The Editor, John Surname, Ant Rogenous, Jeremy Sear, Keri and Craig discuss:

* Petrol, petrol, petrol
* Cult of entitlement: Alexander Downer and Mal Brough
* GrodsCorp’s anti-anti-abortion rally
* Bill Henson: art or pr0n?
* John Laws vs. Carson Kressley in the GrodsThink naked cagefight to the death

** Because Jeremy Sear and Chuck A. Spear are using all of Australia’s bandwidth to play Call Of Duty 4, use only the “Play in popup” link or the “Download” link. **

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Conservatives are wetting their pants over Mal Brough’s moves to re-enter politics after being unceremoniously dumped from Parliament at last year’s election. Brough will contest the Queensland Liberal presidency — the Libs being the junior coalition member in that State with Nationals MP Lawrence Springborg as leader.

Former Howard government minister Mal Brough is set for a political comeback, but has not decided whether he will run at a state or federal level.

[...]

Mr Brough has told ABC radio’s AM he plans to cut short his overseas holiday to contest the Queensland Liberal Party presidency.

He admits it is a springboard to get him back into public office but will not say which way he will jump.

That’s one pretty pissy springboard. The Qld coalition holds 25 seats in the 89 seat chamber, and the Liberals represent a mere 8 of those seats. Holding the presidency of the Libs in QLD will give Brough some rooly, trooly awesome power within the party nationally. I suppose he needs to start somewhere though.

I’m torn about Mal Brough. On the one hand he seems genuinely concerned about doing good things for indigenous people during his time in the portfolio; on the other hand he seems like such a Howard/ Liberal government stooge. He certainly came across as a goose of the highest order on 7.30 last night and got accordingly demolished by Kerry O’Brien.

Firstly, check out this stunning and arrogant statement by Brough who is seeming to suggest that nobody has ever called for action on these problems before and it’s only John Howard who’s ever noticed them:

Just take you back the period before last when this report came out. Was there outrage? Was there questions in Parliament about when the Government is going to act? Did any of the NGOs who are out there now who are demanding what we are doing is somehow wrong? Were they clamouring for this?

You’re right, Mal. The deafening scream of people and politicians calling for the Government to take action over the first ten years of your Party’s reign was all a figment of our imagination.

Then there’s more of the usual stuff from the non-spending Howard Government:

So this is a holistic approach and will take a massive human effort. Forget about the money for a moment. It’s a human effort.

And finally there’s Kerry O’Brien’s finishing move on the babbling and evasive Brough:

KERRY O’BRIEN: But what is being made very clear by a number of responsible health professionals is that if the issue of sexual abuse is a part of the examination then the professionals have got to be there in the first instance. It has to be done in the right way.

For instance, the concern has been expressed and the question has been asked: “Are children going to be physically examined for signs of sexual abuse?’

MAL BROUGH: Well, Kerry, it’s very interesting how we are having this discussion because, let’s turn it around. Let’s do nothing.

KERRY O’BRIEN: Mr Brough, that’s not…

MAL BROUGH: No, Kerry. No, Kerry.

KERRY O’BRIEN: With all due respect, let me make this point to you, there is broad acceptance of a serious need for action to be taken.

We are now going to the detail of how you are going to responsibly implement a very radical plan that was announced at short notice.

You are still clearly working out the details. I would suggest to you that these questions are both relevant and responsible and deserve to be answered…

BAM! Nothin’ but net.