Larvatus Prodeo in exile

December 6, 2007

Open Coalition frontbench thread

Filed under: politics — mbahnisch @ 12:47 pm

Brendan Nelson has announced his frontbench, so discuss away if there’s any interest in so doing…

Elsewhere: Reaction at Blogocracy.

22 Comments

  1. The former immigration minister Kevin Andrews is not on the front bench but Dr Nelson said he had “an enormous amount of wisdom” and would lead a team advising him on Federation and constitutional reform, specifically how to get the three tiers of government to work effectively.

    Translation: Even we realise Kevin Andrews a grade A, top choice, first class idiot with all the intelligence and charm of a sack of hammers, but we promised his mum we wouldn’t sh*tcan him, cause it makes him cry.

    Nice to see Bronwyn Bishop back in the fray too. I am puzzled that “people skills” Abbott hasn’t got the health portfolio any more. What happened to that grand plan he hastily cooked up for local councils running hospitals? Is it gone already?

    Comment by David Rubie — December 6, 2007 @ 1:00 pm

  2. Why on earth does an opposition need a special minister of state??

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/06/2111323.htm

    Comment by MsLaurie — December 6, 2007 @ 1:03 pm

  3. Yes, as Crikey says, restoring Bronwyn to the frontbench shows that Nelson has a sense of humour.

    Comment by mbahnisch — December 6, 2007 @ 1:23 pm

  4. Speaking of hospitals David, I see Brumby and Roxon are doing a bang-up job of ending the blame-game. The people of Phillip Island must be comforted.

    Comment by Waxeater — December 6, 2007 @ 1:31 pm

  5. Waxeater wrote:

    offtopic blather

    What’s that got to do with Nelson’s front bench?

    Comment by David Rubie — December 6, 2007 @ 1:46 pm

  6. Christoper Pyne on the outer? Ah, schadenfreude.

    Comment by rf — December 6, 2007 @ 1:46 pm

  7. Personally, why not just go with a duumvirate for the next 18 months? It’s not like anybody’s going to care…

    Comment by Robert Merkel — December 6, 2007 @ 4:00 pm

  8. a) Bronny? They’ve put Bronny back on the front bench?! A-hahahahahahahaha. Twelve more years! Twelve more years!
    b) based on prior experience, Special Ministers of State are there to provide jobs for special people like Peter Phelps.

    Comment by Guise — December 6, 2007 @ 4:01 pm

  9. “Yes, as Crikey says, restoring Bronwyn to the frontbench shows that Nelson has a sense of humour.”

    Tony Abbott is now responsible for Families, Community services and Indigenous Affairs. Again, indications of the funguy that Doc Nelson is.

    Comment by joe2 — December 6, 2007 @ 5:50 pm

  10. Off topic: But is it offensive that I like the layout of this site better than the layout of the correct site?

    Comment by Vee — December 6, 2007 @ 7:44 pm

  11. No, but it is off topic! ;)

    I wonder what Pyne did to deserve banishment. Not that I think he’s necessarily got a case for promotion to the shadow cabinet. Other than him, many of those who’ve been fastracked are Costello minions hitherto not known for very much else, which is kinda interesting.

    Comment by mbahnisch — December 6, 2007 @ 8:02 pm

  12. I saw Julie Bishop on Lateline tonight. I thought that now with the election over, Tony Jones will end his sport of tormenting (like wanton boys etc etc) Liberal Party front bench – I mean where is the sport in boxing with shadows (he he)? But Tony’s hate burns deep within his bosom. Alston may be gone but not forgotten. Always a pleasure, Tony.

    Comment by Sir Henry Casingbroke — December 6, 2007 @ 11:55 pm

  13. I couldn’t watch any more than about 40 seconds of Julie Bishop on Lateline. “Relentlessly on message” doesn’t quite convey the ice pick she seems to be concealing under the desk. I would note that Tony’s useless line of questioning on Peter Reith was a complete waste of time though. I mean, Peter who? That was, y’know, years ago.

    Comment by David Rubie — December 7, 2007 @ 12:09 am

  14. Yes, there was a nice potential for exposing conflict in the Libs’ line there, but you’re quite right about us needing a new phrase that surpasses “relentlessly on message” for Ms Bishop (junior – since Bronwyn is Back!)…

    Anyone figured out what Nelson’s message is yet?

