The ideal backbench MP
May 1st, 2012 at 10:00 am by David FarrarYou just have to watch this interview with Australian Labor Party MP Bill Shorten. The Guardian summarises:
Bill Shorten, the Australian workplace relations minister, was asked by Sky News Australia whether he felt the parliamentary speaker, Peter Slipper, should be allowed to go back to his job after being accused of sexual harassment and misuse of funds.
Aware Gillard was abroad, but unaware of what she’d said on the matter, Shorten replied: “I haven’t seen what she’s said, but let me say I support what it is she said.” Pressed by an astonished presenter to confirm he backed his boss even though he didn’t know what she’d said, he nodded: “I support what she said … My view is what the prime minister’s view is.” A new record in on-message obedience?
There’s a line between loyal and sycophancy, and that well and truly crosses it.
Hat Tip: Not PC
Tags: Australian Labor
May 1st, 2012 at 10:11 am
Yes because in so many other arenas of life, it’s good if underlings just say whatever pops into their heads, even if it’s the complete opposite of what the boss said is correct.
He’s simply observing the “Party” in “Australian Labor Party.”
Sorry, I just don’t see a problem here…?
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 10:17 am
Kind of Stalinist/Maoist in a sad way. You can see the collectivist mind set of the left at work here.
Vote:Dare say anything at odds with the leadership/party line it’s off to the gulag or re education.
May 1st, 2012 at 10:17 am
He’s a twat simple and true.
Firstly he is the workplaces minister I would have thought he would be briefed on most recent workplace issues?
Secondly, He was going on prime time TV and didn’t liase with His own Ministry & H/O media people?
Thirdly, He didn’t write the 10 most likely questions for himself with his personal staff ?
Worse still they didn’t send him said papers on knowing he was going on Prime TV?
What is his staff for anyway?
Vote:This is his portfolio isn’t it?
May 1st, 2012 at 10:35 am
Ah RRM, back at your very best. And if the Ginga Queen had said something stupid (yeah, I know, like thats going to happen, right?) he just sits there and nods, slavishly. Youre good with that. A derisive snort in your general direction.
Try this “I dont know what she said, so I cant comment”
Gee, not that hard really. MP’s are paid by us to be thinkers and leaders, not sheep. But then this loon is Australian and left, quite why we expect better is beyond me.
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 10:37 am
Clarke & Dawe ?
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 10:38 am
lol, you just paraphrased what he actually did say.
Yes.
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 10:42 am
No, he agreed with what she said, despite not knowing what she said.
Do keep up, theres a good lad.
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 11:10 am
Zing – you really got me there, well done.
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 11:11 am
RRM are you a paid troll? How can you possibly not see a problem with what he said? If he doesn’t have to have a mind of his own to do his job then what are aussies paying him for? It’s more than just about the labor party. Now that he is in government, he is supposed to represent all australians, not just his party. He is the work place relations minister and yet has no opinion on the matter of the speaker allegedly sexually harrassing someone because he doesn’t know what his boss thinks about it? You see his loyalty to the Labor party as being his main priority?
You are a sociopath.
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 11:11 am
Yeah, I could hear John Clarke’s voice coming out of his mouth – sure it’s not a joke?
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 11:12 am
Fall on your sword they called.
Another MP said there was deep despair about Labor’s prospects at the next election after the Herald Sun/Galaxy poll showed the ALP on track for its worst primary vote since 1934.
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 11:20 am
Whats even funnier is that Gillard’s statement on this issue that she made in Indonesia that Shorten was slavishly agreeing with was within days of her return to Australia REVERSED. So which of Gillard’s positions was Shorten agreeing to? But to RRM – nothing to see here folks move along.
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 11:39 am
I suspect RRM will spin off in another direction entirely now. Tried pointing in the other direction, fail. But the irony of a left twazzock supporting ‘gee, what issue?’ stupidity statements, he supports total obedience, no matter what was said; delicious.
What a good little trooper you are RRM. For gods sake, dont think for yourself.
Zing
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Eerie similarities with John Banks and John Key.
Key: “I don’t know if Banks lied but he seems honest and that’s good enough for me.”
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Eerie similarities between ross69 and a desperate to sound relevant moron…
ross69: “Im going to make shit up and put quotes around it, then people will think Im clever”
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 12:45 pm
An example of the hive mentality of the left, unfortunately for the left their hives consist of large numbers of mindless drones.
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 12:47 pm
http://www.cabinetmanual.cabinetoffice.govt.nz/2.50
I suggest anyone backing Banks needs to acquaint themselves with the Cabinet Manual. It speaks of Ministers upholding the “highest ethical standards”.
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 12:49 pm
Shortass will have tomake up his mind very soon as he is seen as the most probable sucessor to gaping Gillard.
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 12:49 pm
The hive mentality exists on both sides of the spectrum. Thankfully there are some of us in the centre that look just at issues.
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 1:10 pm
Paulus
“…Shortass will have tomake up his mind very soon as he is seen as the most probable sucessor to gaping Gillard…”
It won’t happen as his mother inlaw is the current Governor General.
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Ah come on woss69, is that it, hell even I can walk through that argument…
Was he a minister at the time? (take your time on this one…those of you at home, go make tea…)
If he has broken the law, by all means, nail the bastard up – but how is it that when a righty comes under police scrutiny, he has to step down, or the sky will fall, whereas if the person concerned is left, we have to hold judgment until hell freezes over?
Please explain
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 1:22 pm
hmm
Your memory is not the best. What happened to Darren Hughes while police investigated him? He was stood down.
And what did then Opposition leader John Key say after Owen Glenn said he donated money to Winston. “Mr Peters will be unacceptable as a Minister in a government led by me unless he can provide a credible explanation.” Hmmm, see any hypocrisy there?
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 1:27 pm
Youre kidding, right? Comparing the current Banks saga with the exercise ball shenanigans? Firstly, Hughes was stood down weeks – not days, weeks – after Goofy found out. Covered up. And the complaint was around sexual assault.
Oh, and Winston – despite holding his No sign up, guilty as sin, we all know this – as a Minister.
See the difference here by any chance? Hows that long bow going?
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 3:21 pm
> Hughes was stood down weeks – not days, weeks – after Goofy found out.
Oh so we can expect Banks to be stood down…eventually. We’ll wait a few weeks and so how that goes. Oh and Hughes resigned from Parliament despite no charges being laid.
As a Minister, Banks is saying No. He’s certainly fooled you.
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 3:30 pm
Hmmm
Do you suppose voters vote along party lines, or for individual MPs?
nzd.gbp
You seem quite bitter about this. Are you an ex-MP?
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 3:56 pm
ross, are you simply stupid, or obfuscating furiously?
Banks has fooled no one – there are allegations, nothing more. I allege you are a simpleton. Going to stand down from your role cleaning toilets? Do they relate to his current role? No. If the allegations related to his current role, would the answer be different, probably, yes. You are blinded by your ideology, casting all things black on your say so, be they white or any other colour.
Hughes resigned because he had no other choice. And again, IF Banks has broken the law, by all means, hang him from the highest yardarm. Don’t care if he is blue, red, pink or green, he isn’t above the law.
But by all means show me where you called for Hughes to stand down, just so I know you’re consistent. You are consistent, right?
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 8:51 pm
“Sexual abuse is very very very serious…..on the other hand…..I don’t know what my boss thinks about it…..I can’t say because I may get it wrong according to the party line…..and it may adversely affect my career prospects within the glorious Labor party…”
RRM – “I don’t see a problem with that”
Vote:May 1st, 2012 at 11:49 pm
Still got nothing on John Key “advising himself” over the sky city deal!
Vote:May 2nd, 2012 at 12:03 am
I think you guys aren’t Macchiavellian enough. Remember that Shorten is in the running if Gillard falls. This was actually a very well crafted message.
What he said, if you’re reading between the lines, was ‘I’m loyal to my leader. She probably said something stupid, but I’m surely not going to contradict her. So whatever she said, I support because she’s my leader. But I’m not going to waste my time attempting to argue why it’s right or not, because you’ll quote that back at me when she either flip flops, or I stick the knife in her back. So you’ll have to be satisfied with me saying that it’s my leader’s position, and until I stick the knife in her, I support it.”
I actually think this was very astute. Some other Ministers supported her actual words, and even worse tried to defend it. And then were left looking stupid when she did an about face.
I wouldn’t misread this as sycophancy.
Vote:May 2nd, 2012 at 2:43 am
Wow PaulL, being machiavellian is now a good thing? God help us if this is what we admire in our politicians.
Vote:May 2nd, 2012 at 9:15 pm
Heh. Not as such, not a big Labour supporter. But the people who think Shorten is an idiot are misreading this.
Vote: