Monday 6 September 2010

Enstch is back to form: 'promise what we can deliver'

Leichhardt MP Elect Warren Entsch has weighed-in to the 'horse-trading' as promises fly left, right and centre, in the dying hours of negotiations...


In an interview with The Australian, Entsch warns that empty promises could will haunt the party.

As Tony Abbott talks with the three independents before they decide what flavored ice-cream that should sink their teeth into, Warren Entsch has urged his Opposition Leader not to "make false promises in return for power."

"Of course I desperately want us to take government . . . but at the end of the day, if it means we've got to make promises we know we cannot keep, it's something we shouldn't do," he told The Australian.

"I would rather that Tony do what is achievable and what is best for the country, rather than what is best for individuals," Warren Entsch says. "If you make promises you know you're never going to achieve, then all you're doing is creating conflict."

  • Entsch appeared to resent Mr Abbott's offer of a $1 billion new hospital for Hobart, in a failed bid last week to win the support of independent MP Andrew Wilkie.

    "I'd love $1bn to go into the hospital up here; it would make a huge difference," he said. "We've got a bloody hospital here (in Cairns) that's an absolute disaster -- it's one of the worst in the country."

Andrew Wilkie, who won the seat of Denison from Labor, rejected Abbott's offer, opting for Labor's offer of a $350 million hospital upgrade, plus two extra personal staff.

  • "What annoys me is how he is going to get two extra staff for 14,000 constituents," Mr Entsch said. "I've got four staff for 87,000 people and have got an area 150,000sq km -- three or four times the size of Tasmania and his piddling little electorate."

    In remarks that could scuttle Mr Abbott's delicate negotiations with the independents for their support to form a minority government, Mr Entsch launched an attack on Bob Katter, the independent MP in the neighbouring seat of Kennedy.

    Mr Entsch said he was "frustrated and disappointed" that Mr Katter was taking so long to decide which side to back.

    "Bob's been playing silly buggers now for a couple of weeks, beating his chest," he said. "It should not be a decision that is taking this long."

I have to agree. This king-maker is relishing his moment in the midday sun, and his hat will only protect his from criticism for so long...

  • Mr Entsch said rural Australia would "blame Bob" if he backed a Labor government. He said Mr Katter and NSW independents Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott had been voted in as "maverick National Party MPs", rather than true independents.

    "They've got to put aside their personal hatreds of individuals within the National Party," he said. "I know Katter has an issue with (Nationals senator) Barnaby Joyce and Trussy (Nationals leader Warren Truss) but he should be big enough and ugly enough to put that aside."

17 comments:

A Real Liberal said...

Warren Entsch certainly has returned to form - he always was a bully, so it's no surprise that he now is trying to bully and intimidate the 3 rural independents.

From Tony Windsor's comments on radio this morning, Warren's bluster and implied threats will not sway him.

The 3 independents have an important decision to make, a decision that will determine who governs for the next three years, so it is appropriate that they consult widely, and study the proposals from the major parties, without yielding to pressure from cranky, impatient people like Warren.

It is typical of Entsch's dishonesty that he tries to portray the 3 independents as natural Nationals who became independents simply because of personal differences with other National MPs.

The truth is that they left the Nationals because the Nationals abandoned their role as defenders of the bush, in favour of backing the Liberals come what may.

That said, no reasonable person would disagree with Tony Windsor's description of Barnaby Joyce as "a fool" and "an embarrassment".

And no reasonable person would disagree with my view, that Bob Katter has more intelligence, honesty and integrity than Warren Entsch has ever shown.

KitchenSlut said...

Entsch's criticism of the Hobart Hospital dealings actually match what Katter said when he called it a retrograde move in processes by Wilkie?!

What many may not be aware of is that there exists what has been called a 'Tasmanian gerrymander' which was discussed at Core Economics:
http://economics.com.au/?p=6146

There is a minimum requirement of 5 reps from each State but Tassie's half million population would only qualify for 3 or 4 to keep electorates roughly equal. Consequently Tassies electorates have less people. I don't know where Entsch's 14,000 number comes from but guess this may be the number of people less in a Tassie electorate than here?

In a very tight election this actually makes a difference and gives Tassie/Wilkie punching power way above their weight. This can probably only get worse with Tassie having the slowest population growth of any State (I think?)?

Entsch is quite right on this basis that it is unreasonable for Wilkie to get 2 extra staffers if that is correctly reported. Consider that Tassie also get 12 Senators(and their staffers) for a relative 'handful' of people making them far and away the most over-pollied state already!

Thaddeus said...

Entsch was just on rugnut's program bagging Labor for being in with Greens because "Greens want same sex marriage." No mention of course of the Greens first demand for a better dental scheme. Instead he gives a sly and duplicitous spiel bagging Labor while claiming his own support for same sex marriage.

thaddeus butt plug said...

