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The Abbott government is facing four big tests on four big issues linked to social views: homosexual marriage, climate change, free speech and border protection.
When I was Whip in the Senate, the Leader of the day told me that the only essential bills were the Budget Bills and the Supply Bills and that anything else was 'cream'.
'They've taken us back to the 1950s!' the defeated Labor MP from my electorate said about the incoming government. Actually, we both said it, in unison, half laughing, half despairing.
Looking at it in retrospect, I can now see clearly that I was fooled into dismissing him as some sort of rich lunatic, and I did not think much of his chances at the 2013 Federal Election.
Foremost of the NCTCS's political aims was to counter the Greens and their influence over primarily the ALP but, to a lesser extent, the Coalition and the Australian political climate generally.
