Boris Johnson says conservatism needs him – and Tony Abbott

Posted on 18 April, 2024 by C.L.

“That’s why Tony and I should be back in power asap. The world would be substantially improved.”

This entry was posted in Fake conservatism, History, Politics and governance. Bookmark the permalink.

30 Responses to Boris Johnson says conservatism needs him – and Tony Abbott

C.L. says:

18 April, 2024 at 5:44 pm

He was speaking at the Canada Strong and Free Network conference (CSFN24).

On stage: Tony Abbott on what it means to be a conservative.
Ed Case says:

18 April, 2024 at 6:24 pm

Even John Gorton lasted 3 monthys longer than Tony, and only lost by 1 vote.
And he was hopeless.
I think Tony has kidded himself about being a conservative.
Natasha Stott-Despoja, not bringing Bomber home from Washington, appointing Credlin as Grand Vizier, Knights ‘n Dames, Captain’s Calls, his sister, the daughters,the Speedos, his all female office, supporting Credlin’s IVF journey.
At least Brittany Higgins didn’t happen on his watch, there’s no knowing how he mighta reacted?
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare says:

18 April, 2024 at 6:43 pm

Look, I think it is important that we don’t all jump onto Tony and Boris for past sins, crimes and misdemeanours. The centre-right of politics needs all of the supporters we can get, and two politicians who now admit they would have done things differently is not a bad piece of media support to have. Boris is good at giving J K Rowling her due.
They can sway people out of the lethargy of acceptance; if Tony and Boris think things have gone too far, people will say, then they have. This is part of the change that we must encourage and lead on blogs and elsewhere.
Petros says:

18 April, 2024 at 7:17 pm

They’ve both let us down, Lizzie.
Buccaneer says:

18 April, 2024 at 8:08 pm

Abbott has a better excuse than Boris who had a thumping majority. Abbott only ever had a party room majority of 1 and that would have evaporated when the termite started termiting. It’s disappointing when pollies disappoint us, they all disappoint their supporters, I find it odd that lefty politicians seem to get more forgiveness from their supporters than conservatives…
C.L. says:

18 April, 2024 at 8:11 pm

Abbott is a better man all round than Johnson.
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare says:

18 April, 2024 at 9:05 pm

Boris was married to a woman who pushed him into more green madness.

That’s the trouble with some men. Led by something other than their brains.
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare says:

18 April, 2024 at 9:07 pm

Abbott is a decent man, no doubt about that. But he was timid in office.

As I said, I think both regret a lot of what they did and didn’t do.
NFA says:

18 April, 2024 at 9:37 pm

They could start by fixing things in Sweden, then I might listen to what Boris & Tony have to say,

Swedish MP who previously fought for open borders does a ‘spectacular u-turn’ and argues for deportations for migrants devouring her homeland
By Olivia Murray April 17, 2024
Jannie says:

18 April, 2024 at 9:46 pm

Abbott says all the nice things. But don’t mention the war.
Patt Mac says:

18 April, 2024 at 11:02 pm

CL, I agree with you that Tony Abbott is a far better man than Johnson.
Yes, it’s true Peta Credlin was a stern gatekeeper and somewhat dismissive of requests, but the knights and dames shot is a bit low. Abbott reacted to a wish from Queen Elizabeth re Phil the Greek, that’s common knowledge.

There’s nothing wrong with Speedos either.
Petros says:

19 April, 2024 at 3:59 am

Australia was a better place when we looked towards Britain. Now Aussies are trying to ape the Americans. I don’t begrudge the knighthoods move by Abbott.
Petros says:

19 April, 2024 at 5:46 am

There’s a Greek saying: many people hate money but nobody hates glory. Imperial honours were a way of providing that glory. Our Orders of Australia are a participation award that are increasingly risible.
Ed Case says:

19 April, 2024 at 6:48 am

Abbott has a better excuse than Boris who had a thumping majority. Abbott only ever had a party room majority of 1 and that would have evaporated when the termite started termiting.
Completely wrong.
Abbott won 60% of the Seats at the 2013 Election, same as Bob Hawke in 1983, so he had plenty of fat and goodwill on the backbench.
He destroyed it all in 2 years, that took some doing.
Buccaneer says:

19 April, 2024 at 7:23 am

Abbott still only had a party room majority of 1, the termite started leaking to the ABC immediately. It was pathetic.
shatterzzz says:

19 April, 2024 at 7:44 am

The centre-right of politics needs all of the supporters we can get, and two politicians who now admit they would have done things differently is not a bad piece of media support to have

All that’s happene dto these two (like lotza other has-been”pollies) is they’ve found a lucrative “pension’ top-up by “blowin’ with the wind” .. It’s not about conviction or change of heart it’s about “show me the money” waffling ………..!
Crossie says:

19 April, 2024 at 8:09 am

I’m more likely to give Abbott the benefit of the doubt, that he is sincere about what he preaches. Boris is simply suffering from relevance deprivation syndrome, he should never be allowed anywhere near the levers of power after what he did during the COVID era.
Nelson_Kidd-Players says:

19 April, 2024 at 8:35 am

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare says:
18 April, 2024 at 9:07 pm

Abbott is a decent man, no doubt about that. But he was timid in office.

He had both the WA senate re-vote and the Turnbull in the china shop to contend with but I wish he carried more of the crash-or-crash-through mentality into the lodge. It was working well while he operated that way.
Ed Case says:

19 April, 2024 at 8:42 am

Abbott still only had a party room majority of 1, the termite started leaking to the ABC immediately. It was pathetic.

Dunno where you get that figure from, but even if it was correct, how is that the fault of anyone bar Tony Abbott?
jupes says:

19 April, 2024 at 10:48 am

Anyone who heads a government that pushes the climate change hoax, emasculates the military, sucks up to Muslims, has a non discriminatory immigration policy and allows radical homosexuals to infiltrate the education system is not a conservative. Nor are they centre-right. They are far-left extremists.
NFA says:

19 April, 2024 at 11:33 am

Net Zero? Oops, Never Mind
Posted on April 17, 2024 by John Hinderaker

Great Britain, like other countries, has pledged to stop emitting carbon dioxide (“net zero”) by transitioning to a “green” economy. That means relying on wind and solar power rather than fossil fuels and nuclear. Such promises are easy to make, but it turns out they are impossible to keep.

The Telegraph reports on a new study that was commissioned by the British government:

Britain is incapable of building the wind farms, solar farms and transmission networks essential to net zero, a government report has warned.
***
The report, a “readiness study” for the UK supply chain, was commissioned by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and released without any publicity on April 17.

Here are some of the problems identified in the report that came out earlier today. The first is, sadly, that the U.K. doesn’t have enough ships:

The UK lacks the ships needed to build offshore wind turbines and even if that were solved, would be unable to connect them to the shore because it cannot produce enough high voltage cables, according to the study.

Or enough high voltage cables. More:

For solar farms, it warned that the UK was also incapable of supplying enough switchgear and transformers, as well as cables.

Until now, no one, apparently, had figured this out. Britain doesn’t have the workers it needs to go green, either:

Disastrous shortages of skilled labour are also a factor. The report warned: “All renewables sectors face skills-related constraints. Shortages are particularly acute for design and commissioning engineers, project managers, and installation technicians.”

One thing about wind and solar installations is that, unlike reliable power plants, they can’t be sited near the urban areas that will consume their electricity (on those occasions when it is produced). Thus, long transmission lines are needed:

One of its most damaging findings is that the UK lacks the skills and engineering facilities to expand the transmission network, which is the network of high voltage cables essential for all electricity generators.

As I have said before, it is extraordinary that Western governments have promised to transition their economies from fossil fuels to intermittent and inefficient “green” energy without ever figuring out what it would take to do that. You might assume that someone, somewhere, has put pencil to paper and calculated the raw materials that would be needed; where those materials would come from; how they would be shipped to manufacturing sites; how and where the necessary equipment would be manufactured, and how it would be transported; what transmission wires would be needed, and where they would come from; and many other obvious elements.

