read BHP’s statements?
TONY ABBOTT: No, but I’ve also got again the statement of Jacques Nasser, who says, “While we’re still evaluating the impact of the carbon tax, but it just makes it more difficult.”
LEIGH SALES: But hang on, no, no, you haven’t read their statements today, but you’re commenting about what they’ve announced today and how the Federal Government’s to blame for that.
….
LEIGH SALES: Do you – I’m asking you though, not about the Government. I’m asking: do you accept that it’s legal to come to Australia to seek asylum by any means – boat, plane – that it is actually legal to seek asylum?
TONY ABBOTT: I think that people should come to Australia through the front door, not through the back door. If people want a migration outcome, they should go through the migration channels.
LEIGH SALES: That’s an answer to the question if I asked you: how do you think people should seek asylum?, it’s not an answer to the question: is it legal to seek asylum?
To give you a sense of how the interview came across, this is how the reaction unfolded on Twitter last night:
Bronwen Clune: What does it say about the media when we are so pleasantly shocked that a jour no does a decent job of interviewing a politician?
And in the ultimate political contrast, the Prime Minister took to the ‘Blue Room’ at Parliament House today to deliver a press conference of epic proportions. She spoke for about and hour and a quarter (to put that in perspective, the average politician’s press conference is around 20 minutes).
Prime Minister Gillard took questions from the press gallery on issues from asylum seekers, to sexism in the media, to her former boyfriend’s alleged misconduct 17 years ago. She spoke almost entirely without notes and was cool, calm and determined. Stay tuned for coverage of the press conference on tonight’s news.
Editor’s note: Tony Abbott has since clarified in a press conference that he had read the BHP documents.
Were you watching 7.30 last night? What did you think of the interview? What did you think of the Prime Minister’s press conference today?
Comments
340 Comments so far
Thank you Leigh. Your a budding L.Oaks. Keep seeking the truth, and pressing for the answers we never get.
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Well this is just not fun at all. I’m 17 and NOT looking forward to voting. How am I meant to chose a party when these are my options? I come to MM looking for some informed and intelligent guidance, but even these comments are fiercely divided… I have no idea what to think.
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Am I missing something here? Gillard is facing serious allegations and you cover it with a piece of fluff about dodgy boyfriends, Abbott remains courteous to a biased journalist and it’s a ‘car crash?’
As a newish reader of this site, something doesn’t feel right. Is this an ALP website?
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“Courteous”?
He was caught out lying and wouldn’t admit it, nor answer a single question.
If you’re simply impressed by him not swearing at her or walking out, regardless of him continuously misleading and lying to Australians, you’re very…. generous… and that’s me being courteous.
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He was caught out lying?
Can you hear yourself?!
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As per my comment below
Abbott has done a superb job of misleading you and your ilk about this “lie” – the fact is that Gillard would have kept that promise if she’d won in a Majority Government. She didn’t – so move on. Minority Governments are an entirely different ball game – the goal posts moved.
Meanwhile, your golden boy Abbott was caught out with at least 4 lies in just one interview!!
Yes, I can hear myself – can you hear yourself?
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You seem to be quite the student of politics, alyssakt. I’d be very interested in your take on the Heiner Affair, you know, that matter of evidence being shredded in the case of the gang rape of a teenage Aboriginal girl in state care? Remember that?
One bad interview is nothing compared to the years of incompetence, lies and bullying that the ALP have engaged in.
Hopefully you warm to Abbott over the next decade or so because the next Labor prime minister hasn’t been born yet.
Why isn’t this feminist site screaming about that, I wonder?
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So, in a debate about Abbott and Gillard you bring up a conspiracy from 1990 which involved (Qld) STATE Government?
Should I match that with Tampa?
Children Overboard? Weapons of Mass Desruction? At least those were Federal.
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Well, you just did….didn’t you ??????
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and, 2 minutes after being shown to not answer the question LS was asking, he reverts to a generic response aimed at taking the pressure off himself “JG needs to stop dancing around the questions” (or to that effect anyway).
His thought process ‘oh crap, i dont know what to say. bag JG.
