Mr. No-No-No-Noooooooooooooo needs to change his image

Tony I never met a Labor or Green policy I didn’t hate Abbott is still having perception problems and is fast becoming the butt of a running gag at my local watering hole.
It seems me an' me mates are not alone.


The Essential Report 26th September 2011:

Q. Which of the following statements is closest to your view about the performance of Tony Abbott as Opposition leader?

Click on table to enlarge

The proportion of respondents that believe that Tony Abbott is performing the role of Opposition Leader well is 38%, down four points from when the question was last asked on 6 June 2011. Coalition voters are far more likely to regard Abbott as performing the role well (77%).
Forty five per cent (45%) of respondents believe that Abbott is just opposing everything and is obstructing the work of Government (45%), a result that is fairly consistent with the previous occasions on which the question has been polled. Labor voters are the most likely to agree with this position (82%), as are Greens voters (77%).
Respondents aged 65+ are much more likely to regard Abbott as performing well (56%).
Respondents from Queensland were also somewhat more likely to regard Abbott as doing well (44%).

Pic from Andy Dolphin at My Week in Art

Nationals' 'Magnificent Seven' to contest pre-selection battle for Clarence

When nominations for the National Party's candidate to contest the by-election in the seat of Clarence closed today there were two additions to the five names previously confirmed.

There was no real surprise when Clarence Valley mayor Richie Williamson, a one-time independent, decided to hitch his carriage to the Nats' gravy train but a nomination by relative newcomer to the valley, Maclean businessman Jason Cleary from Woodford Island, seems to be a bit of a shock to the system.

The other candidates are Karen Toms, Paul O'Connor, Fiona Leviny, Chris Gulaptis and Stuart George.

George is the sole nomination from the Nat' northern camp.

Jeremy Challacombe, a spokesperson for the Nationals, told The Daily Examiner it was originally intended that the ballot for preselection would be held this weekend, but rank and file members had convinced the party's head office to allow enough time for candidates to address branch meetings before a ballot on October 16. 

He said it would be a secret ballot and votes would be tallied using the same preferential voting system as was used in federal elections. 

Candidates would each be given about 10 minutes to speak at the preselection meeting before the ballot was held. 

About 300 financial members in the Clarence electorate are eligible to vote.


Read The Daily Examiner's report here.

My old gran used to say you're known by the company you keep

Before he left for Queensland where he hoped (but apparently failed) to further his political career, one of the candiates for Nationals pre-selection to contest the NSW Clarence by-election, Chris Gulaptis, rarely missed a photo opportunity. These are with the now former and disgraced Nats Clarence MP, Steve Cansdell, pictured below. Pics from Google Images

Teh Climate Crazies are out again - who forgot to lock the gate?

When you see this sort of event description you know that Abbott’s Barmy Army of climate change deniers is on the loose again:

“The BOM has been complicit in spreading the lies and deceit behind JuLIAR's 'settled science' and 'consensus' she uses to support this 'whacky tax'”

They will be outside the Bureau of Meteorology at 8am on the 30^th September 2011 in La Trobe Street, Melbourne for a ‘Revolt Against The Carbon Tax’ demo.

As this mob appears to include quite a few galahs from the Just Grounds online community who seem to firmly believe that a government minister wants to gas them all, I look forward to hearing that a lot of nonsense was spouted.