If a week is a long time in politics the events of Tuesday and Wednesday outdid even that adage. A new Opposition leader and the defeat of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme had heads turning. The vote against the Emissions Trading Scheme was a direct result of the pressure applied by the people of Australia who joined our fight against this massive new tax. It is not over yet with Julia Gillard promising that the CPRS and its ETS will be brought back to Parliament on the first sitting day next year. It is this type of game-playing that will irritate the Australian people but the Opposition will be campaigning non-stop to see that this tax is defeated again. If that takes an election, bring it on. 

There has been some interesting commentary around the budgie-smuggler wearing new Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. I happened to knock on his hotel room door to wish him well and was greeted by Tony wearing his grundies. Which brings me to this comment left on my Agmates site: 

Senator Joyce, if you were any more of a hero, you'd have to wear tights.

Thank you Jonno for the compliment but I will spare you all from that sight.

Passions are running hot on the ETS but please keep the insults directed to me and the policies, not to each other. You will have noticed that if you want to make a comment on this blog or any of the articles on my website they appear straight away. That means the comments are not moderated, but they are read and over the past 12 months we have had to remove two as they were offensive to other people. This week a few more have crept in and they have been removed as well. I will leave all forms of criticism of me for the world to see, but please take it easy with each other and public figures. 

Thanks for all your support for the petition, the thousands of emails and telephone calls to my office and please keep in touch, 

Barnaby