Richard Creswick writes: There is little to add to Maeve McGregor’s forensic account of Alan Tudge’s failed political career (“A political obituary for Alan Tudge”). However, he was just a manifestation of a government that lacked any sort of moral compass, empathy for anyone other than wealthy mates and donors, and any basic decency. Instead of a valedictory speech, he should have gone off into the night, a disgraced minister, politician, husband and employer.
Tim Stephens writes: I think Tudge perfectly represents the overprivileged, born to rule, shameless, parasitic and utterly self-centred members of the Morrison government. Nothing else to say, really.
Frank Walker writes: Tudge was another member of Scott Morrison’s parliamentary prayer group who set out to bully and beat down the weakest and most defenceless people in Australian society. Being allowed to flee Parliament with full pension entitlements without facing any consequences is not justice.
Chris Ryan writes: McGregor paints a thoroughly disturbing portrait of one person’s political career and the damage that person caused. “A political obituary for Alan Tudge” graphically illustrates why there are some among us that should never be let loose on the Australian public because of their politico-pathic nature. The litany of almost pathological brutality visited on the population at large by Tudge is seemingly endless. However, let us not forget that Tudge was one of many with their grubby fingerprints imprinted on the disgraceful robodebt enterprise.
The robodebt royal commission provides ample and shocking evidence that a federal government minister accessed and strategically released personal data to the media in a deliberate and calculated attempt to destroy the credibility of complainants and to bully them into silence. Those we place our trust in to protect us against criminal acts were involved in flagrant data breaches against the interests of those they were charged with serving.
The unedifying spectacle of ducking, weaving and obfuscation by successive ministers appearing before the commission is frankly appalling and utterly disgraceful. That these moral vacuums remain in our national Parliament is a blot on our society, when in reality they should be occupying positions in another government institution — “at His Majesty’s pleasure”.
Carolyn Hirsh writes: I’ve lived in the federal electorate of Aston since its inception, sadly these last years with Tudge as our representative in Canberra. Thank goodness he’s going. The ALP has already chosen a candidate, not a high-flyer from another area but a local woman, Mary Doyle, a single mother of three, who stood for Aston in last year’s election and brought the margin held by the Liberals from over 10% to something under 3%.
Trish Ferrier writes: The tight ball of moral outrage in my heart was unpicked as I read this article. It helped me remember how Alan Tudge and his merry men caused such misery in Australia during their reign. I thought things were bad under John Howard — little did I know it would get worse.
Jock Webb writes: I found Tudge’s conduct absolutely disgraceful. None of the people involved in robodebt, which clearly caused some deaths, will ever be held to account. None of them has any business being in the Parliament.
Marian Arnold writes: What a deplorable human being with his unfeeling pursuit of robodebt victims — and to this day unapologetic. The only surprise is that he did not rise more quickly to the top with that attitude. Perhaps it needed the elevation of Scott Morrison, of like mind, for that to happen.
Erik Kulakauskas writes: It is somewhat unfair to target Tudge and his abject failings as a human being let alone a minister of Parliament. Tudge was a product of his time and in very good company and a very fitting LNP MP.
We need not dwell on the (non)-performance of Scott Morrison — his record will never (hopefully) be surpassed. But consider the silent and ineffectual Marise Payne, and “lying cow” Linda Reynolds. And who can ignore the wisdom and thoughts of Michaelia Cash? Christian Porter set a low watermark for everything he touched in his political life. Stuart Robert can tell us a thing or two about probity and transparency, and then there are Andrew Laming’s photographic skills. And on it goes. The prayer group is a jolly good indicator of leadership and management.
Making good use of the rear-view mirror, Tudge kept up with the pack and performed according to the standards and requirements of the time. So give credit where credit it’s due — he did OK under the circumstances.
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It is true that the worst people in Australian politics and government are not aggressive buffoons or class room-bullies, but overwhelmingly people who are quiet in nature, more softly-spoken and well behaved in public. This belies their horrible nature behind closed doors, their cruel heart and illegal actions. I hate in the latter he is brought to account by others and we must not stop pursuing him.
Sorry that should read I hope in the latter. We must always have hope fighting evil and bad people whether its Putin or people like Tudge and others responsible for Robodebt and other infractions
What I find dear Guru is that they are utterly hypocritical people who call themselves Christians but are not anything of the kind. Hence their ability to underfly the radar. Based on my Presbyterian childhood and Anglican last 4 years of high school I’s say they are compassionless Christians. This based on any reading of the New Testament, even the awful woman hating Saul of Tarsus aka St Paul, is not really possible. You cannot be a Christian without humanity, humiity and compassion. George Pell wasn’t one either in my view.
All members of prosperity style churches. To me these represent the antithesis of what believers ( of which i am not one) consider christianity to be about.
May he be haunted for the rest of his days by the ghosts of the Robodebt dead.
Unfortunately he seems to be the kind of guy who will likely never give the Robodebt dead a second thought.
After his performance on RN this morning, I’d like to add Bother Stuey Robert to the list. Another robodebt creep.
And anothe happy clapper.
The irony of the LNP bleating on about the merit-based candidates while supporting the candidature of people like Robert, Morrison, Tudge, Dutton, Hawke and Taylor (to name just a few))
I am a daily reader of The Guardian Australia site. Today there are two articles by regular UK Guardian columnists that give rise to similar feelings of disgust as these comments on Tudge provide.
One article, by Zoe Williams, is about the appalling behaviour of ordinary people, the UK msm and the Lancashire police over the death of Nicola Bulley whose body was found on Sunday, some three weeks after she was reported missing in small village of 600 people.
The second article, by Polly Toynbee, was about the reappearance of the untruthful former PM Johnston when his successor Sunak looked like setting a Brexit problem about the position of Ireland.
It is impossible not to feel a profound sense of horror at the total loss of honesty, integrity, purpose and notions of the common good from politicians here, in the UK and in the USA.
settling not setting.
Yes, these the countries where Murdoch operates
Tudge (Haileybury) and Porter (Hale) have been to the best Christian schools and learnt hypocrisy at the topmost level.