Last week saw another example why Australians must never, ever, consider delivering Government to Tony Abbott, writes senior correspondent Barry Everingham.
IF EVER THERE WAS an example of just why Australians must never, under circumstances, even in their wildest dreams, consider handing government to Tony Abbott and his team, it was evident last Thursday.
Our Prime Minister was at her eloquent best in the Great Hall of the Parliament when she delivered a heartfelt apology to those women and children caught in the maelstrom of forced adoptions.
It was an amazing speech, which will surely go down in the annals of great orations delivered by Australian politicians — Keating’s two triumphs , one at Redfern Park, the other at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Rudd’s Stolen Generation epic.
It must never be forgotten that two of Abbott’s key supporters, Sophie Mirabella and Peter Dutton walked out of the Parliament just as Rudd was starting his speech.
Gillard’s was so remarkable, it is hard to know where to start — so let’s look at the obvious place.
Ms Gillard is a single unmarried and childless woman who, as far as we know, has never given birth — which made her contribution last Thursday so poignant and sincere.
Her words were incapable of causing offence — her speech advisors had obviously read the Senate Report on the matter very thoroughly.
Abbott’s did not..
He was jeered when he dropped his bombshell by referring to “birth mothers” – a description which was denigrated in the Report – and his supporters in the audience of the Great Hall decried the jeerers as a rent-a-crowd.
Just what kind of people were they.
They has continually heaped criticism and filth on our Prime Minister ever since she legally formed her Government – support from some Independents and a Green who gave her the necessary numbers.
The legitimacy of her Government is beyond question, just as if Abbott had gained their support his Government would have been.
He forgets and those behind forget his famous throwaway line to Tony Windsor that he would consider selling his "arse" to get the numbers.
Even the egregious racist Andrew Bolt on Channel 10 this Sunday gave Abbott a task — show us your policies and costings.
Many words have been written about Gillard and her speech, and Abbott and a Government he would lead.
London’s The Guardian has a piece written by one of our most distinguished journalists, Paola Totaro* showing what a lucky and prosperous country we have; a piece which has attracted thousands of tweets.
Read it — and ask yourself if Abbott could deliver such approval in Government.
We don't know, because he can’t or won't tell us what he will do if elected; maybe that's because Cardinal Pell hasn’t yet finished the Abbott manifesto.
* Disclaimer - Paola Totaro is a former daughter-in-law of the author and Ms Totaro’s daughter is his granddaughter.
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