on 17-03-2014 12:46 PM
THE latest March in March rally is today in Canberra and not surprisingly some of the biggest names in federal politics are ignoring it.
Busy man that he is, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was not scheduled to address the rally in front of Parliament House and nor were any of his senior lieutenants.
Certainly Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his ministers have other things they want to do.
Deputy Greens Leader Adam Bandt was to address the protesters, a token presence of elected politics from the party now deemed most likely to lose an election.
It would be unfair to claim these rallies are pointless. But while the Sunday March in March gatherings in capital cities were said to have attracted more than 80,000 people, they were mass demonstrations looking for a purpose.
There were bits of anger over asylum seeker policy, over economic management, over workplace laws. In Sydney Billy Bragg turned up to sing about Gina Rinehart.
Meanwhile, Tony Abbott was relatively comfortable with other endorsements, such as the Liberals’ 55 per cent two-party preferred vote in South Australia and the Liberal victory in Tasmania, to counter suggestions his party is on the way out.
The only point of march cohesion appeared to be a concerted belief Mr Abbott should not be Prime Minister, which makes the rallies about seven months too late. They should have been out on the streets last September.
Or they should have postponed their action until next September.
It is difficult to argue that this Government should be attacked for what it has done over the past six months, because most of its energy has been aimed at undoing things put in place by former Labor governments.
It won’t be doing much in its own name until the May Budget and the arrival of the new Senate in July.
That’s when it might be appropriate for some to march.
It was probably just a practice run by the organisers to see how many ppl they could gee up.
on 17-03-2014 05:18 PM
on 17-03-2014 05:21 PM
on 17-03-2014 05:30 PM
on 17-03-2014 05:33 PM
So where's the politicians now, where are the letters of apology to PM Abbott, nowhere that's where.
Hypocrites much???Double standards much. Where's the censure of this union hack calling for the murder of Tony Joyce?
on 17-03-2014 05:33 PM
@icyfroth wrote:
@debra9275 wrote:
Yes, well it had nothing to do with the labor party or unions as those of us who actually went and saw with our own eyes that the vast majority of people were ordinary Australian families.
I'd proudly do it again next week 🙂
What's next, then?Escalation until we get the violent protests like in Kiev? Hundreds dead? Oust a legally elected government? Is that the road your'e willing to take? Are you willing to let yourselves be used in that way?
Because that's very much the way it can go.
Oust a legally elected govt is exactly what this government attempted to do for 3 years while in opposition.
They didn't care how much harm was done along the way.
on 17-03-2014 05:35 PM
He's worked for mordoch and alexander downer . and olsen and kerin.. lnp media deciever almost his entire career. spin doctor basically.
on 17-03-2014 05:39 PM
@silverfaun wrote:So where's the politicians now, where are the letters of apology to PM Abbott, nowhere that's where.
Hypocrites much???Double standards much. Where's the censure of this union hack calling for the murder of Tony Joyce?
Who's Tony Joyce?
Who do you think should be apologising to Abbott?
The people in wheelchairs that were there because they fear losing the NDIS before it gets a chance to help them?
The people with their children who wish to keep the school reforms as promised?
Those who want the choice to say no the CSG wells in their area?
Who is the "union hack" to which you refer and where is his speech?
on 17-03-2014 05:41 PM
@silverfaun wrote:So where's the politicians now, where are the letters of apology to PM Abbott, nowhere that's where.
Hypocrites much???Double standards much. Where's the censure of this union hack calling for the murder of Tony Joyce?
Could you please provide the information about any MP's who did similar to Tony Abbott, Julie Bishop and co when they attended the No Confidence rallies ?
on 17-03-2014 05:41 PM
the ndis is lost . only the trial areas will go ahead under the lnp.
on 17-03-2014 05:42 PM
Oust a legally elected govt is exactly what this government attempted to do for 3 years while in opposition.
They didn't care how much harm was done along the way.
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I don't rember them having violent street riots?