I am so boring that I have nothing better to do than listen to John Mackenzie and justify whenever I can why the ALP is always right .... even when it's left!

If you have correctly divined that my posted opinion above is not only irrelevant to anything but also correctly identifies me as a meaningless apparatchick then you are obviously smarter than me!

pussycat said...

Does anyone remember when John Howard bought a hospital in Tasmania for $1? Terrible thing inflation.

Julia's butt plug said...

Ahhh the scent of sniffing Wilkies arse is almost as sweet as a roomfull of Western Bulldogs jock straps mmmmmmm

Hospitals? Staffers? Julia to North Queensland: GET FUCKED!

Julia's butt plug said...

Ahhh the scent of sniffing Wilkies arse is almost as sweet as a roomfull of Western Bulldogs jock straps mmmmmmm

Hospitals? Staffers? Julia to North Queensland: GET FUCKED!

Anusol said...

Is this anal fetish a Liberal/National thing? Judging by the comments from the butt plug twins,it must be. Oh the hemorrhoidal grapes of wrath! And what sour grapes they are.

Indica Man said...

Ah, so not only is this a 'Cairns Blog', it also brings out the people who never quite made it past third year name calling?

Must be a lot of would-be pollies subscribe hey?

I really don't give a rats how long it takes to form a govt or go back to the polls. Some intelligent politicking must be done to make sure *all* promises are kept for once, and that the so-called promises can be delivered. Seriously, Wilke wasn't stupid in agreeing to 350 mill and some staff. That is far easier to deliver than a 1bn dollar 'grab' at a seat.

No, I'm not a political animal. I find it all a big theatrical performace that ensures a few people make a bucketload of money.

However, I am straight, but approve of same-sex marriage. I'm not a 'stoner', but I know that cannabinoids have valid medicinal value and should be studied more thoroughly, and I certainly don't believe we will have an honest govt in power while the majority of our population still believes that there are only two sides to vote for.

greenbottle said...

I've already made contact with Wilkie..I'm sure he will like to know what Entsch is saying about him. It will all help with the dynamics of Parliament.
Entsch of course was a strident and vocal believer in Saddam's "weapons of mass destruction" and a loyal fan of George Dubya Bush. He prolly goes to sleep at night with Dubya's photo beside him.

KitchenSlut said...

"Is this anal fetish a Liberal/National thing?"

Well actually it would seem to be more an ALP thing but with both sides competing for the biggest obscenity and the local ALP vocally proud to vindictively screw their local community if it means a win for the party via transfer of resources to Tassie?

Go Julia!

yk said...

I would like to respectively suggest that the next government is formed by a coalition between the Liberals and the Labor Parties with the position of Prime Minister alternating annually. This would avoid the need for regular and costly elections, but most of all relegate these 3 pain-in-the-arse Independents to a role which more suitably fits their talents.

GOD said...

The Buttplugs are my agents on Earth, and I’ll thank any Labor apparatchik wankers (I know who you are, what you do, and what you’d like to do) to err, Butt out!

I come close to despair when I see the mockery Thaddeus, Real Dribberal, and their Elks make out of all the fine human qualities I gave you. If it wasn’t for my son’s tender heart, I’d have you over the slow fires by now, being skewered by the Holy Terror Buttplugs (you know, the ones made out of red-hot barbed wire).

Every father has a limit to their patience – so watch it!

Hakairae said...

Well of course you would say that wouldn't you kitchenslut. If only the pollies could hold onto a miniscule fraction of your high moral values. But of course they could never achieve anything near that, so after considering the scary alternative I also agree: Go Julia.

MB said...

According to the AEC Denison has 71,349 enrolled voters.

:Kevin-John: Morgan. said...

(Pro)mises, (pro)mises, and more (pro)mises, is all we ever get.
Very, very few are delivered, and you may wonder why.
Doesn't anybody realise yet, that the prefixes Pri, Pro, Pru and Pre, in the front of ANY word, mean NO?
Wakey, wakey, and whilst you're at it, if you bother to search at all, you may find the reason why we are always in controversy.
We are asked to place a number in a box on the ballot paper, when the truth is that "everything in a box, cannot be considered", especially if it's on paper.
There is only one valid reason for this country to be split down the middle in an election.
Pencils!
It's the bloody 21st Century, and we're still being given pencils to mark our choice...DUH?
If our choice is supposed to be permanent for 3 years, we should be using Permanent markers!
Paul Keating was right!

Thaddeus said...

Entsch claimed Denison had 14,000 voters. Some difference huh between 71,000 and 14,000, but hey why worry about checking your facts before you have a spew.