Why Tony Abbott Must Never Be Prime Minister
Abbott in 1977: A history of Misogyny
He’s destined to become Australia’s next Prime Minister, however a litany of allegations about Tony Abbott’s past have emerged in recent weeks adding weight to his already questionable reputation as a thug and a misogynist.
Tony Abbott currently stands accused of punching a wall next to the head of a female student who defeated him in a Sydney University presidency election in 1977.
The Liberal leader initially said he had “no recollection” of the event but now insists that the incident “never happened”.
However, according to The Age, a Sydney barrister David Patch, has corroborated the claim that Abbott behaved in an intimidatory fashion when Barbara Ramjan beat him in an election for the Sydney University Student Representative Council president in 1977.
Mr Abbott has denied the account from Barbara Ramjan – published in David Marr’s Quarterly Essay, ”Political Animal: The Making of Tony Abbott” – that he came within an inch of her nose and punched the wall on either side of her head.
But Mr Patch, who won the SRC presidency in 1975, said he had been Ms Ramjan’s campaign manager in 1977, and she had told him about the Abbott incident immediately after it happened.
He writes in The Age:
“I did not see the incident, but I was nearby. The count had just finished. Barbara found me. She is a small woman, and Tony Abbott was (and is) a strong man. She was very shaken, scared and angry. She told me that Tony Abbott had come up to her, put his face in her face, and punched the wall on either side of her head.”
“So, I am a witness. Barbara’s immediate complaint to me about what Abbott had just done had the absolute ring of truth about it. I believed Barbara at the time, and still do.”
Mr Patch is a former judicial registrar of the Industrial Relations Court and of the Federal Court. He includes the disclaimer that he was the ALP candidate for Wentworth in 2004, when he ran against Malcolm Turnbull.
The wall-punching event was not an isolated one, he writes.
“As President, Ramjan chaired SRC meetings. She did not want to be called ‘Mr Chairman’, but preferred ‘Chairperson’. But for an entire year Abbott called Ramjan ‘Chairthing’ whenever he addressed her at SRC meetings.”
“The gender-based disrespect for her office and her person is remarkably similar to the disrespectful way that Abbott treats the Prime Minister, and her office, today.”
Mr Patch says he knew Mr Abbott well at the time, beating him for an election for student member of the University Senate. ”Although he was an active member of a fundamentalist political movement with a religious base (the DLP and the National Civic Council led by Bob Santamaria), it was his personally offensive behaviour which stood out.
“He was always (verbally) attacking gays and feminists and lefties. You certainly knew what he was against – the trouble was that you couldn’t figure out what he was in favour of!”
“Once again, the parallels with the way he operates today are, to those who knew him then, quite remarkable.”
Mr Patch – responding to an article by Gerard Henderson, the head of the Sydney Institute, saying the only evidence that there had been a punch to a wall turned on an aggrieved person’s memory – insists:
“I know what happened. I write not to land a blow on (or near) Mr Abbott, but to ensure that the debate about the character and suitability of a potential future prime minister is one which is fully and accurately informed.”
Mr Abbott told Marr he had no recollection of the wall punching and said “it would be profoundly out of character had it occurred.”
It was later that he hardened this up to a complete denial. He also denied a claim made this week by a woman who ran against him for the Democrats in 2007 that when she was handing out how-to-vote cards he put his face an inch from hers and grunted.
NSW Central Coast MP Deb O’Neill says Tony Abbott’s conduct goes to the very heart of the character of the man who wants to be prime minister.
“That is misogyny writ every single day of his role as the deputy president of that SRC,” she said.
“There’s plenty of evidence of the same kind of physical and verbal intimidation that is still very much a part of the rhetoric and the practical action of this man who thinks he’s good enough to be prime minister of this country.”
Ms O’Neill also lambasted Mr Abbott for constantly referring to Prime Minister Julia Gillard as “she”.
In the past week Mr Abbott had “thrown papers across the desk” in the lower house in a “tantrum fit,” she said.
The controversy dogging the Opposition Leader follows allegations that he misled Parliament over whether he had read a BHP report into its reasons behind postponing a mining project before announcing that it was due to the Government’s Carbon Tax. A claim that BHP rejected.
Until recently, the Opposition Leader has been given a free ride in the mainstream media, with little scrutiny paid to Mr Abbott’s “say no to everything” and “wreck the joint” approach to Government policy.
The tactic, arguably successful until now, appears to be unraveling at a rate on knots. So much so that the once cocky leader has gone into hiding.
It’s time that he simply bowed out of politics permanently.
He is clearly unfit to be Prime Minister of Australia.
theguttertrash.com 
Well, true or not, it sure fits into my perceptions of the lowgrade godbotherer; soon to be highgrade, probably.
I imagine everyone who isn’t an Abbottlicker probably has no trouble imagining him doing such things.
True or not, it will add negatively to his public image. Excellent!
Unfortunately, he’s still just as likely to be our next PM. Then we’ll have plenty of genuine reasons to loathe him.
It amuses me that lickers outright dismiss the story as “bullshit”. Really, they have no more idea of the credibility of it than the individuals who were present.
These same lickers don’t exercise the same sort of skepticism when falling over themselves to willingly believe every accusation & rumour about Gillard, The Greens, The Indies or any ALP member/staffer/voter.
That says something.
People believe or disbelieve whatsoever feels comfortable to their ideological mindfilter.
In summary. Abbott is a smarmy fairytale enthusiast with an anger management problem going back decades.
If I had a dartboard I’d be printing out a hardcopy of that smug looking twat’s head in the picture at the start of this article.
The Gillard story is supported by sworn Affidavits, documentary evidence, and basic common sense.
This story is yet another of a string of confected allegations (mostly proven false) to try to paint Tony Abbott as being something of a heartless thug. Now a heartless thug he may be. I don’t know him personally. But I consider it lacking in believability that it would take 30 something years for a story of this nature to surface. I am interested that Mr Patch didn’t confront Tony Abbott at the time. I certainly would have. What is described is an assault. He should have been expelled from the University. It appears as though a complaint wasn’t even made.
I don’t believe it.
ergo, smear campaigns against Abbott are always false, while smear campaigns against the other side of politica are always true.
I get it.
Commendable compartmentalisation.
”Abbott is a smarmy fairytale enthusiast with an anger management problem going back decades.
That’s true.
Though what happened decades ago isn’t necessarily an indicator of current behaviour. For example, decades ago I was a dope smoking, surfing, philanderer, who drank to excess on occasions.
I’ve given up dope.
No, Toilet. I pointed out the differences between the two “campaigns”.
Behavior and age… according to the ALP.
At 19 in demonstrates a life of misogyny.
At 34 it is young and naive.
People believe or disbelieve whatsoever feels comfortable to their ideological mindfilter.
Toilet, I am sure that applies to everyone, and if every opinion is to be written off so, then wemight just as well stick to talking about footy…….want to talk about footy?
I might stop talking about footy after tomorrow evening, depending upon the result. 😦
* anyone but Collingwood!
Well given how much I hate Collingwood, Hawthorn, and West Coast……..I’m low on options.
No, Toilet. I pointed out the differences between the two “campaigns”.
I think Toilet was correct with his initial observation.
Suck on this snacty…
“Another witness has come forward to contradict Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s denial that he intimidated a student rival by punching a wall next to her head during their student days.”
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbotts-goon-squad-threw-me-against-a-wall-20120913-25ty2.html#ixzz26K3Ck11Q
I was at Sydney Uni at the same time. Abbott was certainly despised on campus by many and the politics was very vocal.
I’ve never heard the story and it certainly would have been used against him at the time.
Conclusion: it didn’t happen !
Jaws and snacty didn’t see it therefore conclusion “it didn’t happen.”