The greatest contradiction.
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If an election was called tomorrow, I would have honestly no idea who to vote for. I would not want to see either current party leader as PM, and i feel their policies are getting lost in spin and mudslinging. But, if Malcolm Turnbull stepped us as leader of the Coalition and Tanya Pliberseck was leader of ALP my faith would be restored!!
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I wouldn’t vote Lib if Turnbull came back. He’s more interested in his own bottom line. Another rich boy playing with power, like Rudd, Garrett and the Labor elite who are completely out of touch with what’s happening in the suburbs.
Plibersek did her dash with me by lying and terrifying the elderly on the Central Coast.
I’m happy to stay with Abbott. I think we’re lucky to have him.
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Lucky to have Abbott? Oh my…!!!
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I do not, for the life of me, understand why Australians have a distrust of anyone successful. I woud rather have someone successful in business in a powerful position than my say, my local plumber. He’s a nice bloke but not for PM!!!
& really does it matter if MT or KR are independantly wealthy, you dont want to elect someone who has gone into politics for the money (cause its not that much $$).
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KTK
Abbott has done a superb job of misleading you and your ilk about this “lie” – the fact is that Gillard would have kept that promise if she’d won in a Majority Government. She didn’t – so move on. Minority Governments are an entirely different ball game – the goal posts moved.
Meanwhile, your golden boy Abbott was caught out with at least 4 lies in just one interview!!
Talk about brainwashed…
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Ahhh… Troll be gone…
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Politics aside, I was totally impressed by Gillard’s press conference yesterday. Unscripted, she came across as forthright, open and approachable whilst facing a room of reporters.
Abbott, on the other hand, showed a distinct inability to adapt to changes in questioning or topic from a single reporter.
That is disappointing, as having an Opposition Leader who you could imagine heading the executive next term is one of the fundamentals of our democracy.
I hope that it was simply a bad day for Abbott, and that his media coaches will work on this failing with him to ensure that the leader of the opposition party is both well spoken and adaptable in future appearances.
I don’t care who you vote for, it should be based on your support of their policies and governance. Unfortunately, Tony Abbott’s performance yesterday will chase us further down the path of figurehead popularity voting.
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Tony Abbott is the ultimate ‘stand for nothing’ leader of a ‘stand for nothing’ party. Aside from obstructing, repealing and rebutting, I have no idea what they are about.
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Wow Dani – so JG’s partner at the time asked her to help set up an account, because , wait for it – she was a lawyer – so she did it.
My brother-in-law is a doctor and yes he helps us out with simple medical things – well within his oath. What is the difference?
How exactly does that make her being used by men? Because her boyfriend was an asshole? I must be a bumbling incompetent then as well because I had some shockers as well. So must Anne Hathaway – he was a bloody ass that ex of hers. So must be my board-of-director-of-a-multinational girlfriend who is 41 and has had some shockers in the past. And my six-figure, law society 37 year old still-unmarried friend too.
Glad that your choices and decisions are perfect, for the rest of us, relationships are hard, difficult, sometimes complex and sometimes heartbreaking.
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I thought doctors werent meant to dish out medical advice to family members because their unable to look at symptoms as objectively as someone that you are at arms length from.
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Haha! Gee, you know rich people who went to uni and stuff?! Wow!
My understanding of this issue is a little different to yours, B. it’s a bit more than a dodgy boyfriend.
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Dani, it’s not very useful when you get fired up, rude and sarcastic. That obviously wasn’t the point B was making.
On a separate note, I find it a pretty big call to assert that JG is just a “sad and pathetic plaything for faceless men”. Do you think John Howard, Tony Abbot or any other PM never got dumped, screwed over, cheated on or rejected by a woman? Does that make them pathetic playthings too?
I’d be more likely to say they are (or were) powerful and successful, regardless of their romantic pasts. Likewise, so is JG. You know, given she’s PM – which is pretty non-pathetic and pretty non-sad, if you ask most people.
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I really like Leigh Sales, but I’m not a huge fan of this kind of interview style. I prefer Maxine McKew’s style.
