Abbott Could Push Australia to the Right (Abbott defeats Australia's version of RINOs)

The Wall Street Journal ^ | December 1, 2009 | Iain McDonald

[St. Louis Conservative]

Australia's new opposition leader, Tony Abbott, brings a history of social and economic conservatism to the job that could drag Australia's political system to the right if he is able to consolidate his power base.

After defeating former Liberal Party leader Malcolm Turnbull by the slimmest of margins -- 42 votes to 41 -- in a vote held Tuesday morning, Mr. Abott is set to quickly undo some of the main opposition party's more centrist policy positions.

He has committed the opposition to deferring or voting against a high-profile plan proposed by the Australian government to curb the country's greenhouse gas emissions. He has also reiterated his support for freer labor markets—a position that many analysts believe led voters to vote the Liberal Party out of government in favor of the Australian Labor party's Kevin Rudd at the last election in 2007.

Mr. Abbott in some ways is in an unenviable position. He'll first need to unify a deeply-divided opposition before facing one of Australia's most popular prime ministers ever in the next election, which Mr. Rudd could call soon if Mr. Abbott is successful in defeating the government's carbon plan. Mr. Abbott faces his first electoral test this weekend with by-elections to be held in two seats to replace former Liberal Leader Brendan Nelson and former Treasurer Peter Costello -- both of whom have left Parliament.

He could be helped by his 15 years of experience in Parliament, including a previous stint as the government's leader in the House of Representatives, allowing him to fully develop his political skills. But the 52-year-old has often courted controversy with his conservative views and blunt talk on issues ranging from same-sex marriage to stem-cell research, and sought Tuesday to make a fresh start.

[coydog]

We have troll sign!

[stormer]

[Hiddigeigei]

Don’t take that ill. I think it was a proposition.

[cavador]

If you don't know anything about Australian Politics then you had best shut your cakehole. Most Americans I know are totally opposed to an enviromental trading scheme which is a sly tax grab and does NOTHING in aiding the enviroment.What Tony Abbot has done is stop the opposition leader(Turnbull) from passing this attrocity unapposed in Canberra.
Turbull sold out his party who where opposed to the E.T.S. in the first place on the grounds that the legislation hadn't even been read out in parliament.None of the polititions even under stood what it was even about.The document was originally 300 pages and been compressed to 15 pages by the Prime Minister,Kevin Rudd in an attempt to rush it through the house by the end of November in order to give Rudd power to also pass the bill in Copenhagen.
Our new opposition leader Tony Abbot won his position on the party 42 votes to 41 votes.
In my opinion Tony Abbot done the right thing. The real problem with Global change(see,I am not a denier) is world wide deforestation. Instead of a tax that will affect low income earners,the governments in this world should be doing is planting more trees to suck up the CO2 because that is what is affecting us globally.Start with =deforestation in australia. Yes you can google this!
Heres another site=<"http://www.actnow.com.au/Issues/Deforestation.aspx">

[Cobra64]

[dumpthelibs]

I think this is the same ass**** who responded to a comment string on abortion to another story. Sounds like a loser.

[steelyourfaith]

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !