bill shorten will never be PM

[dellynt]

http://www.2gb.com/article/bill-shorten-won%E2%80%99t-be-pm-%E2%80%93-ben-fordham

[idlewhile]

lol I was just going to post that link.

Boy, he doesn't miss Bill does he, nailed him.

A fake, a liar a, back stabber, a faction man and the Labor machine are rushing out begging letters for as little as $3 to help Bill.

Ben Fordham doesn't mince his words, an example of what he thinks of Shorten is: Bill Shortens initials are BS and that's what he is filled with.

Poor Bill, he's not a leader, he won't be PM, everybody can see that, way to go Bill, keep  up the great work . 

[idlewhile]

Anthony Albanese says he’s ‘not available’ for Labor leadership before election

Jared Owens Canberra

Anthony Albanese has ruled out taking over the Labor leadership before the next election, despite surging support for Tony Abbott in this week’s Newspoll.

The well-received budget has lifted the Prime Minister’s approval rating to an eight-month high and put him back in front as better prime minister for the first time in six months, according to the survey carried out exclusively for The Australian.

Mr Albanese, who narrowly lost the Labor leadership to Mr Shorten after the 2013 election, today insisted he would remain “a part of Bill Shorten’s team” and is “not available” for the top job.

• MoreShorten losing firepower

“We went through a period of instability with Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. I think the Australian people want stability; that’s what you’ve got under Labor,” Mr Albanese, the opposition infrastructure spokesman, told the Nine Network today.

“He has done a good job. Look at where we have been in the polls. Even the worst poll at the moment has us on 50-50. The other polls have us ahead still almost since the last election.

“I’m not available. We have a leader. The leader is Bill Shorten and he will lead us to the next election.”

Education Minister Christopher Pyne claimed that, by denying the speculation, Mr Albanese was signalling his willingness to take up the leadership.

“The code for everything Anthony has just said is ‘I’m available’. That’s the code and we’ve just heard it — ‘I want to be a team member’,” he said.

“Anthony was the people’s choice, he was not the caucus’s choice, and I think the people want Anthony and they don’t want Bill Shorten.”

In 2013, Mr Shorten won the right-dominated caucus vote convincingly 55-31, but the wider membership backed Mr Albanese 60-40 per cent.

When the two tallies were weighted against each other, Mr Shorten had 52 per cent of the vote and was therefore elected leader.

Mr Albanese insisted the only leadership instability existed in the Liberal partyroom, where 39 anxious MPs voted in February for “an empty chair” over Mr Abbott.

A Labor leader can only be challenged if 60 per cent of caucus support a new election.

Additional reporting: AAP

[idlewhile]

Bill Shorten has problems. One is the Left of Labor, now rampant and his inability or unwillingness to challenge it:

BILL Shorten is emerging as Julia Gillard reincarnated, with Labor poised to take key Gillard polici...

Labor’s powerful left faction is pressuring Mr Shorten to soften his stance on national security and end the controversial turnback policy that stopped illegal boat arrivals.

Pressure is mounting on the Opposition Leader to take a stand on key issues after focus groups described him as “wishy-washy” and “weak”.

Former NSW Labor treasurer Michael Costa last night said Mr Shorten had taken Labor too far to the left...: “He’s moved the party too far to the left. There’s no point pandering to the Greens. They should bite the bullet and not do preference deals with the Greens.’’

Here is a truth that will soon become received wisdom: Shorten should have taken on the Left when Labor was ahead in the polls and he still had some authority. He should have changed his party’s suicidal policies then on global warming, boats and spending.

But he chose instead to wait as Abbott floundered, hoping to profit from the Liberals’ mistakes rather than his own virtues.

Now that Abbott has reformed and recovered it is too late. Shorten has no popularity and little authority left to risk on starting a brawl with Labor’s Left.

Global warming today is for Labor what the socialist objective was last century. A holy grail for the faithful, and- increasingly - anathema for everyone else. Ridding Labor of this toxic faith, a reason-killer, will take years.

Shorten’s press conferences have become increasingly shambolic, with journalists growing frustrated at not getting straight answers - or clear policies. Shorten seems to feel stressed, increasingly rocking and weaving as he answers.

Wednesday’s press conference on the Rohingya boat people was not good:

JOURNALIST: So will Labor then be happy to adopt this [Abbott Government] policy? ... In regards to turning boats around as I was asking you.

SHORTEN: Well no, we were talking about the inter-communal violence, and we see the deplorable situation and the treatment of Rohingya minorities. Those issues are deep-seated. In terms of Australia’s approach in terms of asylum seekers, we fundamentally believe in a regional approach, we do support regional settlement.

JOURNALIST: So do you support turning boats around?

SHORTEN: Well Labor’s the one who’s put regional settlement on the map in terms of a policy. Our approach is defined by, we want to see refugees treated well, we want to make sure that people aren’t drowning at sea and we also want to make sure that Australia’s immigration policies are respected....

JOURNALIST: I’ve asked you several questions about Labor’s policy on turning around boats and you’ve dodged around it the whole time. Does Labor actually have a policy on this?

SHORTEN: Well you’ve asked several questions to do with the refugee crisis, and you’ve said well what would we do, and we’ve said back every time to your question is the Government should talk to us about what they have in mind to help this latest refugee tragedy of the Rohingya people. These conflicts go back a long time, I’m not blaming the Government for these conflicts....

JOURNALIST: And where does it stand on turning around boats?

SHORTEN: Well first of all, we need to see what the policies are in terms of how they’ve been working, in terms of regional approaches and attitudes to this. We are the ones who pioneered having regional resettlement but again, what I would say to the Government is sit down and talk to us about this latest refugee crisis and tragedy. Are there any other questions?

[icyfroth]

“I’m not available. We have a leader. The leader is Bill Shorten and he will lead us to the next election.”

We've heard that one from the Labor party before, haven't we? Same line, different name.

[idlewhile]

I hope Labor is stuck with him, he's a fake masquerading as a human, can't cut through and his horrible history is a dead albatross around his neck. I Believe (sic) he's doomed, dead man walking.

It will be interesting to see Labor tear itself apart again.

[ladydeburg]

---

@icyfroth wrote:

“I’m not available. We have a leader. The leader is Bill Shorten and he will lead us to the next election.”

We've heard that one from the Labor party before, haven't we? Same line, different name.

---

I wonder if that strange looking ridge the back of Bill jackets is a knife proof vest?.

Will they get rid of him? I think they'll have to in the end after he loses the next election, they won't be game to change another leader even if he is only in opposition, they don't want to be seen indulging in that type of thing again.

But............being the Labor party and the factions anything could happen just like before and Plibersek is gagging  salivating for it I believe.

[icyfroth]

---

@ladydeburg wrote:

---

@icyfroth wrote:

“I’m not available. We have a leader. The leader is Bill Shorten and he will lead us to the next election.”

We've heard that one from the Labor party before, haven't we? Same line, different name.

---

I wonder if that strange looking ridge the back of Bill jackets is a knife proof vest?.

Will they get rid of him? I think they'll have to in the end after he loses the next election, they won't be game to change another leader even if he is only in opposition, they don't want to be seen indulging in that type of thing again.

But............being the Labor party and the factions anything could happen just like before and Plibersek is gagging  salivating for it I believe.

---

Well Ms Plibersek has in her favour with a certain sector that she's woman. It got Ms Gillard in for no other reason.

[ladydeburg]

Could you imagine it? it really doesn't bear thinking about, not after the utter catstrophe of Ms Gillard and Plibersek was at her side all the way.

Gender politics at its worst with Labor.