Say-nothing Bill Shorten doesn’t have the guts

[nero_bolt]

Say-nothing Bill Shorten doesn’t have the guts to stand up to Putin

CALL him Bill Shhh-orten. The Labor leader yesterday revealed his unusual method for dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the flight MH17 atrocity, which killed 38 Australians.

Mr Shorten’s gambit?

Absolute silence.

Asked at a Melbourne press conference what he would say to Mr Putin if he encountered the Russian leader at this weekend’s G20 summit in Brisbane, Mr Shorten replied: “Nothing.”

According to Mr Shorten, there is little point speaking to the Russian President.

Putin has massive popular support in his own country. He, I don’t think, frankly, cares about what Australia thinks,” Mr Shorten said.

A reporter then asked: “Just to clarify, you wouldn’t seek to talk to Mr Putin?”

“Not in the first instance,” Mr Shorten answered.

The Opposition Leader has previously supported the government’s strong stand over the MH17 disaster, even to the point of suggesting Mr Putin be banned from the G20 meeting.

“The seeking of justice, as the Prime Minister has indicated, cannot be shirked. So let me be very clear, I have the gravest reservations about welcoming to Australia anyone in the future who’s engaged in this act of terror,’’ Mr Shorten told parliament in August.

Mr Shorten’s vow of silence follows a meeting ­between Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Mr Putin during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation leaders’ summit in Beijing, where Mr Abbott told the Russian President that “MH17 was ­destroyed by a missile from a launcher that had come out of Russia, was fired from ­inside eastern Ukraine and then returned to Russia”.

According to a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister, Mr Abbott told Mr Putin Russia should follow the example set when the US paid compensation after it accidentally shot down an Iranian civilian aircraft in 1988.

“The Prime Minister observed that when the United States had inadvertently shot down a civilian aircraft it had duly apologised and made appropriate restitution,” Mr Abbott’s spokeswoman said.

“He commended the precedent to President Putin.”

In Canberra a Russian ­official rejected any allegation of responsibility for the MH17 crash: “If the Prime Minister has any clear evidence he should bring it to the table. We haven’t seen it.”

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/saynothing-bill-shorten-doesnt-have-the-guts-to-stand-up-t...

[azureline**]

Speaking about Australian domestic issues is quite different to confronting the leader of another country. That would be arrogant.

[raptor_rebooted]

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@debra9275 wrote:

ah well, that shows he has some backbone then as it's a policy/belief he's always held & it's in tune with the rest of the world

 As far as making comments about another world leader, he is not in a position to do that

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well, i'm glad he did anyway.

"The Russians support the separatists in the Ukraine. Separatists fired the missile which killed people," he told the ABC's Insiders program.

"Putin is not going to tell us the truth but Tony Abbott has to at least ask. But also I think we need to show leadership and be supporting European efforts for peace in eastern Ukraine.""I am hoping that Tony Abbott uses this opportunity with the Russians to get to the bottom of what's happened," the Opposition Leader said.

The Opposition Leader Mr Shorten this morning expressed his dismay at the news of the Russian leader’s attendance.

“How is it that the President of the Russian Federation Putin can thumb his nose at the rest of the world, go wherever he wants, without there being any repercussions or any cooperation with the independent investigation as to how this happened?”

Mr Shorten said there was plenty of evidence to indicate “indirect if not direct Russian involvement” in the incident which cost the lives of 38 Australians.

“It was an act of murder,” Mr Shorten said.

“I believe Putin knows more about what happened with MH17 than he’s let on.”

[gleee58]

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@kilroy_is_here wrote:
You can't have it both ways, he is either able to speak out as opposition leader or he's not , if is then he has a moral obligation to confront Putin on the issue of downing the jumbo .

But then this isn't about any of that shorten and the labor party are so **bleep** scared of being seen to agree with tony Abbott ,as they continually try and paint him as incompetent , but if they agree with him on anything then they will undermine that stance or make them selfs look incompetent . But the labor supporters on here are in the same boat their only respons has been to attack tony Abbott thus leaving them selfs no other option but to keep doing so ,

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You really haven't been taking much notice of what goes on in government, have you?

Shorten agrees with Abbott a lot, too much for many people's liking. He is not at all like Abbott was in opposition.

My question was about why the newspapers are constantly attacking Shorten for his stance when really they should be holding the government to account instead of the opposition.

Btw, nobody has to try to paint Abbott as being incompetent he does a perfectly good job of that by himself.

Btw 2,  If a poster criticises Abbott that does not by default make them a Labor supporter.

[debra9275]

“It was an act of murder,” Mr Shorten said.

“I believe Putin knows more about what happened with MH17 than he’s let on.”

well there you go he did say something about the situation

abbott also was right to say something or to 'pressure' putin about it, but the 'shirtfronting' comment was way out of line and may have possibly destroyed any co-operation from the Russians from the onset

[raptor_rebooted]

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@debra9275 wrote:

“It was an act of murder,” Mr Shorten said.

“I believe Putin knows more about what happened with MH17 than he’s let on.”

well there you go he did say something about the situation

abbott also was right to say something or to 'pressure' putin about it, but the 'shirtfronting' comment was way out of line and may have possibly destroyed any co-operation from the Russians from the onset

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the comment was bizarre (still cant believe some

ppl took it literally) but i am certain it hasn't

affected putin's willingness to cooperate re mh17

based on his attitude to this tragedy from the start.

[debra9275]

well, the russians obviously took it literally, there are plenty of articles on the net for you to google ( russian reponse to shirtfront)

it was a stupid thing for him to say and made him look pathetic

[debra9275]

maybe he meant to say 'confront" instead of  'shirtfront" 

that would've been a better choice of words

[raptor_rebooted]

well, the russians obviously took it literally, there are plenty of articles on the net for you to google ( russian reponse to shirtfront)

let me guess.....you read it on pravda?

[raptor_rebooted]

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@debra9275 wrote:

maybe he meant to say 'confront" instead of  'shirtfront" 

that would've been a better choice of words

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i'm pretty sure that has already been

clarified.  by "shirtfront" he meant "challenge"

remind me, where was he and who was he

talking to when he said that? 

not that it makes a big difference, i realise that,

he is supposed to the the PM after all but a little

context always helps.

[debra9275]

no I didn't

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/russian-official-mocks-tony-abbott-after-threa...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-15/moscow-responds-to-abbott-shirtfront-comment/5814258

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-14/abbotts-shirtfront-threat-unusual-russian-diplomat-says/581309...

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/14/tony-abbotts-threat-to-shirtfront-putin-immature-russia...

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/latest/shirtfront-comment-angers-russian-paper/story-e6frg9...

but I did read that pravda article when someone posted it on CS

here are a few examples, plenty more articles on the net