Such compassion, such understanding from the man who leads this country – Image courtesy of The Guardian
Just when you thought Tony Abbott couldn’t sink any lower in public estimation he just goes ahead and dives face first into public disgrace.
Mr Abbott, presumably not realizing he was on camera, winked at Jon Faine, the host of 774 ABC, during a live phone call, when a pensioner called Gloria mentions she needed to work on an adult sex line to make ends meet in the current economic climate. Her statement regarding her serious health concerns [2 of which are life threatening] and her question to Mr Abbot about what he suggested she cut out of her budget was met with a condescending:
I fully understand and sympathize …. [followed by a wink at the reporter]
This lack of regard, compassion and respect for a person who was clearly desperately trying to convey just how difficult life was for many of those who live close to the line is another example of his lack of understanding of the reality of most peoples lives. This is the man who gave us the worst budget in Australian history, is making us a laughing stock on the world environmental stage and is piece by piece dismantling years of social policy. We cannot let things continue, follow this link to the Contact the Australian PM page or go to his Twitter site and register your opinion of his actions towards not only this woman but countless others in this country.
Unload and Unwind 
Ye gods, he’s a repugnant little twat, isn’t he, Jenni? Dreadful. xxx
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Oh yeah, he invokes the gag reflex simply by walking into a room. That poor woman and all he could think was that it was funny she worked in phone sex. Pig!!
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All that needs to happen now, is to find a tape of him on a sex chat line.
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Oh that is just the most perfect and yet disturbing idea I’ve heard of. 😀
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What politician like this (especially the holier than thou sort) absolutely cannot stand is ridicule. Especially if they really do have feet of clay.
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Feet of clay or not the man is standing on quicksand and I really don’t think he has a clue just how pissed off the populace really is. As for the holier than though check out my piece of Australia? Not for much longer where I end it by using the clip of the song Dance A Little Side-step by the corrupt Texan governor in The Best Little Whorehouse is Texas from the 70’s – it’s a hoot and it’s Abbott to a T.
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ok will do.
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Republicans and conservatives are all the same.. They have the mentality of “Pull yourselves up by your own boot straps..” Non-caring me me me souls…
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He’s the first conservative politician I’ve come across that actually makes me feel genuinely ill.
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You didn’t know George Bush….
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True but when Abbot was first elected they compared him to Bush in the US papers NOW they’re saying that it was unfair to Bush – yep all true, he makes us soooo proud!!!
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Bush was a moron who was a dry drunk. Of all the Presidents in this country I truly couldn’t stand him the most.
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He makes me feel genuinely ill as well. I can’t bear to look at him – leave the room when he appears on telly.Bush was an embarrassing fool, but Abbott is worse – he’s a sly, devious, amoral megalomaniac.
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PS He’d also nauseatingly smug and downright creepy.
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😀
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True words – sadly.
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I love that line: should we all die and get out of your way. Ha! Yes, Mr Abbott seems to be blind to the hatred he is evoking.
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As strange as this may sound I really believe he has no idea of the genuine level of contempt most in this country hold him in and that includes long time conservative voters.
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This guy would fit right in with the DC crowd
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A real charmer isn’t he [gag] Sorry about that, even typing that sarcastically made me a little sick.
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Lol
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Shame he does not have to suffer as the elder lady has to … they are so out of touch they may as well be of a different world!!
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He’s a true narcissist unable to put himself in the shoes of another and more to the point he doesn’t see why he should.
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Sounds just like politicians all over the world!
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It’s a shame really – there used to be a pride in serving the people and an understanding of the responsibilities that comes with that. Now we are so far from that that it is unlikely that the general public will ever again have any great faith in politicians even should changes occur.
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I’m adoring your blog Jenni. Your wit, insight and eloquence makes each and every post a must-read. I look forward to them whenever I have a chance to logon to wordpress. Wishing you all the best.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to give me your feedback. It is always good to hear that the work you put effort into is of interest or enjoyment to others. 🙂
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We all know these things can be rigged, but there’s a poll on ninemsn.com.au at the moment – ‘did you find the PM’s wink offensive?. The no’s are winning.
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I’m shocked – [see my shocked face] that ninemsn should be trying to support Abbott when nearly every other poll and rating I’ve read recently shows serious disgust with both he and his government.
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It’s not unequivical support, thank goodness – they’ve also posted a few blasts.
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What I find more disturbing is that he represents an obviously large voting constituency. I live in Holland and bumped into someone the other day who works as an expat near Perth. Having lived in Australia myself for a long time (and still thinking of it as a glorious country with incredibly friendly and hospitable people) I asked him what he thought of his stay there. He replied he had never met so many rednecks per square meter and that the poverty was mind numbing. Most disturbing he found, was the sheer intolerance to foreigners and the despicable treatment of ‘boat people’. It’s a shame the Abbott stance bleeds overseas like a poisonous ink stain. The man is a moron.
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He actually doesn’t really – he came to power in the wake of a political cat fight for leadership in the Labor party which left people disgusted. It’s not so much as he won as that Labor lost. However even now tradition conservative voters Australia wide are leaving the party in droves. He will be lucky to escape double dissolution of parliament which will force us back to the polls where he has no hope of winning. There are issues in Australia that I am not proud of but sadly those like Abbott have played up to that section of the population using fear mongering and outright lying to raise tension to boiling point. It’s a disgrace that we let him but he played on the fear of the unknown and to some the unknown is a very scary thing. You would think we would have passed this point by this time in human history but NO it seems we’re still mired by rhetoric induced paranoia amongst various groups in this country.
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You are a glimmer of light, Jenni. In view of the above perhaps Abbot’s idiocy is nothing more than the final spasms of a political career doomed an early expiration. On a more positive note: my mother (who lives in FNQ and is staunchly anti-Abbot) regularly passes on your message to all her facebook friends! Bless you.
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Thank you and thank your mother – it’s wonderful to know that people find something of value in the pieces I write. I think it’s important not to be silent when we see things we feel are wrong.
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And let that be ‘Abbott’. 🙂
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The smirk following the wink was equally appalling.
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