“I would do anything for this job. The only thing I wouldn’t do is sell my arse — but I’d have to give serious thought to it.”
There are four reasons why I believe independent MP Tony Windsor was telling the truth about what Tony Abbott hinted at offering in return for Windsor supporting him as PM last year:
1. Abbott’s denial doesn’t sound very convincing:
“People who know me know that I don’t speak like that.
Sure, after the election I wanted to secure government because I wanted to save our country from what was already a bad government and I think that what we’ve seen since then vindicated my judgment.
I engaged in a negotiation . . . but I think that some of the people that I was negotiating with had already made up their minds.”
Hmm, that’s not actually a denial, Tony. “People who know you” weren’t there.
2. He’s a cyclist:
Tony Abbott offers the whole 'package'.
3. The people he hangs out with:
"I'm next."
4. He’s sold his arse before:
Pyne - "Best fifty bucks I ever spent" .. Abbott - "He's so short I don't even have to bend over."
.
Iain Hall's SANDPIT 
Well–Well! Abbott was Howard’s “altar boy”
ON second thoughts: I thought Abbott sold his arse to Alan Jones—–to horrible to imagine!
If only he’d made that offer to the Greens.
I don’t buy Tony Windsor’s story at all Ray, it strikes me as nothing more than an example of the unreliability of memory and the way that Windsor’s is likely to be confusing his impressions of Tony Abbott’s determination to convince Windsor to back the coalition with what Abbott may have said in passing or in jest.
That’s a diversion, Iain, and has nothing to do with this (rather funny) story. And your link doesn’t work – maybe The Australian had to pull that story?
Anyway, I tend to believe Windsor’s account of what Tony Abbott said. Come on, read Abbott’s so-called denial – you know as well as I do that he’s avoided saying straight out, “No, I didn’t say that.”
Ray
Do remember verbatim every conversation that you had a year ago?
Memory is notoriously unreliable and even when both parties have good reason to remember the events and an equal dedication to giving a true and honest recollection they will not tell the same verbatim description of what was said at a meeting a year in the past. memory just does not work like a VCR or any sort of recording device and when we try to recall something from our past we dredge up fragments of the event and then in the retelling we fill in the gaps, this comes not from a desire to deceive but the way that memory works and there is no need to suggest that either side of the story is consciously being deceptive here its just that they recall the events differently.
Iain, you protesteth too much. So has Abbott. If he doesn’t recall it then why wouldn’t he just say something like this?:
“Look, I don’t recall exactly every discussion I had with Tony Windsor but if I did say something in that vein it was obviously said in a light hearted manner. I’m not a rent boy for anyone.”
That’d be more honest, instead of covering up with the flimsy response he gave. Then it would no longer be news, I wouldn’t have posted about it and you wouldn’t be defending him against your better judgement. Gee, you conservatives are very precious about your Tony – maybe he does hire it out?
No Ray I think that its a non story to be honest and i tend to think that Tony may well have made a joke of that sort and instantly forgotten it given that he was undoubtedly more focused on the actual negotiations rather than the off handed banter and phatic conversation. I am not “defending him against my better judgement”I am defending him because this is a a triviality of no consequence.
The point of Windsor recalling the story was to demonstrate how he felt Abbott was just “too desperate” to be PM.
Btw, Iain, would it be “a triviality of no consequence” if Gillard had said it?
Ray I think that you use the word ‘recanting” in the wrong context here it means to withdraw or repudiate something that you have previously said.
Yes!! Fixed now, Iain. What about the question: “would it be ‘a triviality of no consequence’ if Gillard had said it?”
Yes actaully especially at this remove in time. In any case she obviously did sell her arse for the job!
but did you see Wilkie on the Insiders yesterday? When he berated Gillard for so easily giving in to the greens on the carbon tax? as i recall it his words were “Like the greens were nver going to back Tony Abbott” hmm do remember who else has been saying precisely that?
What is it with ‘straight’ men making jokes about guys sodomising each other? Obviously I move in very different circles.
“I actually gained a much higher personal regard for him during that period of a fortnight and I thought he was serious about some of the things that he was saying to us privately and publicly.” Tony Windsor
So which is it, Tony? Either TA can’t be trusted and yet you like him more for trying to be PM? Or you’re one of these people who likes to make jokes about men sodomising one another?
Either way, we need a total cleanout of all our politicains.
That’s my point, Iain – if Windsor had said Gillard offered to literally “sell her arse”, you’d have jumped in and been all over it. Yet because it’s Abbott, it’s “trivial and of no consequence”.
That said, I agree that Gillard sold out too easily to the Greens. And to Wilkie. How hypocritical is it of Wilkie to criticise her for doing that when he made it abundantly clear that NATIONAL pokies reform was absolutely a condition of his support .. and still is? And this from a bloke who polled how many votes? About 20,000 (or 20%) in an electorate way down in Hobart. Givemeabreak.
Luzu, I don’t think Windsor was joking about sodomy. He was just saying what happened. If your comment is also directed at me (I’m not sure if it is), then I’m just commenting on the news, not making it … or jokes. Although you gotta admit, it’s funny.
this article is offensive!
Well even if what is attributed to Abbott was a verbatim and verifiable quote what does it tell us ? That Tony Abbott was making a rather self effacing joke at his own expense that really had no bearing on the outcome of the negotiation.