A bit like climate change I suppose….
🙄
No I was closely associated with Honi Soit at the time. If it happened it would have gone into the paper.
At least I’m not relying on anonymous witnesses like yourself
“I was closely associated with Honi Soit at the time.”
Aha! A communist, eh?
http://newmatilda.com/2012/09/13/abbott039s-punchline-returns
Just a Uni socialist Splatter
There were so many species of leftist back then, Jaws – SPA, CPA(M-L), CPA, socialist Left and sundry other lunacies. I was a trot (SLL) for a few months, then I worked out that leftists were lying egomaniacs. At least the nicer ones were also good drinkers.
I love that.
“I was sitting innocently in a pub discussing how I thought abortion should be left to the mother to decide and Tony Abbott wanted to punch my head in for mildly expressing that view”.
Whilst I’m more inclined to believe a story about Abbott being involved in a pub altercation as a student, even that story has the ring of bullshit around the details.
“At 19 in demonstrates a life of misogyny.”
I think the “making an honest woman out of her” remark is considerably more recent.
JUST SAYING.
So there’s mounting evidence ( or “bullshit,” as snacty would prefer to call it ), that Abbott is a fucking cunt. Who knew.
It’s all clear to me…
• Abbott is a c**t.
• Gillard is a lying cheat.
A bunch of Young Labor members from Uni reckon Abbott is a cnt.
Who would have thought?
So who would you prefer as PM: a bovver boy or a gangster’s moll?
*derp*bullshit*
You would not have seen this from the kow-tow position,
while kissing his boot-Laces!
I’d have a better view from there than from a foot up Gillard’s backside! See we could all play that. It’s stupid. And so are sockpuppets.
“..And so are sockpuppets…”
I quite enjoy small-pig, it seems very clever actually.
I like the sock puppets too. They’re probably the shy types who would be distained at Café Whispers if they posted under their usual names.
Tony Abbott is not all that bad, my skeletons are a lot more robust.
As much as it pains me, I’d rather stick with Labor. At least we know what we’re getting with Gillard. It would be hell on earth with Abbott at the helm.
‘It would be hell on earth with Abbott at the helm.’
That’s what I thought about Rudd, then Gillard. And I was right. 😯
We are treating this as a presidential election, a popularity poll on the leaders. Don’t fall into the kaf trap or we’ll become part of the cranky women’s association (CWA).
Unrolling my swag in Darlinghurst tonight and going out for a drink at the Lord Roberts…what fun.
“We are treating this as a presidential election, a popularity poll on the leaders. Don’t fall into the kaf trap”
*
A rather out of character, non-scrambled comment from you egg,
RUOK?
It isn’t that I’m looking for a presidential election
Firstly, it is simply that Gillard was installed by factional warlords and union hacks, she has a tainted leadership of a tainted government.
Return to Rudd would represent a huge slap in the face to the hacks. They deserve this and more.
Secondly, the independents continually point out that their agreement is with Gillard, not the government. They make her leadership an issue.
Thirdly, Abbott is a polarising politician, and I’m polarised in the “not fond of him” group.
I’d probably vote for the party that changed leader, because this would represent a reorientation of their political direction.
“Abbott is a polarising politician, and I’m polarised in the “not fond of him” group.”
Eloquently put Tom. I concur… 🙂
RUOK
Fine thanx
Is it acceptable to dislike Abbott and Gillard? Plus all the other self-serving, self obsessed, self-righteous politicians in Canberra and elsewhere? Because that’s my position.
(Shouldn’t you be at the pub, el gordo?)
I agree with Tony, pollies are pathetic.
Had a beer, but I’m not the man I once was. So I came back to the apartment to blog instead.
Oh well. I’ll have one with you. *clink*
‘clink’
What’s wrong with the Lord eg ?
Didn’t like it ?
Nice restaurants around there. Plus everytime I drive thru there the girls waiting by themselves on corners always wave and smile at me. Seems they have trouble getting cabs around there.
