On the 16 August, Crikey published a series of searing verbal attacks from the government’s (self?) appointed attack spaniel, Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
It’s been an eventful past month, one that has hosted an APEC summit, a Liberal leadership crisis and some intriguing polls. Meanwhile, the government’s chief nemesis in Captain Teflon continues to evade controversy.
But that hasn’t kept Mr Downer in his kennel. Crikey is proud to publish the New Collected Snarlings of A. Downer: Government Attack Spaniel.
Yesterday, on Rudd the phoney:
Have confidence that the phoneyism of Kevin Rudd will be exposed in time. 14
14 September, the phoney line’s been dropped more than once:
This phoney line on pokies is just a profound embarrassment and it exposes the Labor Party and Mr Rudd for what they are, which is people pulling stunts with no capacity to govern Australia.
14 September, on morality:
I think that is so irresponsible, in fact I’d go so far as to say I think it is immoral to say that we should just walk out of Iraq and leave it as a bloodbath.
13 September, talking tough on Howard’s leadership crisis:
This isn’t a one-man show.
9 September, on criticism from the Greens Party on the APEC declaration:
These kinds of people (the Greens) think we should scrap the timber industry. I mean what sort of a world is that?
9 September, no love for Rudd:
The fact is that he (Rudd) is a person without experience and without substance.
7 September, the Foreign Minister’s two cents on Rudd’s Mandarin skills:
I know dozens and dozens of people who speak a lot of languages, they don’t just speak Mandarin, but other languages as well. I did the French language course and Mr Rudd did the Chinese language course. I did mine in two months and he did his in two years, that could say something about him and me or something about the two languages. I think the former but that sounds a tad partisan.
4 September, on the “cocky” Rudd:
I’ve seen many a politician get cocky and think they are going to win everything, the public love them and only to find they are defeated in the end. If I was Mr Rudd, I would not be quite so over-confident and take the Australian public so much for granted.
24 August, Downer says Rudd’s out of touch:
Kevin Rudd wants to be the boy in the bubble.
24 August, on Keating’s warnings on tensions between China-Japan:
This line that there is an arms race in north Asia and north Asian security is disintegrating, the risk of conflict between China and Japan, I just think it’s extremely unsophisticated, I think it’s complete nonsense actually. I think it’s very unsophisticated and I think we look for more than PR stunts from Mr Rudd and Mr Keating.
23 August, on stunt man Rudd:
Mr Rudd is full of stunts and I think as time goes on, people are starting to get to know Mr Rudd there is more to Mr Rudd than meets the eye, a lot more. Mr Rudd is a complete product of a public relations firm.
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