The national sideshow starring Australia’s three amigo independents – Tony Windsor, Rob “let’s all get along” Oakeshott and Bob “your force from the North” Katter – continued yesterday as the trio of potential deal-makers requested to scrutinize Treasury costings of both the major parties.
Julia Gillard, described by Tony Wright in The Sydney Morning Herald as “drowning but still waving,” was more than happy to oblige and quickly gave the amigos’ request an A-OK, willing them to join her in a round of “dear little buttercup, with the sweetest smile…”
But cranky pants “stop the boats” Abbott, on the other hand, wasn’t having a bar of it. He refused point black and – says Peter Hartcher – “folded his arms and jammed his fingers in his ears.”
At this point in time, you’d think both leaders would be prepared to bend over backwards and throw in a few cartwheels to cater for the men who, now with unprecedented power, are capable of selecting which party can form a minority government.
This makes Abbott’s refusal to comply all the more curious. Why not cater to the three amigo’s whims? Why not throw in a few foot rubs too? Has Abbott got something to hide? Is he concealing some streak-marked economic underwear tucked inside the budgies?
Here’s how the pundits reported it.
The Australian
Dennis Shanahan: Forget three amigos, let’s go back to polls
Abbott’s refusal last night to pander to the demand of the three independents to break the caretaker convention is right but will be used against him by an increasingly desperate government.
Tony Abbott under pressure to give into independents’ demand
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has agreed but Mr Abbott has refused, instead insisting they rely on modelling from a private accounting firm. Mr Katter said Mr Abbott’s “intransigence” on this issue would make it harder for the independents to support him becoming prime minister.
ABC News
Abbott’s hidden costings a ‘bad look’
However Mr Abbott says Treasury should not be providing that advice on the Coalition’s plans, and says the Opposition instead wants to hand in its own costings analysis. Kennedy MP Mr Katter told ABC TV’s Lateline that Mr Abbott’s refusal makes it look as though he has something to hide.
Sydney Morning Herald
Peter Hartcher: Gillard’s flexibility makes her difficult to reject
Is Abbott frightened or cocky? Is he determined to hide the truth of the Coalition’s budget arithmetic from public view? Or just very confident that he will ultimately win the support of the three independents in any case? In either case, it is a bad look. He just made it harder for the independents to agree to support an Abbott government.
Phillip Coorey: The seven steps to power
Under pressure last night, Mr Abbott in effect discredited the Charter of Budget Honesty by saying Treasury was incapable of costing opposition promises.
Tony Wright: Abbott’s refusal on costings does not stack up
Tony Abbott knew that if he agreed for Treasury’s costing of his policies to be made public, he ran the strong risk the verdict would be in line with Labor’s estimate – that the policies blow out the budget bottom line by $5 billion over the next four years – rather than the Coalition’s claim that they would improve it by $11 billion.
The Age
Michelle Grattan: Abbott refuses key demand
Opposing the independents’ call for official costing of his policies, Mr Abbott said that, instead, he would make all shadow ministers available to discuss policies, as well as the accounting firm WHK Howarth, which the Coalition used during the election campaign.
Grogs Gamut
Election 2010: Extra Time (or, Seven Habits of Highly Effective Independents
Abbott not wanting the Treasury to go through his costings at his point is a bit like me saying the ATO won’t be able to understand my tax return with the same depth as does my private accountant, so just trust me on what I say I am due as a refund. Sorry, but that dog won’t hunt.
I turned on the radio this morning in the middle of a discussion about how poorly he came across on television last night.
They said he looked sweaty and twitchy, and questioned the wisdom of putting himself under such close public scrutiny when he was clearly having difficulty coping
I thought they were going a bit far when they said that his behaviour should scare young people, but then realised they were talking about the Ben Cousins doco
This just goes to show that the fruit loop is now worse than unelectable – the man is simply irrational.
He won’t submit his policies for costing even AFTER the election because they might be leaked – presumably giving the Labor party an advantage. But the campaigning is over now, and the votes are already in – so how could it possibly matter?
He doesn’t trust the Treasury. But this is the Treasury that would have prime responsibility for financial management of his policies. How could he possibly expect to govern without consulting Treasury? Disband the whole department and outsource it to “Hogwarts – Accounting-R-Us?”
He thinks the Public Service won’t understand his policies. Does he have such a low opinion of the intellect of our Public Service? But these are the people he would have been relying on in government to implement his policies!
I now know how Alice felt like when she fell through the Looking Glass! The inside of Tony Abbott’s head must be a very confusing place indeed.
Frankly I am shocked (not)
An increasingly desperate right-wing noise machine led by an increasingly deranged Dennis Shanahan want to plunge the country back into the endless banality and ongoing uncertainty of another election – simply because they can’t get the result they want without exposing the fact that the coalition lied about their costings to the Australian people.
I guess we shouldn’t be overly harsh on poor Tony. After all, how can we expect someone to behave rationally when he actually believes the voices in his head belongs to some mythical Sky Fairy who not only created Tony in his own image, and but with the divine intention of his one day becoming Prime Minister of this country
Having grown up up in a Catholic family, I also understand perfectly why Tony Abbott believes it’s ok for him to lie compulsively and without compunction.
I just don’t happen to think that it’s in the best interests of this country and suspect that even Bob Katter find some common ground with me on that one
Alice through the Looking Glass?, Oscar
I thought we had already established it was the Mad Katter’s Tea Party,
with Mr Rabbit as the March Hare,
Julie Bishop as Alice in Blunderland,
and Joe as the Dormouse, asleep at the Treasury
off with their heads
Some predictions for the immediate future:
1. Gillard will announce that she does not want to lead a (slightly) left of centre government but wants to govern straight down the middle with an emphasis on building consensus. She will try to define as much Labor policy as possible as middle ground but will make modifications to meet that middle ground promise.
2. She will promise a government that is more actively listening to citizens. A new office (perhaps within the PM’s department) will be set up to actively canvass citizen’s ideas for better government. It will have its own website for discussion of these ideas.
3. A new plan and authority for regional development and infrastructure will be announced.
4. Rudd will be made Minister for Bob Katter. Seriously though he may be given a co-ordinating/liaison role with the independents.
What do you think?