I saw the same thing from a friends car in St Kilda as well .
Twiggy Forrest is not going to sleep well tonight.
Fortescue in major trouble in breach of debt covenants. The short sellers will attack en masse again tomorrow.
Who else thought the new iPhone is a bit underwhelming ?
Big decision tonight by the Fed Reserve. Do we get QE 115 or whatever we are upto sofar?
Taxation by Inflation
The Lord was ok but its been a long day of drama (driving in the heart of Sydney is a nightmare) so we decided to return to our digs and clown about.
Honestly, when you have to go back this far to try and find “smut” on somebody etc…give me a break. Last gasp of a dying party…
Labor is drowning and they are clutching at straws, making policy on the run.
In other news …..Xi’s appearance is expected very soon.
‘Just a Uni socialist Splatter’ ~ JAWS(2 bucks an hour is inflationary)
‘He who is not a socialist at 19, has no heart. He who is still a socialist at 30, has no brain.’ ~ exists in different variations, this one by Otto von Bismarck
He who is a fascist in the 1930`s, has no heart.
He who is a corporatologist in the 2010`s,
has no brain. ~ 730reportland
Uh oh. Looks like
thesome sky-fairy believers aren’t going to take it any more.Now that`s Quality Derp, Scales
Don`t you spend most of your effort bleating FOR the causes of Gina, Mr-Rabbit and Corporatology in general.?
It is funny. Gillard barrackers claimed the dubious, unethical; behaviour of Gillard was 20 years ago. Irrelevant now.
But Gillard was drummed out of the last professional job she held, she was not “young & naïve”. She was a mature, established lawyer.
A generation earlier she would have been described as middle aged.
But now they’re on the hunt for the activities of a 19 year old, as evidence of character – for life.
One thing we can all count on Tom-of-Melb, is that both sides, Politicians and their cheer-squads, will bury the public in mountains of *derp. With the help of the embedded media, of course. Prediction, much more *derp.
Phoney Tony is the most frightening thing to happen to Australia since World War II. You wanna go back to the Dark Ages? Vote for the Ultraconservative. free-marketeering Coalition!
Far too simplistic, narf.
Its all about policy, if the Coalition comes up with the right mix the people will forget about tabit’s past…forget why they hated him so much.
The Gillard government did some crazy things and the watermelon coalition is a dud, so they will be punished at the polls.
And its no good lamenting the public service cuts in NSW and Qld, they have to trim back to maintain their credit rating, so they can borrow from China for infrastructure.
This is Keynesian growth, satellite towns and very fast trains… Hitler built the autobarn (sic) based on those ideas.
There might be a hitch… if the NSW government borrows $50 billion and puts all the money into better transport for Sydney, then the Coalition could come unstuck.
“if the Coalition comes up with the right mix the people will forget about tabit’s past…forget why they hated him so much.”
The Noalition has had two years to come up an original thought, and all they can do is point back to the Howard years as some sort of justification as to why they deserve to be government today…
As for “forgetting why they hated him so much,” that’s just laughable! I, and I suspect many others, haven’t forgotten why we hated Howard so much, and the fact that all Tony’s got in his kit bag is to refer back to his mentor probably reflects why he is hated by the electorate….
Is it acceptable to dislike Abbott and Gillard? Plus all the other self-serving, self obsessed, self-righteous politicians in Canberra and elsewhere? Because that’s my position.
I knew we agreed as people, ToSY!
+++++++++++++++++++++
Honestly, when you have to go back this far to try and find “smut” on somebody etc…give me a break. Last gasp of a dying party…
Guess where this concept comes from … Septic Tanks, and their twisted political concepts on the right are destroying my country now and you have the hide to sit in patronising, hypocritical, judgement!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Labor is drowning and they are clutching at straws, making policy on the run.
You should read your posts before criticising others, egg ….
++++++++++++++++++++++++
But now they’re on the hunt for the activities of a 19 year old, as evidence of character – for life.