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What a great couple of days for politics and the media. Tony Abbott repeatedly says he has no problem with women, yet obviously underestimated Leigh Sales and her consistently searching journalitic skills. She is a huge asset to the ABC and political debate in this country. Contrast Abbott’s unease and flustered responses with the poise, confidence and openness of Gillard for over one hour in the open press conference. I just can’t see Abbott as PM material.
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go and read the mans stone age attitude to women,
then go and read his head in the sand approach to climate change,
then remember he refused to put the vaccine for HPV on the PBS,
lastly recall the billion dollars he ripped out of the health system when he was health minister.
my favourite Abbott quote:-
I think it’s inevitable and I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all that we always have an enormous number of women simply doing housework.
Lest We Forget!
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Terrible isn’t it? Yet they will still win the next election by a landslide. Just goes to show how bad the ALP truly are.
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No amount of bad justifies voting for an Abbott led government.
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So says one of the brainwashed.
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I’d much prefer to have that moron as PM than the blatant liar we currently have. “There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead….”
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No disrespect KTK honestly, I agree … but this is the dilemma we often talk about – no one wants Gillard (consistently doing the opposite of what she tells the country she will – claiming sexism where there is none and couldn’t answer a question straight if she tried) but hell I would be mortified to have this constantly nervous bumbling backwards idiot represent this country?
Both choices are woeful – what does one do?
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Huh! Hardly.
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Ha ha – brilliant quote.
Reminds me in a strange way of the recent rant by British MP George Galloway on the Assange rape allegation, describing how sex with a woman when she is asleep is not rape:
‘Not everybody needs to be asked prior to each insertion..’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2012/aug/21/george-galloway-julian-assange-sexual-rape-video
Enjoy!
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I’ll be very surprised if Tony or Julia lead their parties at the next election.
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Lots of comments deleted by commenters on this post today! Lots of people who couldn’t handle replies that were polite but firmly in opposition to their comment so decided to wimp out and delete theirs – leaving all of the replies to drop down to the very bottom of the comments, seemingly replying to no one and to nothing…
Rather poor form.
(PS. Moderator deleted posts delete the entire thread so that this doesn’t happen)
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Nope, my one comment was deleted, and not by me. And I do not believe it was inappropriate. Simply, a mystery. I give up. Oh what a waste of time!
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How do you delete someone else’s comments?
I suspect that it is the Mamamia moderator. And as many of us have noted on previous occasions, their policy is a complete mystery to us all.
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Hi Polly,
Comments that we feel are abusive to other commenters or individuals are deleted. There is an element of subjectivity to this, sure, because our moderating is done by different people, not robots!
But we try to be fair.
And there is almost always some collateral damage when we delete a comment because the replies on that thread are deleted too.
Hope that sheds some light.
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There is a glimmer of light (still mixed with some elements of frustration although of a diminishing amount)
Thank you.
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I didn’t say you can delete other people’s comments and thank goodness we can’t! I said that when the moderators do the entire thread goes. When people wimp out and delete their own comment all of the replies become meaningless and fall to the bottom.
Poor form on behalf of the deleter
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It was brilliant. She’s probably been watching the Paxman interview with Michael Howard where he continually asks him the same question. She completely tripped him up and made him look a complete fool. Don’t tell us something isn’t relevant and then demand answers to questions Tony.
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Leigh Sales for PM! Such a fantastic, clever, yet not disrespectful interview. She is classy as! Certainly a cut above the rest of the tripe we get dished up masquerading as political “debate”.
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What a brilliant interview! Whatever your political inclination, it is clear that Tony Abbott can readily rip into Julia Gillard, yet he demonstrates clear lack of knowlege of the isues and is as good at evading answers and making nebulous statements as he claims she does. If you are going to repeatedly publicly make such criticisms of your opponent, the least you can do is not make the same mistakes yourself!
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I really hope an election isnt called until Abbott is gone and hopefully replaced by Malcolm Turnball an articulate clever politician who is not above supporting an idea from the opposite side of politics if it is worthwhile
Cant stand Julia and Tony is an embarrasment!!
