Australia General Discussion

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I kind of disagree that it will be Bishop.

She's an unmarried, childless woman ... everything said about Gillard would come into play. That doesn't sit well with a lot of the voting base. She also knows that people started digging into Gillard's private life the moment she became PM... it would be the same for Bishop and let's say there's certainly some decent skeletons to find.

I think Bishop is actually content where she is, for the above reasons and others.

My money is on Turnbull PM, Bishop retains Deputy and FA and Morrison gets kicked up to Treasurer.

What sort of skeletons?

My mum mentioned something about screwing over people making abestos claims when she was a lawyer.

That's actually pretty well known. There are some that I personally think are off limits, but the media won't.

[politicus]

I kind of disagree that it will be Bishop.

She's an unmarried, childless woman ... everything said about Gillard would come into play. That doesn't sit well with a lot of the voting base. She also knows that people started digging into Gillard's private life the moment she became PM... it would be the same for Bishop and let's say there's certainly some decent skeletons to find.

I think Bishop is actually content where she is, for the above reasons and others.

My money is on Turnbull PM, Bishop retains Deputy and FA and Morrison gets kicked up to Treasurer.

What sort of skeletons?

My mum mentioned something about screwing over people making abestos claims when she was a lawyer.

That's actually pretty well known. There are some that I personally think are off limits, but the media won't.

Hmm, so how did you get access to this non-publicly known info about Bishop?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I kind of disagree that it will be Bishop.

She's an unmarried, childless woman ... everything said about Gillard would come into play. That doesn't sit well with a lot of the voting base. She also knows that people started digging into Gillard's private life the moment she became PM... it would be the same for Bishop and let's say there's certainly some decent skeletons to find.

I think Bishop is actually content where she is, for the above reasons and others.

My money is on Turnbull PM, Bishop retains Deputy and FA and Morrison gets kicked up to Treasurer.

What sort of skeletons?

My mum mentioned something about screwing over people making abestos claims when she was a lawyer.

That's actually pretty well known. There are some that I personally think are off limits, but the media won't.

Hmm, so how did you get access to this non-publicly known info about Bishop?

It's actually not exactly secret... you live in this town long enough, it's scary the type of info about these people you get.

[morgieb]

I kind of disagree that it will be Bishop.

She's an unmarried, childless woman ... everything said about Gillard would come into play. That doesn't sit well with a lot of the voting base. She also knows that people started digging into Gillard's private life the moment she became PM... it would be the same for Bishop and let's say there's certainly some decent skeletons to find.

I think Bishop is actually content where she is, for the above reasons and others.

My money is on Turnbull PM, Bishop retains Deputy and FA and Morrison gets kicked up to Treasurer.

What sort of skeletons?

My mum mentioned something about screwing over people making abestos claims when she was a lawyer.

That's actually pretty well known. There are some that I personally think are off limits, but the media won't.

Hmm, so how did you get access to this non-publicly known info about Bishop?

With me at least, I know my mother had links to the ALP back in the day (worked for the SDA), which may have helped.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The Chief Minister of the NT has been rolled in a party room coup. This is the CLP's 3rd leader in less than 3 years.

[Talleyrand]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-03/adam-giles-replaced-as-northern-territory-chief-minister/6064564

Willem Westra van Holthe, the MP for Katherine, and Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries and Minister for Mines and Energy, is now the Chief Minister. He was Deputy Chief Minister under Terry Mills, the Chief Minister who was rolled back in March 2013.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The latest scuttlebutt is that Abbott sought assurances from Bishop on Sunday that she would not challenge him. She refused to give that assurance.

Which makes his strategy at the Press Club yesterday clear - it was to set Bishop up as Gillard 2.0 if she challenges "she told me I had her support" whereas clearly someone close to Bishop has leaked this to cover her backside, should she go for it.

[Phony Moderate]

Urgh, I get a Thatcher vibe from Bishop.

[Platypus]

Little birdy has said that it's Brough as challenger, Bishop as compromise unifying candidate/PM, Turnbull as Treasurer, and Morrison as Deputy leader and Foreign Affairs.

Morrison getting that role fills me with disgust, but apparently he's required to get enough of the conservatives over the line.

[Platypus]

I should also say that this person has reasonably consistent ears, but has always been very anti-Abbott so draw your own views as to the reliability

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The Bishop/Morrison ticket is the one that makes the MOST sense, it gives geographical and factional balance.

[Barnes]

Thinking about it, that combination makes the most sense.  I can't see a majority of the caucus ever being able to vote for Turnbull.  Morrison in Foreign Affairs would be dismal, I agree.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The Cabinet is preparing to meet, the Cabinet is starting to leak that the Abbott-Bishop relationship is now 'untenable'.

The clearest sign that Abbott is terrified, he's wheeled Margie out. Not only at the Press Club, but today at a press conference in Sydney this morning.

[Barnes]

Apparently Abbott has declared today "Back to Work Tuesday" for his MPs. Oh dear...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The other side is that is being suggested is that Abbott's office leaked the Bishop refusal. In order to flush out her intentions.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

So the NT has no government at this time. The Administrator (the equivalent of the Governor) is using reserve powers to enable government to function. Giles is refusing to resign as Chief Minister.

The CLP is in total and utter chaos, and now it's actively risking the welfare of the people of the NT.

The next step has to be an election if this can't be sorted out soon.

[Barnes]

Really? Wow.

Any chance the Administrator dismisses Giles?

[Platypus]

This feels like that moment in a game of Europa Universalis when all your rebellions start to pop. VIC first, fine, whatever... then all of a sudden, QLD, NT, Federal, maybe a bit of pain in NSW...

[Barnes]

This feels like that moment in a game of Europa Universalis when all your rebellions start to pop. VIC first, fine, whatever... then all of a sudden, QLD, NT, Federal, maybe a bit of pain in NSW...

It's just like a stack of dominoes.

If you think about it, the last two months, and in particular just the last week, has been absolutely astounding in political chaos.

[Platypus]

NT Country Liberal Party has gone into full-bore civil war. Alison Anderson has, of course, decided to involve herself in it.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/northern-territory/alison-anderson-and-larisa-lee-rejoin-clp-amid-leadership-turmoil/story-fnk0b1zt-1227206076554

[Barnes]

From the above article:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

What a fun day this is turning into!  Unless you're a Territorian, of course.

[BaconBacon96]

What a farcical situation. The Administrator should dismiss the lot of them and call an election now.

[Barnes]

And in further news today, the Reserve Bank has cut interest rates to 2.25%.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Giles is going nowhere.

Also: Bishop has reportedly told Sky News "I am not campaigning for the job of Prime Minister, I will not challenge"... "I am not ringing the backbench asking for support, I'm not counting numbers".

So, as usual, the Libs are cowards ... they'll either wait for a suicide bomber (politically) or until things get so bad Abbott has no choice.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Lol - Giles stays with his usurper as Deputy lol

It also appears that momentum for the LibSpill is growing ... but it's coming from the back-bench, none in the front bench want to touch it.