Re your post which included; "Lappy - I thought we were over the cultural cringe where we went gaga whenever "overseas" commentators talked about Australia. ..."
Get used to it my friend!
Outside Australia Rupert Murdoch doesn't tell people what to think; in the US they even ignored his tripe at the recent Presidential election campaign.
Re Sophie Mirabella, well she has officially become the most unpopular Coalition MP for Indi in history.
Her political neck may yet escape Indi's abattoir; but even then Indi has become the most marginal of electorates with Cathie McGowan very well-placed second time round.
If Mirabella survives it will only due to the absolutely saturation advertising campaign and use of 'external resources' late in the campaign; not only by the Liberals but also by PUP and KAP!
Tony Abbott would be well-advised not to have Mirabella on his frontbench or to allow her to be the public face of his government on programs such as Q&A.
Short term she may well spit the dummy all over the place but she has nothing of value to offer Australia and that will become increasingly apparent if she's made a Minister.
Of course, if Mirabella is not made a Minister all that Indi campaign material will be viewed as a great big con job for which she will be canned next time round.