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Awful interview is one thing but for many southeners we are more concerned about the possible impact to our always struggling economy. When I was in my 20′s all ALL of my friends left Adelaide, nothing was happening & they couldn’t see a future, in the last few years the govt has been banging on about the ” mining boom” & now that looks like a mirage. I’m sure the myriad of reasonsBHP gave are valid but for SA it’s dismal.
I’m sure that for our state govt it’s like when you expect a Christmas cash bonus & get a ham instead.
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As a swinging voter not a locked in Labor or Liberal voter like most on here I just want a decent choice, Gillard is a joke as PM but my only real alternative is Abbott, I dont want either but a lot of people like me look at it as having no choice.
A proven Failure like Gillard or an untested Abbott who could be just as bad.
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Please don’t tell me you are considering the greens.
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Hell No!!!
I think both parties should put them last on preferences and kill them off in 1 election.
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Dont tease me like that!
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I was a labor voter until I laid eyes on Rudd and knew what we were in for. I have him and Gillard to thank for opening my eyes to what labor are. They make out that they’re working for the battler but the battler always ends up worse off.
As a woman and a voter I have full confidence in Tony Abbott. He’s a thoroughly decent man with the interests of the nation at heart, not the union spivs. It’s really just the left media who keep telling people how terrifying he is.
And please let the Greens vanish forever.
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Oh yes, Tony really cares about the “battler” – no mining tax for him! And public schools really get too much of the funding pie, compared to private schools – “an injustice” he says. Maybe you are not really a battler…
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An article by Barrie Cassidy. ‘A rare challenge to Abbot’s free pass.’
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-17/cassidy-a-rare-challenge-for-abbott/4203120
While not talking about the Leigh Sales interview, it is a timely piece, and hopefully a kick in the butt for the media.
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Surely if Tony Abbott had known that, he would have called her on it?
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Last nights’ interview was nothing more than a typical ABC cheap shot.
I think LS is consistently this country’s best political journalist and I think TA is an over-educated, under-utilised boof-head who is a terrible public communicator. However, last nights’ interview was a sophomore effort from LS who clearly displayed her colours and for some reason brought up the most irrelevant issue to try to pin on TA; who cares what MK said? who cares what BHP did? address those issues/ questions directly to them and NOT the opposition leader.
Would LS speak to Craig Thomson the same way? especially in the same week he ‘exonerated himself’ in one of this nation’s most public corruption scandals?
The so-called praise for ABC-LS about this interview clearly demonstrates the Australian public and media have no idea what constitutes a good line of questioning or what the key/core issues are in this country.
Leigh Sales is a better journalist than what was displayed last night.
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Who cares what BHP did?! Oh goodness me….
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Martin Ferguson has said the mining boom’s over. Up to our necks in debt and the irresponsible media keep talking up UnionLabor. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it.
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Actually your comment makes me wonder….
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Who cares what BHP did? Tony Abbott should, that was what the interview was about and he hadn’t even read the report. So unprepared, no answers, it was a downright embarrassment.
Media interviews, critical review of issues – this is HIS JOB and he couldn’t string two sensible words together. He is a buffoon.
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Who cares what BHP did? Some people do care what BHP does and are interested in whether it signifies something about the economy, tax conditions in Australia and what it means for employment. All important issues for the opposition leader.
Hardly irrelevant that one of the biggest companies in the world *may* have cancelled a huge project because of a lack of business friendliness, created by the JG government in Aus. Not saying that is the case, just that that is the issue politicians were today discussing and it is hardly irrelevant.
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“so-called praise” ?
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Re: complaints of MM left wing bias.
Praising robust journalism does not make anyone bias. Journalists should hold our politicians to account with out fear, and Leigh Sales do this. Unfortunately, few others are doing the same.
But personally, I hope Turnbull seizes the opportunity soon to take over the reigns from TA.
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Leigh Sales proved what most think – the ABC is little more than an ALP watchdog.
I don’t care what Mamamia do, they’re an Independants site. I can read or not, I can choose to buy my new fridge from the Good Guys or Myer or not. Tonight, I chose ‘not’ and drove another suburb away to go to Harvey Norman.
