Over the past few days we have been forced to endure Margaret “Margie” Abbott front up in front of anything that vaguely resembles a camera or microphone, telling her nice guy Tony story to anyone who will listen. Kind of like a Kathy Jackson on crack…
After his mate Alan Jones really helped Tony Abbott and his image with women this week, we haven’t seen an act of this level of desperation since Tony Abbott and Christopher Pyne tried to flee the parliament a few months back.
Still, we shouldn’t hold anything against Margaret Abbott, it must be hard to know that she is only worth a public showing in times of desperation. It must also be extremely tough to smile on camera while the whole country questions the relationship between your husband and his chief of staff, and the hold she has over Abbott.
The Tony I Knew….
However, whilst treating the public like idiots in such a transparent manner, there is something the Coalition have forgotten in all of this lunacy.
The issue is not are there women that support Tony Abbott? The issue is does Tony Abbott support women?
We have just been reminded that Tony has a wife and daughters, so proude is he, that we haven’t seen them since the last election campaign, but we will put that aside.
If Tony Abbott supports women, let’s see him support his sister for a good start. He tells us that family is important, let’s see him listen to his own advice.
Abbott’s sister, Christine Forster, an advocate for same sex marriage, was there for Abbott last week for the photo opportunities. But where was he when it came to voting on same sex marriage? Voting against his sister, that’s where, not only that, making sure those in his own party could not make up their own mind, by not allowing a conscience vote.
Abbott’s wife, told interviewers on Channel 9’s morning show that she was not a political person, in a blatant attempt to make her appearances seem as though they were not part of a Coalition spin cycle. She failed.
We really don’t need to know what type of woman supports Tony Abbott, we already have a pretty good idea. Every time we see Kelly O’Dwyer on Q&A we are reminded of what the Abbott cheers squad sounds like.
Then we look at the type of women that Abbott shows support for, the lone two females on his front bench. Julie Bishop, who is apparently only the part time deputy leader, if Abbott’s comments about his chief of staff Peta Credlin are to be believed.
The only other female member of Abbott’s front bench is Sophie Mirabella. Sophie is a real charmer, just ask the children of the late Colin Howard QC, they’ll be happy to tell you what a class act Sophie is, or you can judge for yourself by her performance on Q&A.
Sophie rushing to the aid of Simon Sheik when he faints on air…
If Abbott’s mates like Alan Jones, and his Liberal Party weren’t so happy to portray an aggressive attitude towards women, then maybe Margaret wouldn’t have to venture out of wherever Abbott has had her hiding since the campaign.
Posing under “Bob Browns Bitch” signs doesn’t look good at any time. Having Mirabella and Bronwyn Bishop there with you does not fix it either.
Class all the way
When the Liberal party comes out with terms like “handbag hitsquad” to describe female MP’s who know how to debate policy, don’t think that it ingratiates you with female voters. They are not idiots.
After the reporting of Abbott thumping the walls on either side of a womans head brought forward credible witnesses, the damage control was laughable.
Having frontbenchers coming out with the “Tony I Know” stories was quite lame, with the laughable incident turning rapidly into a Twitter piss take with the Tony I Know hashtag #TonyIKnow
Peta Credlin, the other deputy opposition leader…
Rumours that Peta Credlin had her own #TonyIBlow Twitter hashtag are unsubstantiated and are not supported by myself.
My advice to Tony is simple to get out of his pickle. Tony should leave the clutches of Catholicism and embrace Mormonism like Mitt Romney.
Maybe with 20 wives just like Margie, he’ll have a shot.
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WixxyLeaks 
Mr Rabbit’s slide in the polls basically began after revelations of his wall punching. The Libs’ usual response to such catastrophes is to find some reason to accuse Labor of wrongdoing, so they searched their feelings (hatred) and came up with the “handbad hitsquad” quip. Never mind the fact that it was David Marr who wrote about the wall punching incident, and had nothing to do with Labor’s female gang of four. They didn’t write the article, and they didn’t punch the wall.
The Libs’ response uses the same MO that Alan Jones has used by accusing his accusers of being cyberbullies for attacking his advertisers (which, incidentally, is succeeding grandly). But this tactic of turning defence into attack just doesn’t work anymore, besides which, the Libs are just not very good at it.
Kelly O’Dwyer was on Lateline a few days ago boasting that it was she who invented the phrase “handbag hitsquad.” Her performance was really poor, but O’Dwyer is just so stupid that she actually believed that her aggression worked positively for her right-wing cause. I think it’s what some would call “low emotional intelligence.”
The other issue that she had to address was the fact that Mr Rabbit appeared in front of those horrible signs and must have known about them. O’Dwyer’s excuse was that Mr Rabbit didn’t see them. “He doesn’t have eyes in the back of his head,” she said, but again, she is so stupid that she just doesn’t realize how lame her excuse sounded. Surely he saw them as he was walking onto that stage, and what about Mirabella and old lady Bishop? Is O’Dwyer suggesting they didn’t have eyes in the back of their heads too? We’re not stupid, but the Libs keep hoping that we are.
