Wanker Of The Day

[UPDATED BELOW: Abbott denies his own "excellent comments"!]

Looks like it's going to be another long day for Tony Abbott:

Mr Abbott said the best option for aggrieved workers was to find alternative employment.

"That is the best protection. Not going off to some judge, or industrial commission, that might order your employer, who you don't like, and he doesn't like you, to keep you in an unhappy partnership forever," he said on the video.

Mr Abbott also said the Industrial Relations Commission has had its powers stunted by the legislation.

"I accept that certain 'protections' are not what they were, I accept that that has largely gone. I accept that," he said.

I saw his TV interview with Gillard on Channel 9 this morning and he looked stone cold ready to murder someone. But as usual he has no-one to blame but himself. You get the feeling Abbott really hates defending some of the Coalition's more reprehensible policies, but he is nothing if not a team player for Howard & Co.

Gillard was smiling like a fox in a henhouse:

"Hi, Tony!"

Of course Abbott came out all guns firing at Labor. But he still didn't want to answer questions about regional rorting - looks like the Coalition plan is to just keep stalling for another week. Could be a long week for poor Tony. But the show must go on!

"This is still very winnable," Mr Abbott told ABC Radio today.

"Let's not forget that it would be totally unprecedented for the Australian electorate to throw out a good and competent government for an un-tried opposition," he said.

"It's more likely that the people will change the polls than change the government."

Sure, Tony. Whatever. Makes sense to me... But don't tell anyone I said that.

Man, this is not just a Seinfeld election - it's a Bizarro Seinfeld election! Black is white, up is down and two plus two equals five.

UPDATE: OMFG! Hilarious! Confronted with the video this morning, Tony Abbott insisted that his comments on WorkChoices were "excellent"!

Speaking on Nine Network's Today show this morning, Mr Abbott would not resile from his "excellent statement".

But now he says he has reviewed the tape and decided that it has been doctored!

"It's absolutely clear that I never ever conceded that there had been any removal of protections," he said.

"What we've got here from the Australian Labor Party is a vicious and misleading cut-and-paste version of the tape, which completely and utterly distorts what I said. Kevin Rudd ought to apologise for this.

So what about your comments on Channel Nine this morning, Tony? Were they doctored by Rudd as well??? HA HAH HAH!!!

Abbott insists the tape is doctored because, umm... he has his own transcript showing he never said what the video clearly shows he said. It sure didn't look like a doctored tape to me! That is just pure bloody desperation!

Gandhi's Thought For The Day: There have always been lots of comparisons between Abbott and Latham. Looks like Abbott is providing the self-imolation entertainment this time around!

ANOTHER UPDATE: Abbott's office has now released text from his own transcript. It really doesn't sound much better!

The transcript shows that Mr Abbott said: "I accept that certain protections (in inverted commas) are not what they were.

"That whole raft of regulation expressed in awards that sometimes ran into hundreds, even thousands of pages, I accept that that has largely gone. I accept that.

"I accept that the Industrial Relations Commission doesn't have the same power to reach into the nook and cranny of every business that it used to have. I accept that."

Mr Abbott said in the transcript that the best protection for a worker who felt he or she might be under pressure was the chance of another better job.

"That is the best protection. Not going off to some judge or industrial commission that might order your employer, who you don't like and he doesn't like you, to keep you in an unhappy partnership forever.

"So that is the best protection that we can give people, the protection of an abundance of jobs, the protection of an economy which is crying out for more workers. That is the best protection and I think that has been delivered in spades locally and nationally."

LATE UPDATE: Bizarro John Howard:

"Tony Abbott did not say that protection had been taken away for workers."

Two plus two is five. It's all they have left.

EVEN LATER UPDATE: And now Howard is defending Mark Vaile:

"I think all of the commitments that have been made have been proper."

This ship is not sinking. I repeat, this ... (blub, blub, blub...)