But I pay for the ABC with my taxes. I’m fed up with it. They constantly and blatantly show bias which contradicts their charter.
Hopefully this time next year most of the freeloaders at Aunty will be writing the blurbs on breakfast cereal boxes.
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I think that you are confused. The job of the ABC is to present both sides of a story (or possibly more) rather than populist viewing. If you are interested, you are able to contact the ABC and they will give you stats on how much time they give to one side and then the other. It does work out to be fairly balanced (unlike the commercial stations who don’t have this mandate).
Horrifying, isn’t it? After all, if people like me were able to listen to both sides of an argument then we might be capable of forming our own opinions – and those opinions may not always agree with yours.
You had better put a stop to this immediately before it gets out of hand. After all it is your tax dollar and not mine. However, it would be interesting to know where my dollar is going. Please let me know when you find out.
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Dear JG,
Thanks for answering questions for an hour this afternoon on your time at Slater & Gordon. You were open and direct and I hope that people feel better that you’re not some shonky lawyer.
Dear TA,
Please can we now talk about something else – something like those legal asylum seekers, mining that’s not closing down because of the carbon tax or the Libs plan for education?!
Thanking you in advance,
B x
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Your assessment of Ms Gillard’s press conference is a perfect illustration of how gullible the 30% are. She has contradicted herself at least three times. I guess the next Mamamia story will be – ‘Oops Julia Got Confused. Who Hasn’t?! Tell us when you last put your car keys in the freezer!!’
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as opposed to TA who didn’t read the report, or maybe he did??? does TA even know what day it is??
am still laughing about her ‘misogynistic nutjobs on the internet’ comment
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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Enjoy that, old timer. Nice.
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i don’t enjoy misogyny. i detest it. but i am so glad she finally called it what it is.
it must hurt to be on the wrong side now, you have had it easy for far too long
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I’ve never seen a politician take questions for that long let alone a PM.
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I’m not interested in how many questions she took, Mia. It’s the answers I’m interested in. Have you read the background on this issue, or, like climate change, are you happy just to support whatever they say?
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She had the country’s most experienced and well researched political journalists all in one room, all able to ask her any question on the matter and she agreed to answer them all until they had no more questions. She did that. Nobody would have been faster to pick up any inconsistencies or inadequate answers than the press pack.
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Thank you Mia!!!!
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I await their analysis with baited breath.
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It will take more than an hour and a half of question time to convince me to vote for her I’m afraid.
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I totally agree. I want to hear about policy!!
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The PM would have more time for policy discussion if she didn’t feel she had to respond to misogynists and nut jobs and the media would be better able to provide fair analysis if they weren’t so intent on sensationalist reporting instead of researching and analysing and using media space for misogynists and nut jobs. Can we now draw a line with this extraordinary press conference and really focus on the government, the opposition and policies?
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I am a silly pants
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No, you’re one of the few voices of reason here. I know that most of the readership is young, I pray they grow up quickly.
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such a condescending remark…typical conservative
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Sorta true though. Quite a lot of people become more conservative as they get older.
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That doesn’t make them right but.
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god help me if i ever stop caring about the most vulnerable members of society and more about how much money is in my bank account.
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You couldn’t me more wrong, old timer. Like most conservatives, I voted Labor for 30 years. Then I realised that every time they get into office they squander everything they can get their hands on and the Libs have to fix it.
This time it will take generations to fix. 250 billion and still a year to go. Not a single thing to show for it. The NDIS could have been a reality.
The carbon hoax has pledged 7 billion to the money laundering UN and our pensioners and disabled can’t turn on a heater.
The left are only interested in empty symbolism. I want our needy looked after, not the unions.
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Oh yes Anonymous, because 10 years of a Howard government REALLY looked after those poor people without heaters and federal funding for schools and more money for the states for hospitals….
What I did receive working at a private company was a BIG FAT $40k from the Howard govt to host a morning tea for 70 people. Right on! And that was just the tip of the iceberg.
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Don’t be so sure about that. And don’t be so sure about most of the readership here being young. Did you see the number of people who commented on the Puberty Blues post by saying they were teenagers in the 70s? There’s more than a few old chooks around here.
