Bill Shorten

[Rorschach]

There will be no Carbon Tax under the government I lead... Right, now where have we heard that before.

But we will put a price on carbon... uh huh.

China is putting a tariff on our coal... why doesn't the government do something about it? But... I thought he wanted a carbon price?

No doubt there will be more Silly Billyness to come.

[mellie]

There will be no Carbon Tax under the government I lead... Right, now where have we heard that before.

But we will put a price on carbon... uh huh.

China is putting a tariff on our coal... why doesn't the government do something about it? But... I thought he wanted a carbon price?

No doubt there will be more Silly Billyness to come.

He is dealing with a pack of retard's re: LNP..if he makes himself look too smart he will be accused of wedge Politics-

Shorten look too smart?

Impossible.



The mans a dick.

[mantra]

Shorten isn't PM material, but then neither is Abbott. Choosing which one had the most intelligence, logic and commonsense would be difficult.

[Rorschach]

reality check...
One is a Rhodes Scholar the other a Union Hack mantra

[Rorschach]

Whereas I have facts to back me up you have only your own pathetic political and personal bias Sol-annoyed. You have no credibility.

[Rorschach]

Got nothin' eh?
That is a fairly good summary of Billy so far being the chief ALP weathervane.
I also posted facts in my original piece... you?

hey feel free to deny it...

[Rorschach]

Like I said.... nothin'

[Rorschach]

Written by an xALP staffer and apparently a Rudd fan...

Shorten can't land a punch on a stumbling opponent
By Kimberley Ramplin
Posted yesterday at 5:29pmMon 13 Oct 2014, 5:29pm

One year after Bill Shorten took over the Labor leadership, there is little consistency in the message from his team, and when they do spout the same line, it's drivel, writes Kimberley Ramplin.

Bill Shorten's first year as Leader of the Opposition has been a success, apparently. The polls have the ALP consistently ahead of the Government since Joe Hockey unleashed a raft of Budget measures so wholly unappealing to the electorate that there's something for everyone to hate.

But polls are about as useful a measure of Shorten's impact this year as the Wallabies' KPIs are to their recent on field performances. While Shorten is electable two goes away, can he really claim to have laid a glove on the Government?

If anything, the Coalition give themselves an uppercut almost daily, floating stupid ideas and surrounded by state Coalition governments mirroring the popularity of unlamented wall-to-wall Labor governments.

In an exclusive interview with Fairfax's Mark Kenny, Shorten won praise for the unity he has extracted from his parliamentary team over the past 12 months. But for the most part, this unity was delivered thanks to the rule changes Kevin Rudd ushered through in anticipation of the crushing loss Labor faced.

Shorten is basically 'Araldited' to squaring off against the Prime Minister at the dispatch box. No Labor leader has enjoyed the comfort Shorten has, knowing that it would be near impossible to roll them.

The other reform - allowing rank-and-file members (well, those who met financial and time requirements) to have a say in a leadership ballot - is a double-edged sword for Shorten, who didn't win the popular vote. Of course the parliamentary party is behind him. They're responsible for getting Bill over the line, and would look supremely stupid if they raised their hands within a year to admit a G.O.B-style huge mistake.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of Shorten's tenure to date is the absence of thoughtful analysis and policy positioning. My Facebook timeline is filled with MP 'friends' who love sharing an infographic or eight daily, all seemingly off their own bat. There is little consistency in messaging, and when they do spout the same line, as some did last week, it's drivel.

No, I'm not going to send in my suggestions about what the ALP should do about the cost of living. You're head of a political party. Lead. You come up with the ideas and offer them to the voters. And as with both major parties if you did they would be ignored...

It's also counter-intuitive to the strategy being used to clock Joe Hockey over the head. Soaring costs of living imply that something is wrong with the economy; that something must be done. Something-must-be-done-ism is the Government's schtick (unless that something relates to climate change).

Apparently we'll see the policy detail this year, but if Bill's best is the bastard child of 'Grocery Watch' as determined by six out of 10 people in a focus group, forget it.

This is a by-product of the unity so prized and praised. Caucus hums along to Shorten's tune, and it's either an instant no to Government policy or a mealy-mouthed yes.