To whom, brad? And why? Explain yourself.
Welcome to the Sandpit Brad,
I don’t agree with Ray’s line here either but one of the things I value in our democracy is free speech and having varied points of view freely presented. So this blog unlike so many others is not just a place where everyone walks in political lockstep for one side or the other.
Not agreeing with me is fine, Iain. But saying it’s “offensive” (as brad did) without saying to whom and why is just trolling.
Ray
what do you expect from a plumber?
Good drainage and taps that don’t leak. Know any?
Brad is a Plumber Ray 😉
Yeah, I got that, but is he any good at sewerage?
I don’t know, but this post’s a good example of it 😀
Who knows, but then he does seem good at chucking it about!
GD, you’d be singing a different tune if it had been Gillard, not Abbott.
Iain, I’m yet to meet a plumber who knows how to do anything but rough work. Even the ones who can lay and connect pipes correctly don’t seem to care how much damage they do to other parts of the building in doing it. They’re a nightmare.
Of course! and I agree with the 2nd part of your reply too 😦
Btw you guys have both misunderstood something. I was talking about sewerage, not sewage. You know, the pipes and stuff, not the shit that goes in it.
Pedant
I can’t help it. I was born that way.
And Windsor simply bought the biggest arse not the cheapest. And Gillard stabbed the arse in the back.
“In any event Ray this may prove to be far more important:”
If this is the one the Australian had to remove and then post an apology, then sucked in Iain……Boy conservative politics is desperate these days. Just jump on any lie, don’t think or check, it’s all okay as long as the party can benefit. It’s sick so I’m sticking my head out the window and yelling ‘I’m not taking it any more’!!!
That explains why the link didn’t work, Craigy. It looked pretty defamatory to me.
Tsk tsk, Iain. You should appologise to the PM for being so easly sucked in by poor News Ltd typists, we have warned you before.
Here it is Ray:
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/2011/08/29/is-anyone-at-news-monitoring-andrew-bolts-blog/
Craigy
Now I read the original Glen Milne piece that the quote is from and I really don’t see how it was at all defamatory, Likewise I think that Andrew Bolt has virtually gone on strike over his treatment by the editorial staff shows that he does have some principles. and if you think he will in any way be diminished by thsi incident then you are utterly wrong.
Iain, as the Australian has removed Milne’s article, acknowledged that it was untrue and apologised, I don’t think it’s a good look that your reproduction of the same words remains here … especially on my post. I won’t be so audacious as to edit your comment on your blog (even though I could) but … your call. I just want to remove myself from any association with it as the author of this post.
Your right Iain, he won’t be diminished, we all know he is a liar and will say anything to please his boss and sell a paper. and as for Milne, well…. cheers to him!
Craigy
Love him or hate him people specifically buy the paper or click onto his blog to see what he has to say , frankly he is such a “star” in the news Ltd universe that he has a far greater bargaining power than any other employee so I think you do him a grave disservice by suggesting that when Rupert says “Jump !” that he is just going to ask “how high”.
Now from the tone of his update to today’s cryptic post:
That is not the words of a beaten man 😉
Come on, Iain, this is what The Australian has published:
I think Bolt is going to follow suit by saying something like “I was taking advice from a trusted News Ltd journo who proved to be unreliable (and a f*cking prick!)”.
What about you?
What precisely do you think that I have to apologise for Ray?
All that I have done is cited a quote from the newspaper and said that I thought is was interesting, I think the whole issue is even more interesting now to be honest 😉
Your blog, your choice, Iain, but you’ve done the same thing as The Australian – i.e. you’ve published Milne’s article that they have since acknowledged was untrue (read defamatory) and removed. You know very well that repeating defamation makes you liable for it.
Ray
I have nothing to apologise for
But I have removed the comment form public view as a precaution.end of topic as far as I’m concerned.
I wasn’t saying you should apologise, Iain, because you were not the source of the article. But removing it is prudent.
Andrew Bolt is weighing up his principles, did not know he had principles, he does work for Murdoch, and they have no principles what so ever. The man should be sacked,
AH yes! As the old saying goes,a lawyer with a briefcase, is more dangerous then a 1000 men with guns—–amazing how all the wordsmiths with principles go to water——puddles of water everywhere at the Australian today. Bolt is finished, his non stop bile on Gillard on his blog-site, is also finished, as it should be, as is his stint on CH.10. Iain! I told you Bolt would more or less not last the distance He would have done well at News of the World. He goes on about free speech, will someone tell the media clown——–free speech with truth——-Shalom Richard Ryan.
Oh Richard, I think that you are going to be rather disappointed and I think that you will find Bolt et al back to kicking Julia’s arse tomorrow
Yes, as much as it disappoints me to say so, I think Iain is right, Richard, and – like a bad smell – Bolt will just not go away.
[…] AH yes! As the old saying goes,a lawyer with a briefcase, is more dangerous then a 1000 men with guns—–amazing how all the wordsmiths with principles go to water——puddles of water everywhere at the Australian today. Bolt is finished, his non stop bile on Gillard on his blog-site, is also finished, as it should be, as is his stint on CH.10. Iain! I told you Bolt would more or less not last the distance He would have done well at News of the World. He goes on about free speech, will someone tell the media clown——–free speech with truth——-Shalom Richard Ryan. […]