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What makes you think most of the readership is “young”? What’s your definition of young? I’m 46 years old. Is that grown up enough for you?
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I did not get the “young” comment either, I am 56
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Born in 67, not really young either, but thanks for thinking that anonymous.
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Bradley, please don’t stop commenting. I enjoy your comments, and I think it is great that you have an outlet to say what is on your mind.
I really hate how people get shut down or shot down in flames on this site now.
Makes me comment less too, so I tend to watch from the sidelines a bit when the game is a predictable bloodbath. It is lazier, but easier not getting involved when debate isn’t civillised on here.
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Bradley, I couldn’t agree with you more. For once!
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Excuse me !
I guarantee you all that I did not post the “I’m a silly pants” comment.
Someone else is using my name and has been allowed to get away with it. As you are all aware, I own every comment that I post and I never hide behind any other name.
Many thanks.
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I can confirm that indeed that wasn’t *Bradley* Bradley!!
-Megan
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Confirming this isn’t *Bradley* Bradley!!
-Megan
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Why on earth are people so happy that TA fell apart under pressure during an interview? Does this somehow make you feel better about Julia’s dismal performance?
I would have thought it enough to make you despair that our PM is a dud and the opposition is proving to be no better.
What an awful situation.
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Isn’t it easier to give your name,whether real or not,rather than ‘Anonymous’?
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We’re happy that someone in the media finally demanded he be accountable for his statements and demanded he answer questions instead of just recording and airing/publishing his scripted sound bites.
And when he failed dismally we rejoiced in the hope that Abbott may finally be seen for what he is, and recognise the smear campaign against the PM and the baseless fear mongering he’s used as his arsenal throughout his leadership.
And no, I don’t agree that our PM has done a dismal job at all – the only way she could have competed with his tactics would be to bring herself down to his level and start pandering to the lowest-common-denominators.
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Anonymous – *know. Still learning??
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Viewers, readers entitled to their opinions, but if they want a media that agrees with their side only, it isn’t a free press.
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If Tony Abbot is our next Prime Minister, I’m bawling my eyes out – it’s terrifying for me to think he could be running the show.
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Cheer up, it’s not like he could do any worse.
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oh my god but he could
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Yeah, he could introduce a useless carbon tax…..wait
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I will cry. Do we just deserve to have this guy as prime minister. He need to make a lot of important decision for us. I am scare…. Very scare…
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Awww I hate it when the ‘thumbs up’ ‘like’ button disappears…
sad face
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Thumbs up are back! Thumbs up!
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Woot woot!!
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I love Leigh Sales.It was one of the best interviews I have ever seen her do. I usually can’t stand to listen to Tony Abbott because of the dreadful pauses he has in his speech but he looked like an idiot last night and she looked professional, competent and FABULOUS!! Go Leigh.
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I don’t like Tony, I lean left, I think media can choose which way they want to lean and it is up to readers to be educated about the source of their news.
But there hasn’t been much personally critical of JG on here. Anything at all really. It is all couched in terms like ‘the government’ not JG personally. But TA gets personally attacked every now and then. There is posts on the asylum seeker crisis but again that pointed the finger at all politicians in general.
Why not a piece on how JG has been a pretty poor PM? I say that as Labor voter. I don’t like we have a PM beholden to a bunch of corrupt unions. So TA screwed up an interview big deal, what about the person actually in government?
JG, if she stays as leader, is going to get thrashed at the polls. It seems to be a given. But you wouldn’t know it by reading MM. You can lean however you want, I lean left!
But you do your readers a disservice by presenting a pretty false picture of our two leaders – bad Tony screwing up interviews, and then when JG is bad it is just a vague ‘the government’ or ‘all politicians failing us’ or a lighthearted ‘hey dodgy boyfriend we have all been there!’
Some critical thought on JG wouldn’t go amiss.
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I have seen Leigh interview pollies of both sides of the political spectrum and she is always well prepared and maybe she was fired up because Tony’s comments were clearly spin and not fact.
