What we're talking about

Troy on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I have seen this family fighting day after day for months trying to get their kids/siblings back home. The dedication and ... more
Pauline on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' DHS have destroyed my own family. They failed in their duty of care to provide a baby moniter for the deaf , thousands of ... more
Christine on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' isn't it funny how DHS don't recognise the psychological effects of domestic violence on children and continue to allow ... more
Warrior princess on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' There is a family In the Cairns Area who are Foster Carers.Atherton Child Safety have threatened the carers and own ... more
duncan on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' i have spent time with this family. it is a house full of love. "mum", grandfather and older sblings.this cannot be an issue ... more
Tracey on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Family Law is different from the rest of the law in this country.. Ie. Family Law is based on probability: ie if it might ... more
carol annetta on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' having known this family for some time i am disgusted with the treatment she has received. it seems more of a witch hunt ... more
Maureen Hillary on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Derryn,I have counselled traumatized parents as a result of DHS staff.There are great staff workers who care but they ... more
Janet Tavener on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I am a visitor to this country.My attention was drawn to the case of these children and their foster mother by a relative of ... more
sam on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Happening in Tasmania also.Wewon a court case over 8 months ago and due process still hasn't been done.We spent 17,000 ... more
Anne Glover on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I just cannot believe what the DHS has put the Foster Mother, and the children through - I thought the DHS was supposed to ... more
Tracey on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' DHS are the most disgraceful organization I have ever had the displeasure of becoming involved with. They are so ... more
Vicki on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Hi Derryn,I have known this carer since primary school, she has always put others above herself. Being a carer myself I know ... more
Gran'ma Pam on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' As any of us with any sense know, these children should NEVER have been taken from this lady (mum) in the first place, they ... more
Dominic Lombardo on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I see my daughter every six months DHS are conducting a vendetta against me I have not been told why I can only see her ... more
cassy houghton on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Hello Derryn,Firstly i would like to thankyou for your support and the willingness to help this beautiful family.I ... more
Warrior princess on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Im a carer also in Qld. I see this happen way too much from our Government. They are starting to use Carers own children as ... more
paul on "I'll pay the fee," says Hinch I believe what Liberal Party has done is stupid. But I feel for candidates like Joh Bauch and James Buonopane who want to ... more
Andrea on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Why are these public servants allowed to blatantly flout the law without the same consequences the rest of society faces? I ... more
birth mother on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' i am the birth morther of these 4 children and i just want to say dhs dont care they just want the kids in care so they can ... more

How are Australia's leaders 'feeling'?

Posted by: Derryn Hinch | 31 August, 2010 - 4:29 PM

RELATED AUDIO:

EDITORIAL: Prime Minister Gillard appeared (again) at the National Press Club today, made another election speech, and in the Q and A that followed some of her answers sounded decidedly Ruddish in their length and convolution.

Channel Nine’s Jane Azzopadi asked a seemingly tabloid question about ‘How do you feel?’ and got savaged by critics on Twitter for her efforts.

Gillard, typically, didn’t answer it but launched again into her mantra of stable and effective government, hard work ethic, good education for kids etcetera.

But, to be honest, it is a question I would be fascinated to hear a real answer to; from both Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott.

I’ve been trying to imagine in recent days as we hit Day 10 since the election in which no leader was elected: How are they feeling? How are they coping?

Imagine going to bed each night not knowing if you are going to be made prime minister of Australia next morning. Or, in Julia Gillard’s case, wondering if you are going to wake up to have your caretaker status ripped away from you. And to have your name go into the history books as one of the shortest serving prime ministers in Australia’s history.

Does she lie in bed at night knowing the Government she knifed Kevin Rudd for had 87 seats now has only 72 and wondering: Why did I go so early?

How do Abbott and Gillard feel being a whisker away from real power? And how much of that power will they have to surrender to the Three Amigos to get the keys to The Lodge.

Keep in mind both have just come off a gruelling five-week election campaign which saw them criss-crossing the country, repeating the same speeches, eating and sleeping badly.

Both, understandably, look and sound in need of a holiday. Instead, they are locked in horse trading and trying to keep their own troops in line.

For Abbott, it must be even more galling that the Coalition got about 700,000 more primary votes and now may even be ahead on Two Party Preferred votes – the ones Gillard said would give her claim on government more legitimacy.

But then Kim Beazley got more primary votes in one of his losses to John Howard so it is only the seat count that matters.

One thing though is abundantly clear: The voters are sick of it. They want a decision. And they want it yesterday.

Increasingly the mood is any solution will be temporary. We will be back at the polls within months.

And something buried in the Press Club non-event today. When Ten’s Paul Bongiorno asked Julia Gillard if she ended up in Opposition would she quickly move a vote of No Confidence? She ducked the question.

Julia Gillard backs Tony Abbott: Neil

UPDATE: Labor has regained a slender lead in the national two-party preferred vote, one of the key elements Prime Minister Julia Gillard has relied on to argue her party has the better right to form a minority government.

Time to reject three amigos?

HINCH BLOG: "When does one of these people who will be our next prime minister say: Enough is enough. Thus far and no further." Hinch appears to have had enough of the political pandering and reveals Lindsay Tanner is still being paid while we're all 'hung'.

Blog comments

Tanner paid ?
Right. We voted for that to happen. Didn't we. Give him more money. Its not our money, its Julia's.

Gary Wednesday 8 September, 2010 - 5:14 PM
The Best 17 Days in our Country's History is Now OVER.

janet page Wednesday 8 September, 2010 - 7:13 AM