But the fact is that no one has done this. There is no plan, just a fantasy. And it bears repeating that there is not a single demonstration project anywhere in the world–no state or province, no city, no town, no village–that has shown how wind or solar energy, alone, can power modern life.

The report discussed in the linked Telegraph article criticizes the British government for poor planning and coordination, but that strikes me as foolish. The idea that any government could plan and execute something as complicated as switching from fossil fuels–the greatest benefactors in all of human history–to regressive technologies like wind and solar, is absurd. No government planned the Industrial Revolution, and that was good.
John of Mel says:

19 April, 2024 at 11:45 am

and how it would be transported; what transmission wires would be needed, and where they would come from;

They probably thought they’d use Wi-Fi for that.
Or 6G – all these technologies that should just marvelously appear if you through enough money at “The Science”.
Jokes aside, the more sinister way to think about this clustertuck, is the persons making the key decisions knew perfectly well what it will lead to. The rest of the supporting crew are just the useful idiots.
NFA says:

19 April, 2024 at 11:52 am

Defence Chief General Angus Campbell retiring, leaves military in tatters
By Dr Dan Mealey Date: April 17, 2024

Hopefully the recently appointed Chief Defence Forces, Vice Admiral David Johnston is less interested in identity politics than his predecessor, and more interested in the welfare of his soldiers.

The legacy of General Campbell is a military in tatters, morale destroyed, a brutalised recruitment and retention, countless careers, reputations and families ruined, as well as 1,600 deceased veterans.

Lest we forget.

…
John of Mel says:

19 April, 2024 at 12:23 pm

you through enough money

Throw, not through. Not sure where it came from. So embarrassment.
Eyrie says:

19 April, 2024 at 1:07 pm

Abbott put political opponent Pauline Hanson in jail. Anyone who does this in a democracy has no place in politics.
STFU Tony and crawl away to enjoy your ill gotten gains.
Nothing bad enough can be said about the bloviating waste of oxygen, Boris.
Buccaneer says:

19 April, 2024 at 1:22 pm

Ed, why don’t you google it you terminal halfwit.

On 1 December 2009, Liberal MPs convened to consider the spill motion to vacate the leadership. The motion passed 48–34, following which Turnbull, Hockey and Abbott contested a ballot.[43] Hockey was seen as the favourite to win the ballot, but was knocked out in the first round of voting, receiving 23 votes to Turnbull’s 26 and Abbott’s 35. A second round of voting ensued, in which Abbott defeated Turnbull by one vote (42–41).[44] Fran Bailey, a supporter of Turnbull, was absent for the vote,[45] and there was one vote of “no”, which was recorded as informal.[46][47]

Julie Bishop remained the deputy leader of the party, without being challenged for the position. Abbott thus became the third consecutive leader, after Nelson and Turnbull, for whom Bishop would serve as deputy.[48] After the ballots, Bishop declared that she had voted for Turnbull,[49] although Turnbull doubted her loyalty and Bishop resorted to proving it by retrieving her ballot papers.[50
Ed Case says:

19 April, 2024 at 2:08 pm

Changed the goalposts is a hapless attempt to convince yourself of something?
Perhaps a MH assessment is in order?
Buccaneer says:

19 April, 2024 at 2:14 pm

I’d suggest some specs Ed, but we all know your comprehension skills are poorer than Joe Biden’s memory. Re-read my original post, it specifically referred to a party room majority of 1 for Abbott.
Tel says:

19 April, 2024 at 2:22 pm

Ed reads exactly what he wants to read … and never allows mere words to interfere with his important opinion. That’s how we know he isn’t a real conservative.
Buccaneer says:

19 April, 2024 at 3:34 pm

Indeed, and we all come here to have a MH assessment suggested by a person that labels themselves Ed Case. Watching Ed wrestle with facts and comprehension is like watching a bunch of retards hump a doorknob.