How is this going to play out?

[Inside Shoulder]

Mr Abbott's office said he declined to comment yesterday, but he told ​

The Weekend Australian​

that he had kept his sister's confidence for four years. And Ms Forster said: ''My brother and I have always had a strong relationship and he respects and supports me and my lifestyle choices.''​

​

Read more: ​

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/polit...-coming-out-20120407-1wi64.html#ixzz1rOhLqsZw​

It would have been politically expedient for Abbott to have used the fact of his sister's homsexuality to his political advantage at any time in the last 4 years or on her "coming out".

He hasn't.

How will the spinners spin this?

 

[Schadenfreude]

See Bob Katter and his brother.

See Dick Cheney and his daughter.

There are no morals in his position, it's political.

 

[matty_k]

Still waiting for Bob Katter walk backwards from wherever to wherever as he said he would if there was one gay person in his electorate.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

There are no morals in his position, it's political.

That's the point: purely political interests would have led him to "leak" the fact. It would seem (and I await the howls) he did the moral thing.

 

[I like to watch]

Geez, not sure about it being leaked. his sister is being quoted as an activist for gay rights.
Having said that I am confident the mad monk will squeeze every drop out of the story, to enhance his political interests.
But he is not Robinson Crusoe, they are all the same.

 

[cyclopath]

I don't know about Abbott milking this. From what I have heard, from someone who worked very closely with him, he is pretty definite in his thinking, whether any of us choose to agree or not, and I'm not sure he'll try to get mileage out of it.
Then again, he is a politician.

 

[Sully]

I think he will turn the Gays around one gay at a time.
He'll fly to where ever he need to and to it himself if he has too. He especially hates gay queue jumpers. And Gays in boats. But it's all right if they fly for some reason?

 

[cyclopath]

I think he will turn the Gays around one gay at a time.
He'll fly to where ever he need to and to it himself if he has too. He especially hates gay queue jumpers. And Gays in boats. But it's all right if they fly for some reason?

Sounds like Dr Suess -
"I hate them when they're on a float
I hate them when they're in a coat
I hate them even on a boat
I hate them when they jump the line
I hate them when they have a whine
I don't mind when they come in flyin'
O curse, O curse this sis of mine"

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Geez, not sure about it being leaked. his sister is being quoted as an activist for gay rights.
Having said that I am confident the mad monk will squeeze every drop out of the story, to enhance his political interests.
But he is not Robinson Crusoe, they are all the same.

He refused to comment - is that squeezing every drop out of the story?
I think Cyclo is right - it cuts across fundamental beliefs he, the Mad monk, holds.
It reminds me of the Costello brothers - it was assumed that Peter was the son who went wrong and threw his lot in with the "tories" - but it is clear that Tim has a high regard for Peter's decency as a human being.

ILTW - he already could have squeezed some drops from it: he could have leaked it and when confronted said "yes its true, and this qualifies me more than the average person to say why marriage between people of the same sex is a bad idea".
He didn't do that: to me that suggests a decency and (even) a sincerity he is not credited with.
The other thing is it just shows that not much, politically speaking, gets into the media that isn't put there at the behest of someone: i.e. all/most "scandals" etc are the result of strategic leaking (at least as often as "backgrounding" by opponents?).

 

[barbarian]

Non-issue.

Bob Katter's brother gets a bit of mileage as Bob is such a right-wing nutjob and his views on homosexuality are extreme.

Abbott is anti-gay marriage but not anti-gay as Bob is. Abbott will do as he always does, and state that gay marriage is a difficult issue and even those in the same family can have contrasting views.

I think it will be far more interesting to see how the sister plays it. If she wants to be an 'activist' she could really kick up a storm. Her actions have the potential to damage the family bond just as much as his.

But I doubt either will say or do much.

 

[Cave Dweller]

A bisexual is a man who likes girls as well as the next fellow

 

[ChargerWA]

I'm not a fan of Abbott, as I find his views frequently stink of blind faith, and not honest inquiry. How do you trust a leader who maintains a blind faith position in the face of constantly evolving facts, opinions and information?

This is another issue where you can paint yourself into a corner if your not willing to move with the times, and Abbott appears to well and truly have done that.

 

[barbarian]

I'm not a fan of Abbott, as I find his views frequently stink of blind faith, and not honest inquiry. How do you trust a leader who maintains a blind faith position in the face of constantly evolving facts, opinions and information?

This is another issue where you can paint yourself into a corner if your not willing to move with the times, and Abbott appears to well and truly have done that.

But gay marriage isn't like climate change or the mining tax. It's a moral issue, not a policy issue. There are no constantly evolving facts and information, it's just a gradual shift in public opinion.

Abbott is religious and obviously this colours his views on the subject. However when the polls on gay marriage reach such a point that the public's view is undeniable then he will respond to the electorate. In my opinion (and his) they are not quite there yet. But they will. Sooner rather than later.

 

[ChargerWA]

But gay marriage isn't like climate change or the mining tax. It's a moral issue, not a policy issue. There are no constantly evolving facts and information, it's just a gradual shift in public opinion.

Abbott is religious and obviously this colours his views on the subject. However when the polls on gay marriage reach such a point that the public's view is undeniable then he will respond to the electorate. In my opinion (and his) they are not quite there yet. But they will. Sooner rather than later.

I think all 3 things you mentioned equally could be considered moral and policy issues. To greater and lesser extents but gay marriage is definately now a policy issue, and with public support for it hovering at around 60% I would say public consensus is well and truly confirmed.

As you say, when his hand is forced he will respond to the electorate. But I don't think it is too much to hope that your political leaders will choose to base their positions on the morally right as opposed to the politically expedient option.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

This is another issue where you can paint yourself into a corner if your not willing to move with the times, and Abbott appears to well and truly have done that.

He troubles me - but there are plenty of "believers" in powerful positions.......what is the corner into which he has painted himself?
You have to remember that he has known of his sister's sexual orientation for longer than he has been opposition leader.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

As you say, when his hand is forced he will respond to the electorate. But I don't think it is too much to hope that your political leaders will choose to base their positions on the morally right as opposed to the politically expedient option.

I'm not so sure.
For most people this is neither a moral nor a policy issue: its a stupid hangover from a time when the Church of England, and before it the Church in Rome, ruled the roost.
Everyone has an equal right to be unhappily joined in law to another equally unhappy human.
A better poll question would be who gives a *uck?

 

[fatprop]

I'm not a fan of Abbott, as I find his views frequently stink of blind faith, and not honest inquiry. How do you trust a leader who maintains a blind faith position in the face of constantly evolving facts, opinions and information?

This is another issue where you can paint yourself into a corner if your not willing to move with the times, and Abbott appears to well and truly have done that.

I disagree with most of Abbott's social opinions but respect his dogged commitment to his position. At least you know where he stands.

The opposite is watching Gillard being smacked about for wavering in the wind on most positions totally dependent on the latest opinion poll.

 

[wamberal]

I disagree with most of Abbott's social opinions but respect his dogged commitment to his position. At least you know where he stands.

The opposite is watching Gillard being smacked about for wavering in the wind on most positions totally dependent on the latest opinion poll.

How does he stand on climate change this week?

 

[fatprop]

How does he stand on climate change this week?

He doesn't like it

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Climate change is unavoidable so presumably you mean human induced climate change - and then the question is not where does he stand but what is going to be done about it......nothing done by or suggested by either of the major parties will have any effect on the rate of human induced climate change: accordingly this is not a political issue.