Is it just us, or does the use of the term “grown-up” to describe a government sound decidedly defensive and, um, immature?
Tanya Plibersek’s dig yesterday that Tony Abbott was a “Nigel no-friends” on the international stage was bizarre, but The Daily Telegraph’s slap on the wrist today, which takes its cues from Abbott’s talking points, is infantalising rubbish. The Tele editorialises:
“Labor’s Tanya Plibersek, the member for Twitter, is worried Tony Abbott will be a ‘Nigel no-friends’ on his current overseas tour … Plibersek is welcome to her slight and asides. Meanwhile, the grown-ups have some important matters to discuss.”
Before the election, Abbott promised us a “grown-up, adult government”, and he’s repeated the backhander many times since.
But is it really having the desired effect? When we were kids, “grow up!” was a term used by people who weren’t yet adults to insult each other. So who in Abbott’s inner circle decided it would make for effective political spin?
Of course, there’s no good comeback to being told to grow up — responding that you are will only make you sound, well, pretty un-grown-up. Wisely, most members of the former Labor government have not deigned to respond. Memo to Abbott’s spin doctors: it’s time to treat us like adults and drop the childish retorts.
“… there’s no good comeback to being told to grow up…” You are right! We only have to look forward to being old, ancient, anachronistic and out of date like the writer?
At least groned-ups would know baddies from baddies.
Ah, excuse me, but surely you should chastise the Tele, if anybody, and not Abbott’s minders. Their governance may be rather inadequate but the retort was – in so far as you have attributed – a media one and not that of the PM’s spin doctors.
The first time Abbott uttered those words I was floored by the chutzpah, given the sheer juvenility of the relentless bitching, moaning and spoiling that defined his opposition leadership.
Listening to the juvenile Pyne use the slogan makes me want to get the wooden spoon out..