Fremantle's Melissa Parke has spoken against the new orthodoxy, particularly on the odious national security legislation on which Shorten was quick to march in lock step with the Government. Now, all eyes are on He Who Would Have Been Opposition Leader, Anthony Albanese, his epiphany on national security following a drone strike on his inner-city Sydney electorate by Greens bearing pamphlets.

Parke and Albo aside, the dissenting opinion has all but disappeared from the public arena, which is not good for the party or its leader. There is nothing wrong with debate; a few rumblings about what the ALP stands for is not going to send the media or voters into a spin when village idiots like Jacqui Lambie and Cory Bernardi are there to do the job.

Albo's got everyone's knickers in a twist because it's the first time a shadow cabinet member has gone against the grain. Spare me. What's Shorten going to do? Sack him? Why bother. It not only runs contra to the unity narrative.

Albanese's playing a dangerous game of his own making. One of Albo's most endearing and useful qualities is authenticity. He failed to give voice to his misgivings when it mattered. Conviction politics works when you have a dose of backbone, not one you discover after the event.

Kimberley Ramplin is a freelance writer and strategic communications consultant. A former NSW ALP staffer, she is no longer affiliated with any political party. View her full profile here.

[Rorschach]

Looks like Little Bill has found an issue he and the ALP think will differentiate him favourably from Tony Abbott and the Coalition. GAY MARRIAGE.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten takes same-sex marriage stance to Australian Christian Lobby
Updated about an hour agoSat 25 Oct 2014, 4:21pm

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has reasserted his support for same-sex marriage in a speech to a Christian conference, taking aim at those who "insult and demonise people on the basis of who they love". Oh dear a rubbish argument.

Mr Shorten made the comments in a speech to the Australian Christian Lobby national conference in Canberra this morning.

"When I see people hiding behind the bible to insult and demonise people on the basis of who they love, I cannot stay silent. I do not agree," he said.

"When I hear that people allege that God tells them that marriage equality is the first step to polygamy and bigamy and bestiality, I cannot stay silent. I simply do not agree. The strawmen keep a coming...

"These prejudices do not reflect the Christian values that I believe in. I think they paint the accusers as people who would rather judge than understand." And Bill the failure to understand is all yours...

During a public question and answer session with Mr Shorten after his speech, the lobby's managing director, Tony Shelton, disputed the claim people have cited God when talking about the link between marriage equality and bestiality.

He said he had "certainly not heard people invoke God with regard to that". Because Billy Boy lies...

Mr Shorten, who voted in support of gay marriage in 2012 in Parliament, said he would continue to push for marriage equality in Australia, even though for many people of faith it is a vexed issue.

"How can compassion, charity, love, recognition and endorsement continue to be restricted to heterosexual Australia and the nuclear family?" he said. Another strawman...

"Whatever our views about marriage, and whatever our social views about how best to raise and educate children, I do believe that we currently have a law which discriminates against adult couples on the basis of who they love." Then Bill, you are an idiot.

[Jasonofabitch]

It's become apparent that ALP suffers weak Leadership, but a strong Party that tells the 'leader' what the score is.
Probably why ALP is growing in popularity at 'State' level.
NLP is strong at the Leadership, suffering weakness at Party and all the ranks below. Nobody knew who O'Farrell (NSW Premier) was or what he did, until he resigned for a bottle of wine - well that's all apparently
Abbott is more an 'Action Man' than the smarter but nerdy Howard. I'm surprised he hasn't got an 'action figure' toy of him in his budgie-smugglers out fighting fires, boxing and other amazing things he does. There's even a clip of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's TWO TRIBES of him going the Biff with Russia's Mr Macho (ras)Putin.

Shorten I dislike because he actually believes that people are convinced that he is always right. Watching him speak to Journalists on TV interviews, he talks as if he is trying a Jedi Mind Trick on the Journo and that he will be believed. Albanese doesn't look like anything better too. Of course Kate Ellis or Tanya Plibersk would suit the ALP Leadership in a more honourable role, but Gillard seems to have ruined that 'female leader' thing for them with her exploitation of all things 'sexism'.

So expect more 'tools' to appear for ALP Leadership while the NLP Leaders find that their boat is sinking beneath them or full of hopefull Pitcairn Islanders.
But hey - the USA Civil War was about Gay Yankees and Redneck Confederates. The Yankees now suddenly coming out of the closet these past 5 years with Gay Rights Movements across the USA.

Shorten will lose the next Election.