The contrast was stark, and deeply revealing.
At around 10.30am, Queensland Liberal National MP Warren Entsch rose in the House of Representatives to introduce his bill to enable same-sex marriage. Entsch spoke of his own personal journey of understanding the need for marriage equality and called for a civil and dignified debate. He introduced the bill surrounded by Liberal, crossbench, Labor and Greens MPs and watched by Malcolm Turnbull and Christopher Pyne.
At almost exactly the same moment, Tony Abbott was at an Australian Federal Police facility posing for photos ahead of a media conference on the dangers of the drug ice. Ice is indeed a menace, and, like other illicit drugs under our “ban it and hope” enforcement mentality, controlling it is primarily a matter for state and territory police forces. But the Prime Minister was determined to alert voters to how his government was protecting us from this threat.
Optimism, love, respect, cross-partisanship in Parliament, versus fear-mongering from the Prime Minister. A bill to introduce marriage equality — something supported by 60%-70% of voters — versus a deeply unpopular leader whose political playbook seems to have only one page left in it: fear.
Rarely does politics offer such a clear and telling contrast.
Could somebody please explain to me why the PM is getting so involved in a crime issue ( a state matter)and why he would announce a $1m Dob in a Dealer program. A paltry amount below the status of his office.
Has any other PM ever involved himself in such micro management issues?
Why isn’t he addressing his real job issues.
Why is he forever running around the country with these faux announcement in lieu of attending to true national issues.
Has any other PMM ever run from the responsibilities of his job as does Abbott.
Is he so incapable of doing his job that his office has to make up these tasks to try and cover up his incompetence?
Why is the Australian media failing to point out that he is not on the job and not doing the task he was hired to do?
Just what Toad needs, another distraction – to keep us from thinking about what he’s doing.
The rAbbott doesn’t seem to have the brain power to realise that, despite the delaying tactics, he ISN’T going to win this one.
Roll on the next election!
Nice juxtapositionisation, Crikey. What a pity the Abbott element was there to be had, although, give him credit for providing the poetic moment, stupid as it is. He is ensuring there’s always something enraging to write and read about.
The polls are bad, rAbbott needs an issue, this time it seems its ice. Next time bombing Syria maybe?