Just how will Tony Abbott seek to capitalise on the latest refugee boat tragedy, wonders senior correspondent Barry Everingham.
The latest tragedy involving hapless asylum seekers invokes memories of the disgraceful “children overboard” lie perpetrated by John Howard.
And one has to wonder if his “political son”, the unelectable Tony Abbott, will be chaffing at the bit wondering how he can capitalise on this appalling incident.
It should never be forgotten that Abbott was a member of the Howard cabal who took us to the invasion of Iraq — which was based upon yet another Howard lie.
And while on a trip down memory lane, we must never forget that a lame duck ALP Opposition went along with Howard while the then Prime Minister scared our nation senseless after he himself fell apart in the United States on September 11.
Abbott’s opposition to everything the Government wants shows a juvenile dummy spitting side to his nature, which along with other foibles makes him totally unfit for high public office.
And under his leadership, his Party has become a right wing uncaring mishmash of miscreants, hell bent on aborting serious debate on major topics.
His intransigence as an example of the problem of asylum seekers – which has been caused by an unprecedented armada of boats full of hapless refugees from Iraq and Iran and other Middle Eastern countries – is a case in point.
Abbott won’t bend.
He wants them shunted off to the Pacific hell-hole of Nauru, while Gillard sees more merit in transferring them to Malaysia.
In the eyes of many people – including the Greens – neither country is acceptable.
If compassion was the yardstick, the people would be released into the community while their claims were considered and those found to be bona fide refugees – which in the majority of cases they are – would be granted visas. With compassion, wholesale deaths by drowning could be avoided.
Many people find Abbott’s professed “Christianity” – well, his version of it – is at odds with his erratic and out of control behaviour, again drawing questions about his fitness for public office.
His criticism of Gillard’s ministerial reshuffle was rich indeed — and even richer was his comment that his front bench was “magnificent”.
Sorry Tony, a Bench consisting of political detritus such as Bronwyn Bishop, Kevin Andrews, Phil Ruddock and the dreadful Sophie Mirabella, to name but a few, is not “magnificent”.
And Tony Windsor did the nation favour by reminding us that Abbott told him in the lead up to the formation of a minority Government he would “sell his arse to become Prime Minister”.
Says it all about Tony Abbott.
