Something fishy about blaming Hockey

Colleagues and scholars from coast to coast, across Bass Strait and all the ships at sea.

Dateline: Australia, Federal Politics, August 2015.

It's been reported that if the Liberal Party cops a caning in Canning then Joe Hockey may be canned.

However, this would be a humungous 'passing of the buck'.

The Greeks have a wise saying for just about every situation.

One common one is: "Το ψάρι βρωμάει από το κεφάλι" (phonetically) "To psári vro̱máei apó to kefáli" which translates in English as "The fish stinks from the head."

It literally tells us that as a fresh fish ages and begins to spoil, the odour alerting us to its unfitness for consumption commences from the head.

While a useful and practical piece of wisdom for our piscean gastronomical activities, its deeper meaning has far more significance.

Quite simply it's this: If an organisation is not performing well, look to the top for the reason.

If the Government is not performing well, look to the top for the reason, and the reason is its leader: Tony Abbott.

Yes, it's true, Joe Hockey is not the finest Treasurer we've had, but under Tony Abbott as PM, who would look good? 

To quote Paul Keating from 2010:

"If Tony Abbott ends up the Prime Minister of Australia, you gotta say, God help us. God help us." 

"Truly an intellectual nobody and has no policy ambition. Is that all there is? You know the song 'Is that all there is?' I mean is that where we'd be? Really?"

"Where is the thought out position? A conservative party can have a thought out position. The fact is that Abbott does not have this."

The fault, dear Antonius, is not in your Treasurer, but in yourself.