Why does the right wing take offence everytime one of the own gets caught out the media for the last few years has been very right wing oriented and has been short on factual reporting and more on scaremongering of the devils from the left and when a journo wants to bring a right wing pollie to account they all cry foul.
Come on give me a break, Julia is not much chop but Tony is far worse, thats why the generally right wing leaning independants wouldn’t support him.
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Sadly those right wing indos are unlikely to get re-elected next time. Some very unhappy campers in their electorates.
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PM came through a hostile hour plus press conference unscathed. The opposition leader wilted under 12 minutes of pretty calm questioning.
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Speaking of mining and taxes…
How funny! A NEW COAL MINE has been approved, owned by Gina – who has campaigned against the mining tax and carbon tax!
Turns out they (mining companies) don’t really care about those tiny taxes (in the scheme of super profits) after all, and now we all can make some money too!
How will Abbott spin this??
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/rineharts-alpha-coal-mine-approved/story-fn3dxiwe-1226456727852
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Especially when you consider companies like BHP operate in 100 different countries – i doubt the carbon tax is really going to make a difference in the grand scheme of things – and boo hoo if they don’t report another 15 BILLION dollar profit = as in after wages, over heads, insurance, machines, taxes, CEO bonuses etc they are still making 15 BILLION dollars to put in their kitty!!!
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i always thought of myself as very open minded… but i have realised i’m really closed of and deeply intolerant towards people that identify as ‘conservative’.
in the interest of my own education… if you identify as ‘conservative’ what is that you actually believe in?
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The liberal party website details what those I assume you are referring to as conservative believe in.
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If you are intolerant of conservatives, wouldnt it be clear what they believe in, hence allowing you to reach a position of disagreeing with it. How can you be intolerant of something you have no understanding of? Maybe you are just a one eyed leftie. Its ok, you fit in well around here, backing in the left without even understanding the other side of the coin.
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Leigh Sales has herself a new fangirl.
You may not think much of Gillard, but seriously – this guy as PM? You’ve got to be kidding.
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… how embarrassing for you.
surely dinner party rules should be that you dont just call somebody a name but rather that you clarify why it is that you feel somebody is that way.
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Oh, you really are very silly
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I just cant believe that in a country with a population of 22 million, we cant get better at the helm of both our main political parties. Time to up their pay as incentive to get some brains into the place I think.
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I don’t think the salary will change anything. We need people who genuinely want to change things for the better over their own personal interests. If they are in it for the money then they’re going to do whatever they can to get reelected, not manage the country.
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What, like introduce a carbon tax to keep Greens support?
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Yep totally agree. We need to start attracting candidates far more competent and capable to do the job. There is a saying “pay peanuts, get monkeys” (though I acknowledge that they aren’t currently getting paid peanuts.)
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Let’s take a closer look here. On the mining tax segment of the interview, what I heard was a journalist ignoring the broader points being made because it didn’t suit her argument.
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This is how you do it.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-23/gillard-responds-to-false-defamatory-accusations/4218242
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I could have stood up and cheered. Not because I’m such a Gillard fan but because I hate the crap that’s aimed at her. I’m glad she’s called them on it.
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i loved the reference to the ‘misogynistic nutjobs on the internet’.
so bloody true.
great work JG, such a contrast to the blundering LOTO
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I’d struggle to vote Labor in the next election (but can’t cop Abbott – I’m part of the I Love Turnbull chorus), but I thought Leigh Sales interview was excellent and Gillard’s presser today was very Prime Ministerial.
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I’m the same, Kate. I feel let down by Julia Gillard for a variety of reasons. That said, I’m no Tony Abbott fan. I don’t even want to think about the next federal election … makes my head hurt.
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I’m the same too. If Abbott and Gillard are facing off come the next federal election I’m going to have to do what I did in the last state election.
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Which is partly why we have the political landscape we have at the moment.
I’d love to see the stats on how many donkey and non votes there were at the last elections.
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It wasn’t a donkey vote, it was an informal vote. A deliberately chosen informal vote.