And you – and others – can’t figure out the difference between physical violence and business/criminal ignorance … I know who has the biggest issue …
My old man used to beat the shit out of my mother … only I knew … everyone else thought he was wonderful … guess who he reminds me of!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Its all about policy, if the Coalition comes up with the right mix the people will forget about tabit’s past…forget why they hated him so much.
Says it all!
Policies …. none!
IF !!! Always if …
People will forget!!! WHY? FFS!
AND THEN THE BIG CLUE!
This is Keynesian growth, satellite towns and very fast trains… Hitler built the autobarn (sic) based on those ideas.
Back to the Future …. shakes head and chrcks out how much time left on the hotel internet!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
BTW, I’M NOW A CLIVEY FANBOI!
“I’M NOW A CLIVEY FANBOI!”
God help us.
Was it his “fashion sense” that swayed you…?
TB, try liberal.org.au
Policies as far as the eye can see.
“Policies as far as the eye can see.”
What, “stop the boats?”.
Policies as far as the eye can see.
Mmmmm … read ’em …
Education for all … NO
Healthcare for all … NO
Housing for all … NO
Asaylum seekers … NO
ON and NO …
Physical Violence … YES!
‘The Noalition has had two years to come up an original thought…’
On asylum seekers Labor has adopted Howard’s way. From the Coalition perspective it was policy which worked and should not have been changed.
Abbott’s Green Army was an original thought and I give it credit…let’s get the shooters out in the field and wipe out the feral animals, including the fkn toad.
Besides, opposition isn’t government, its not mandatory for them to have an original thought at this part of the cycle.
Was it his “fashion sense” that swayed you…?
😯 😉
You didn’t read them, TB, did you. There are 6 under the Health heading alone.
Keynes’ ideas still dominate economic thought in the 21st century (I blame Greenspan for everything), but looking at Japan after a couple of decades… it appears the theory has its failings.
It’s important David Marr continues his investigations into Abbott’s past. It’s imperative the nation finds out before the next election if Tony carried out any aggressive pigtail pulling in primary school. Such behaviour, if uncovered, would spell an immediate end to Abbott’s prime ministerial ambitions, and likely lead to the deise of the Liberal Party as we know it.
deise = demise
‘People will forget!!! WHY? FFS!’
Abbott has always copped bad press, so if he creates popular policy the people will change their mind. Keep in mind tony’s no more unpopular than joolya, so good legislation will give him a boost in popularity.
FROM THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT YOU…
➢ Julia was young and naïve when she was middle aged
➢ It was all 20 years ago
➢ What’s the fuss?!
➢ Thomson has no case to answer
➢ It was before he entered parliament
….and the all time favourite – It’s all a media beat up!!
..comes the new blockbuster…
HE MAY HAVE ONLY BEEN A TEENAGER, BUT IT DEMONSTRATES HIS CHARACTER FOR LIFE…AND BEYOND!!!
…a new fantasy for the committed.
(unsuitable for adults)
Gerard Henderson produces the evidence of Tony’s misspent youth…
http://www.thesydneyinstitute.com.au/media-watch-dog/
David Marr is about as independently minded as Andrew Bolt.
Though I don’t think Bolt has a sense of humour. Marr does, but he’s blinkered, biased, narrow minded, inattentive, blowhard…
“forget why they hated him so much.”
*egg*derp*
That`s the one thing that aint gonna happen Gordo.
lts been 2 years and Mr-Rabbits 60% unpopularity is maintained.
“the watermelon coalition is a dud,”
*egg*derp*
The watermelon govt is actually functioning Gordo.
No matter how much `mincing` at the dispatch box goes on.
lts just the public really hate both major parties at the moment.
A public that is well `shit-stirred` by the embedded media.