    Comment by mbahnisch — December 7, 2007 @ 12:13 am

  15. Steady as she goes? ;)

    Comment by Futt Bucker — December 7, 2007 @ 2:41 am

  16. Down the plughole that is? ;)

    Comment by mbahnisch — December 7, 2007 @ 3:01 am

  17. Hmmm – “Psychotically on message” might be a better fit for Bishop the Younger. It’s a pity the other possessor of a “relentlessly on message” stare, young Christopher Pyne, didn’t get a guernsey. Maybe when they appear on camera together, lenses break.

    Comment by David Rubie — December 7, 2007 @ 7:25 am

  18. As remarked, Abbott in charge of Centrelink. Yuk!
    Look forward to relentless propagation of the idea that the welfare state must be destroyed, as promised by the Wollstonecraft Crone in his election campaign speech.
    It is very clear from Abbott’s appointment that the Opposition under Nelson, (guided behind-the-scenes by the unelected Wollstonecraft Crone aka JWH )is bent on taking strong and noisy exception to any amelioration of Welfare to Work or NT Intervention in regard to Aborigines.Will also make Tony appear even nastier to the electorate. Very nasty prediction- the Libs are going to make welfare a nasty political football in their determination to preserve part of the Crone’s legacy. Disturbing times ahead.
    And Chrissy Pyne on the bacbench.
    I think this Lib front bench might be about protecting Nelson’s back.And the Howard Legacy.
    Robb as Foreign Affairs Minister. Is this in the hope a potential challenger might be out of the country a lot, or don’t Shadow Foreign Affairs Ministers travel much? Very Menzies. He had a habit of making potential challengers Ministers for External Affairs.

    Comment by Paul Burns — December 7, 2007 @ 10:57 am

  19. Where is Petro? Heaps of experience, knows where the bodies are buried and where the numbers are. Is he going for the longest serving backbencher in history award?

    Comment by Peterc — December 9, 2007 @ 10:53 pm

  20. PeterC,
    As you’re probably aware when it came to the recent leadership ballot, Minchin, representing the Howardistas, stitched up a deal with the WA Cowboys that got Brendon and Julie B. over the line. Petro caused too much trouble for Howard over refugees and, I think a couple of other moderate issues to ever get a guernsey under Nelson. I suspect Turnbull might have looked upon him favourably.

    Comment by Paul Burns — December 10, 2007 @ 12:37 am

  21. After the High Farce of the Qld Liberals planning to “draw names out of a hat” – to find which 7 of their splendid 8, would vote for a Leader; or “toss a coin”, on Friday 7th Dec; it did occur to me that the Federal Liberal leadership ballot might perhaps be under a little cloudlet, since several seats weren’t yet decided on the day the Liberal parliamentarians conducted it.

    How do large parties do this? What are their rules? Do they rely on their own scrutineers’ reports? Do they just guess who’s been elected? And doesn’t the Senate count usually take several weeks?

    I wonder if Peter Costello was ashen-faced when he announced Dr Nelson’s victory, because he foresaw later complaints?

    cheerio

    Comment by Ambigulous — December 10, 2007 @ 11:28 am

  22. Mr Abbott Goes To Darwin

    His Leader said Tony’s new portfolio could be “the making of him”. Was that because Health was “the breaking of him”?

    Or is it because it puts him up against that nice Ms Jenny Macklin, with whom Tony formerly crossed swords over Health policy?

    ***************

    I get the impression that Petro Georgiou, Russell Broadbent et al, who took a stand against the Government’s refugee stance in mid-2006, are the kind of MP’s who place principle above preferment. I could be wrong.

    Russell Broadbent was re-elected in McMillan this time (rural/provincial Victoria, 120km east of Melb; Warragul to Moe, parts of Pakenham, South Gippsland where wind farms be, etc). MP’s for McMillan have rarely been re-elected in the last 20 years. One hesitates to utter “bellwether” since he is now in Opposition.

    His victory comments to the local press included highlighting a couple of “unpopular” stances he had taken [inc on refugees]. He said he thinks electors value oustspokenness.

    Comment by Ambigulous — December 10, 2007 @ 11:44 am


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