I Love Julia

The quality of political debate in Australia is as good as the air quality in Bangkok, so I take my hat off to the federal opposition spokesman on communications, Malcolm Turnbull for his strong criticism of Parliament's question time. Apparently, Opposition leader, Tony Abbott, saw Turnbull's speech before it was delivered in Perth during the week, and approved it. A remarkable situation, given the fact that Abbott himself has been the prime mover in this deterioration, the major agent for the rot that has undoubtedly set in. Although he almost certainly blames everyone else, Abbott leads the Opposition and he is, without equivocation, the most negative and annoying Opposition leader in my lifetime.

And yet, sadly, there are those who like Tony Abbott and want him to be the next prime Minister of Australia. God forbid! The world has not ended with the introduction of either the mining tax or the carbon tax. Public opinion is turning on those issues, with polls indicating people feel that the forecast catastrophic impacts of these taxes has not, and probably will not, eventuate. The Government has adopted the Coalition's asylum seeker policy and the popularity numbers for the the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and the wannabe PM, Tony Abbott, are moving, albeit very slowly, in the right direction for the former, and the wrong direction for the latter.


I don't really know why people dislike, Julia Gillard. She rubs some people the wrong way: they don't like her voice, the fact that she doesn't have children, they don't trust her because she said no carbon tax, and then introduced one, they feel she stabbed her predecessor in the back in a cowardly coup, and the list goes on.

Although I don't actually love Julia Gillard, I do like her. I like the sound of her voice and I like the way she does business. I like the fact that she is leading an efficient reformist government who makes unpopular decisions because they believe they are acting in the best interests of Australia. If I sound like a Labour man, that's because I am.

Taxing my Patience

Not too long ago, the majority of people, according to the ubiquitous and irritating polls, accepted climate change (formerly known as global warming which is a discredited term), and the need to do something about it.

Now that the government has released the details of its temporary carbon tax, and may I emphasize the word temporary because it is a precursor to a market based emissions trading scheme, nobody wants to pay for it.

For those of us in the minority who will not receive compensation, the imposition will be around $400 per annum. I will have to sell my car to pay for that, won't I?

The rubbish and lies being flung about the place these days are driving me insane. Don't get me started. I just want to say three quick things.

First, I am a climate change skeptic but I am not against reducing pollution. Asking ridiculous questions about the exact temperature drop which will result from the carbon tax in forty years time is not helpful to the discussion. Nor are tongue in cheek references to taxing volcanoes. Second, Australia is not going out on its own with a carbon tax. That is wrong. Other countries have had carbon taxes for years. Third, Julia Gillard lied about the carbon tax. Big deal! Politicans lie frequently. Either directly or by diversion, obsfucation or omission. Sometimes they just change their minds. God forbid. Twenty odd years ago, I didn't want to ever own a house, nor did I want to finish high school. I didn't see value in those things at the time. Surprise, surprise, now I do.

Stop whining about the lie about the carbon tax. Stop whining about the tax. Stop whining Australia. Just lay back, close your eyes and I promise you won't feel a thing.