Sunday 14 October 2012

That speech again in full


Sarah Toa has done us all a great service by posting up the full fifteen-minute tirade of the Australian Prime Minister straight between the eyes of the miserable Leader of the Opposition, and you can watch it again here on her site. Well worth every second.

Like most ordinary people, I usually think of the perfect put-down about 15 minutes after the target has gone, so anyone who can stand up in public and deliver such a lengthy and eloquent one deserves more admiration than I could possibly muster in an entire lifetime. This is the reason why I am drawn to writing my complaints - there is always plenty of time to edit and make sure that everything is as water-tight as possible, but even then, I will suddenly remember something left unsaid, or an opportunity not taken up - just as I have pressed the 'send' button or dropped the letter into the post-box.

If I had been in Ms Gillard's position (ha ha), my bottom lip would have started quivering within about 15 seconds of starting, and by about 30 seconds, I would have been escorted - sobbing incoherently - from the chamber by a sympathetic colleague with their arm around my shoulder, and it would have been a female colleague as well.

If I had been in the Leader of the Opposition's position, I would have been sobbing incoherently within 30 seconds too, so you have to hand it to him that he just managed to retain a look of complete humiliation for the entire 15 minutes, rather than bursting into tears.  Almost a true professional, but - like all bullies - all too human.

Usually, the best I can manage when struggling to find a pithy response to an eloquent insult is to stammer for a few seconds then shouting out the worst obscenity I can think of, before storming off to write a letter. This technique - rather unfairly - is called 'Irish Repartee', by some ignorant English people. If any nation has the gift for instant eloquence, it has to be the Irish.

Julia Gillard is now a hero in the UK, let alone Australia. How I wish we had politicians like her.

19 comments:

  1. It was a good speech. But she's still a politician, don't forget! xx

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    1. I wish we had a politician anything like as good as her.

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  2. Correct Brismod! I think she is a consumate politician.
    Maybe that is how she performed such a dry eyed slap down despite being so furious.
    And I agree Tom, I'd be in pieces after 30 seconds too.

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  3. It is a good speech, but yes, she is a politician. But bloody good on her! Abbott's superior smirk at the beginning doesn't last long.

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  4. I heard them talking about this on radio 4s News quiz
    So I sought it out myself.
    A cracking example of leadership and showmanship backed with a stout heart and a smart mouth.
    Wasn't she born in Wales?

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    1. You have a cracking example of a toilet-bowl in Wales these days. We have the rats to go with it.

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    2. for the first time in ages I could do with a few drinks!

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  5. Ps I bet Nicole Kidman will be asked to play her in the mini series

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  6. Sadly we haven't got any politicians with that kind of spunk these days. Where are all the Nye Bevans when we need them.
    As for pithy responses - I can always think of something apt and cutting I should have said but it is usually in the middle of the night after I was seething about some remark at lunch time.

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    Replies
    1. That's because they have learned the lesson from Bill Clinton - always destroy the frock afterwards.

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  7. Hell hath no fury...

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  8. Makes me want to move to Austailia where the political leader at least appears to have some balls...

    ...even if in reality she hasn't.

    She hasn't has she?

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  9. Be afraid Tom, be very very afraid.

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