And it in no way, partly or otherwise, contributed to the political landscape we have. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find one seat where the informal vote made any difference to the outcome. And that informal votes are in any was responsible for the political landscapes we end up with is a misconception you need to be disabused of.
The stats are easy to view – just go to the Electoral Commission website and you can see all the stats including a seat by seat breakdown. The total state-wide informal vote in the last state election was 2.15%.
Donkey votes can’t be counted for the simply reason that no one can ever really determine whether it was a true donkey vote or the way people deliberately chose to vote.
And in the seat in which my deliberately chosen informal vote was cast, there was no donkey vote evident (unless large numbers of people were casting a reverse donkey vote). And I think if you look closely at the stats there is no donkey vote evident in any seat – given the uniform state-wide swing away from the incumbent government.
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A coward’s way out. Donkey votes do not change anything, or perform some magical change of heart to the person who is elected. The only thing it does is give the voter some strange satisfaction at being able to say you didn’t vote for that person. What good does that do? If you don’t like it, why not do something about it, vote for the independent or become an independent. Become a party member and try to inflence policy from the inside. Or you can stay a coward and keep having no say in the future of the state or country.
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See above response re donkey vote.
Had there been an independent candidate I would gladly have caste my vote for them. And in a different time and place I was an independent. Which in a metropolitan area is an extremely expensive and thankless role to take on and entirely useless one unless one has a pre-existing public profile.
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Totally agree. I dont like Julia Gillard but there is no way in hell I will ever vote for Tony Abbott.
If the Liberal party is listening I will shout it from the roof tops
BRING BACK MALCOLM TURNBULL
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and again – hear hear
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I have no idea why my above commented appeared where it did but it was meant to be responding to TwoMummies
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I accept that MM is a very left leaning site, fine but lets be honest about it. Tuesdays article on the PM & her dodgey ex had its comments stream closed but when TA does dodgey interview its time to get the boots in. No wonder the opposition dont reply to invitations from MM.
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Hi Jackie
I see why you’re concerned but let me be very clear – we closed comments on the post earlier in the week about the PM because the comments were becoming unmanageable and inappropriate. They were not attacking the PM’s policies or even her effectiveness in office – they were sexually explicit and disgusting. We tried to keep it open as long as possible but moderation was becoming too much in the evening.
Jamila
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Sigh. Reading the comments here, reminds me why I don’t comment myself, anymore……Bradley, you must be a glutton for punishment. Don’t you realise you’re up against women ? You can’t win, my friend……
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I’m a masochist !
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You’re a tool
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Thank you. Consider that my curt response.
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Maybe Leigh can now get the bottom of the PM`s ex bf & if JG did facilitate any illegal going ons. I look forward to that interview, I am sure Leigh would tackle that issue with the same amount of gusto as she displayed last night.
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Ethel – did you see the PM today. 1 hour ans 12 minutes solidly answering questions on this . She was clear, concise and thorough. There is nothing in this story – other than mud. And by fury there’s been mud slung here.
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The fact that she refused to previously answer any questions on the matter did her no favours.
She claimed “under instructions” ‘I was deceived” “victim of a sexist smear campaign”
*shrugs* personally if our PM was a spotted giraffe the same questions would have been put to them, politicians, irrelevant of sex, need to be accountable.
I very much doubt that this matter has been put to bed.
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it was 17 years ago, and there was a police investigation, and nothing came of it.
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Are her pants on fire as well..?
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Great to see a journalist doing such a good job. Leigh Sales is my hero right now
To me this isnt about being of left or right wing persuasion, its about all politicians being accountable for what they say, and actually being asked about their policy…….
I am sick of the mud slinging, and I am so glad Leigh got past the BS.
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Geezi thought there would be some interesting comments to read below, but NO! Just people that are very pro labour or pro liberal getting fired up… Sad..because although i normally lean one way our PM and Opposition leader are an embarrassment and I thought everyone knew that
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Bahahahahahah
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My partner and I were pleased to see Abbott make such a fool of himself…not one question answered. Sales was great!… Abbott usually runs off at the mouth without drawing breath and/or talks over whoever is trying to pin him down… Great interviewing Leigh!
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