There has been a little side drama going on in Australian politics with Labor trying to seduce a little known Liberal backbencher into taking the deputy speaker’s job in the house. The price for that position seems to have been that the chap in question would not vote against Gillard on supply and confidence. Of course it would have been a terrible betrayal of those who had elected him and fortunately the leader of the opposition was able to convince him of the folly of taking the job under those terms. What is really amusing to me is the way that this is being depicted in the press.
The Australian gives us a rather even handed report.
Fairfax's Brisbane times goes with the very partisan headline claiming that Tony Abbott intimidated Alex Somalay
As does the SMH
The Age was a little more even handed in their headline , but I suspect that this is because they were just a little more intrested in the tied AFL Grand final because the story was tucked away in the National affairs section of their web page the copy of the piece was the same however.
The remit of any political leader is to lead so I see no reason at all to think that a leader pulling an errant member back into line when they are flirting with what can only be decribed as a substantial betrayal of the party to the forces of darkness, is anything other than a right and proper example of good shepherding of the party.
Joe Hockey was of course invoking the ghost of the much despised (by the Labor Party) Mal Coulston on the TV yesterday and that is in fact a very apt example of the boot being on the other foot because had the proposed deal stood it would have made the parliamentary task of the Gillard Government just a tad easier which is something no member of the coalition should even think of doing.
Gillard wanted to govern under the present paradigm (sorry 🙄 ) so instaed of whining about the fact that it will be tough having to govern with only a one seat majority she and her colleges should just knuckle down and keep the discipline that theses numbers require.
Cheers Comrades
PS did anyone notice that Gillard cursed the AFL grand final at the breakfast event yesterday by daring to suggest that any result would be fine as long as it wasn’t a draw???
So the Gods of inflated leather have taken revenge upon the faithful for this example political hubris in the most holy event on their liturgical calendar by delivering precisely what Gillard was in jest suggesting….
as the axiom says be careful what you wish for…
Iain Hall's SANDPIT 
Iain, for a moment I thought I was on Pure poison, what with the attack on the ‘intellctual dishonesty’ of the newspapers and all that. I don’t think either side can complain about media bias.
That is actually what I have been arguing over there Ray , that every paper has their bias and as long as you realise that then you won’t be disappoint by what you read no matter what media entity you are considering.
I also must ask just what you thought about Gillard putting the Mockers on the result.
She’s a good judge. I hope she had some money on it at 50/1.
“The Australian gives us a rather even handed report”
I am never disappointed with The Australian Iain.
Now just imagine for one moment if the footy score had been 72-72……
BTW I’m waiting for someone to say that St Kilda scored more goals so they should have won! No wait only delusional people use that argument.