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...

[debra9275]

he said it to the press here didn't he?

I'm not aware of any other leaders threatening to shirtfront the US president, the russian president . the indonesian president etc. etc,

it's called lack of diplomacy

& is probably not an ideal way to get any answers or co operation from someone

[Anonymous]

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@debra9275 wrote:

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

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from one of your links:

Tony Abbott’s threat to “shirtfront” Vladimir Putin has been labelled as “immature” by a Russian embassy official, who pointed out while Abbott may be a fit cyclist, the Russian president was a judo champion.

lol obviously they thought it was

immature and took it as a stupid joke

rather than believing he would actually

do it.  give the russians a little credit

[debra9275]

now that's diplomacy 

[icyfroth]

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@*julia*2010 wrote:

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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.

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I had to look up Pravda, here's what google says:

"Pravda is a Russian political newspaper associated with the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. The newspaper began publication in 1912 and ...https://www.google.com.au/#q=pravda

[debra9275]

hello Icy

I guess that's one of their papers but not one that I quoted io  my post.

nothing to do with me, sorry

[debra9275]

just a funny thought, I wonder if the Russians view the Australian newspaper in the same way 

[icyfroth]

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@debra9275 wrote:

hello Icy

I guess that's one of their papers but not one that I quoted io  my post.

nothing to do with me, sorry

---

That's ok Deb, no need to apologise,  my reply was for general information, not directed at you or anyone in particular.

I just got an email to say our Brisbane office will be closed for the G20 meeting tomorrow, the entire city and Southbank are in shutdown.

[azureline**]

Yes, public holiday for that area tomorrow. It's not really shut down though, we can still go to Southbank and the city, food places etc will be open.

[cherry*135]

When it would have been better to say nothing

Abbott said on 13 October: “Look, I’m going to shirtfront Mr Putin – you bet you are, you bet I am. I’m going to be saying to Mr Putin: Australians were murdered and they were murdered by Russian-backed rebels using Russian supplied equipment.”

A Prime Minister should know better than to make comments like that.

[cherry*135]

icy: I just got an email to say our Brisbane office will be closed for the G20 meeting tomorrow, the entire city and Southbank are in shutdown.

No, they aren't.

Brisbane – open for business

Friday November 14 is a public holiday for the Brisbane Local Government area. The holiday is based on a
person’s place of work, rather than their place of residence, similar to the Exhibition public holiday. For a map of
the Brisbane City Council area go to http://www.ecq.qld.gov.au

People are encouraged to go about their usual business during the long weekend of the Leaders’ Summit,
although you may have to go about your business in a different way.

Businesses in South Bank and the CBD such as shopping precincts, entertainment venues, restaurants and licensed
premises will still be open for business.

QPS