Well this is a relief. In the land of the first amendment, law enforcement officials name and conduct a “criminal investigation” into the man behind the film that has inflamed violent, even deadly, protests around the world. Because, you know, it’s all his fault, apparently. (And he has a record!}
But not everybody thinks the filmmaker should be the guilty party in all this. Stupid wingnut!
‘A public that is well `shit-stirred` by the embedded media.’
The msm is doing what they have always done, the more sensational the better.
‘Abbott and I have been friends since 1994… As any homosexual person will know and most sensible people will readily understand, there is no mistaking the experience of being treated like Exhibit A. No amount of affability will suffice to disguise the sense that “he’s not really one of us, so we have to make all sorts of allowances”. I’ve never felt anything remotely like that at the Abbott family dinner table.’
Christopher Pearson in the Oz
“there is no mistaking the experience of being treated like Exhibit A”
I imagine that’s how a lot of people feel when on the the receiving end of Abbott’s homophobia or misogyny.
“HE MAY HAVE ONLY BEEN A TEENAGER, BUT IT DEMONSTRATES HIS CHARACTER FOR LIFE…AND BEYOND!!!”
TONY Abbott is hardly in a position to complain that his behaviour at university 35 years ago is being scrutinised now as people make judgments about his fitness to be prime minister.
He virtually invited that scrutiny himself, in a speech a couple of months ago.
“I am not asking the Australian people to take me on trust, but on the record of a lifetime,” the Opposition Leader said.
“As student president, trainee priest, Rhodes Scholar, surf life saver and volunteer firefighter, as well as a member of parliament and as a minister in a government.”
Note that Abbott specifically mentioned student politics and the position of Student Representative Council president at Sydney University.
http://www.news.com.au/national/actions-undermine-his-fitness-for-office/story-fndo4bst-1226474485053
From my link….
Ol’ SnactyJournalist Greg Sheridan, Abbott’s best friend and staunch political ally in their university days, put forward another explanation for the emergence of the allegation.“This is the most disgraceful sectarian anti-Catholic campaign I’ve ever seen,” he said yesterday.
“It comes down to anti-Catholic sectarianism on behalf of the ABC and David Marr.”
There may be some truth in the sectarian thing, I take the piss out of the Catlicks every chance I get.
The monk’s religious beliefs pale into insignificance next to Romney and should not exclude him from becoming PM.
Did he do it?
Who knows… but I know that I wouldn’t be inclined to take David Marr’s word for it.
Regardless, the most amusing aspect is that all those who were saying Julia’s actions were 20 years ago (when she was a mere sprig of a girl at 34), and irrelevant, are now dredging up Abbott’s behaviour of 35 years ago, at 19!
The hypocrisy of the barrackers knows no bounds.
Poor diddums Catholics.
That by Sheridan was about the Santamaria slur in Marr’s article. Santamaria, unlike many of his opponents, never advocated nor condoned violence. More evidence of Marr’s abject dishonesty.
“More evidence of Marr’s abject dishonesty.”
&
“It comes down to anti-Catholic sectarianism on behalf of the ABC and David Marr.”
&
“Who knows .. but I know that I wouldn’t be inclined to take David Marr’s word for it.”
*
*
Yeah right. Mr-Rabbit punches holes in wall plaster and some-how it`s Marr`s and my ABC`s fault. Does everybody really believe Limited-News is so factual.? Doesn`t bullshit.? or run attack campaign`s.?
The white-noise produced by the embedded-media on, what Joolya and/or Mr-Rabbit did a quarter of a century ago is just useless babble that wastes resources. The embedded media would do better to actually report `policy` instead.
Tony Abbott never punched holes in the wall beside Ramjan’s head.
Tony Abbott never punched holes in the wall beside Ramjan’s head.
Only cos he was too piss weak to penetrate 😆
“Tony Abbott never punched holes in the wall beside Ramjan’s head.”
No one said that he did. 🙄
You’re sounding a bit shrill this morning Snacty. Newspoll results got you down…? 😉
I think 730reportland alluded to it earlier reb