O’Dwyer’s performance was really, really lame. That’s why I say we need more of her on the telly. The more she opens her mouth, the more she brings Mr Rabbit down.
Nice post Wixxy. I have to agree. Mrs-Rabbits `cameo` appearances will only impress the rusted-on`s. Her `cameo` will also not undo Jones, Bolts and the other elements of the embedded-media`s vile speech/Lobbying that has been done on behalf of Mr-Rabbit.
*
But come-on, Mr-Rabbit and Mr-Poodle scarpering for the exit is a fine example of Mr-Rabbit tackling challenges head-on.
If I understood you correctly, you’ve made reference to a personal as opposed to professional relationship between Tony Abbott and his COS Peta Credlin. Please don’t. Unless laws are being broken, we need to concentrate on the political acts and discourse only.
You are absolutely correct, media on Mrs Abbott should remain the purview of magazine social pages, but it is unworthy of us to demean her for being supportive. Personal Tony may well be a good guy.
Political Tony, or for that matter political Julia, Christine, Rob et al deserve rigorous review. I, and many others, rely on you for this. Please don’t stray
Thanks for your feedback Jan.
I do think however that it is worth investigating the extent of the relationship with Credlin his COS. I think if Abbott chooses to bring his relationship with his wife into the political debate, then his strongly rumored affair with his COS is totally relevant, as it goes to the truth of his current campaigning
I agree completely, Wixxy.
There are things that the media just won’t publish – they want to keep them hidden.
i noticed that, too, and its the first i’ve heard of it. but it is mrs abbott who herself has introduced mr abbott’s personal integrity into the politics of the country, by entering the political arena & wielding it in ways intended to enhance mr abbott’s political career prospects.
if mrs abbott’s vaunted personal integrity of mr abbott is known, as alluded, to be in fact fundamentally lacking, then it is no longer a private matter & becomes fair political game, because it informs her personal political endorsement of him.
so if it isn’t happening it isn’t happening. but if it is happening, then it should be out because either: (1) mrs abbott doesn’t know about it & therefore is a poor judge of character, or (2) mrs abbott does know about it & is therefore colluding in political conspiracy.
the argument for a private family circumstances embargo is forfeit in the circumstances in my opinion – mrs abbott has made her personal political by appearing on the media circuit to talk up mr abbott as a perfect family guy.
believe me, i normally don’t expect to be even reliably informed of politicians personal lives, but, since mrs abbott has publicly vouched for mr abbott’s personal integrity in order to further his political career prospects, this would, if true, speak to mr abbott’s personal integrity, or lack of, and so should be known. -a.v.
typo :
The only other female member of Abbott’s front bench is Sophie Mirabella. Sophie is a real charmer, just ask the children of the late
John Howard — (???? not the name in the article link)–
QC, they’ll be happy to tell you what a class act Sophie is, or you can judge for yourself by her performance on Q&A.
Thanks for that… All fixed
The Libs have received a bounce in the polls over the weekend. The commercial media are attributing it to Margie Abbott, but I just don’t believe it. I am actually flummoxed by this new poll. Wixxy, I’d be interested in your take on this.
I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet, but it is rather odd given recent events. I will let you know my take when I’ve had a closer look
I don’t believe in opinion polls, they are part of the trouble with the polity of this country.
I found the body language in the appearance of Mr and Mrs Tony Abbott on morning telly to be disturbing.
They are both nervous – about what Margie might say. Tony is very uncomfortable with his wife talking. The pool scene with his daughters was wooden and creepy, as well as Margies comment that the girls are “in love” with their father. I guess the third daughter, the one not seen, is the one who once stated that Abbott is a “lame, gay churchy loser”.
Margie is also of course making no mention of the pressure Tony put her under to give up her job as a merchant banker to be a housewife. Running a child care centre must be so fulfilling for a woman of her earlier ambitions. It would make Tony happy though – keeping a woman in a womans job(letting her be successful – to a point) and reserving the ‘authority and command’ roles for men.
well stated, Matt. and thanks for the reminder of “lame, gay churchy loser”. pure gold. and the merchant banker stuff i hadn’t heard before is another log on the fire for me. wow. what a guy, eh? -a.v.
I know someone who is a close personal friend of Tony and Margie. I have to turn down invitations if I know he will be there. I would not be able to help myself from starting a scene. I would like to say more, but in truth I have already violated their trust. However, under the circumstances, I think it was worth mentioning.
That picture of Peta Credlin is CREEPY.
Reblogged this on THE UNFAIR FAX MACHINE and commented:
thanks