Entries tagged as ‘Kevin Rudd’
There has been, as of 8pm tonight, a move on the leadership of the Federal Labor Party. While Julia Gillard hasn’t formally challenged Rudd, the right wing faction are supporting her. As I write this, there is turmoil, not only within the Labor camp, but also the Liberal Party. This challenge will, in an instant, change the landscape of the upcoming election.
In one fell swoop, by installing Gillard as PM, Labor can erase its past mistakes, blaming them, perhaps unfairly, on Kevin Rudd. Equally, in one fell swoop, Tony Abbott has lost most of the ground he has recently gained. Labor will have cleaned the slate, and gained another chance. Gillard is undoubtedly a more convincing leader than Rudd ever was. Rudd’s job was to oust Howard. He did that with alacrity and aplomb. However his subsequent performance has been lacklustre to say the least.
On the other hand, by installing Tony Abbott as leader, the Libs have put all their money on returning a government along the lines of the Howard government. This has been a mistake of massive proportions. There will never be another long-serving conservative government along the lines of the Howard regime. He was a fitting end to an era.
Like Obama, Rudd was a herald of the new century, yet, unlike Obama, perhaps Rudd is merely a seat-warmer. The hours will decide.
The leadership challenge has been posted. Rudd has given a press conference.
Soon after 9am, we’ll all know who is going head to head with Tony Abbott.
Categories: bastards & champions
Tagged: #spill, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Labor, Liberals, Tony Abbott
Malcolm Turnbull was never made to be number two. Whereas Howard was happy to be, as he put it, ‘Lazarus with a triple bypass’, Turnball is an all or nothing man. In business there is no room for biding one’s time; strike while the iron is hot. Unfortunately for Malcolm, politics doesn’t work that way. Unlike his business forays, he hadn’t paid his dues in the political arena. Playing the underdog, being tossed aside for no reason, (he lost the leadership vote by three votes), are all part and parcel of the not always profitable game of politics.
Abbott is a seasoned prize fighter in the Liberal arena, Rudd has emerged through the ranks of diplomacy and senior bureaucracy to become PM. Neither of these men have the acumen that Turnbull has, yet unfortunately for the nation, they exhibit the tenacity and perseverance required in the cut and thrust of partisan politics.
Howard’s way was to be equally persistent; it took him three goes to get it right, but when he got it right, he was in the big house for eleven years, longer than anyone other than Menzies. In 2010, perhaps millionaire businessman Turnbull isn’t prepared to endure his time in the political wilderness. Tony Abbott will no doubt lead the Libs to the next election. It is doubtful that he’ll win. Turnbull recognises this. Six years in the wilderness is too long for a man of his decisive nature. If we are to see Malcolm in politics, he’ll either be asked to come back, or dragged back screaming.
Either way the Libs and Australia will benefit. In the meantime we are once again subjected to the miasma of a partisan scuffle between two career politicians, neither of whom have the experience to run a chook raffle.
Categories: bastards & champions
Tagged: Australian politics, Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott, Liberals, Malcolm Turnbull, Labor
November 5, 2009 · 1 Comment
While Miranda Devine is drawing an extremely long bow with her example of pilots being underused as an excuse for pilot error, she does make a valid point about the proliferation of bureaucracy over ‘ingenuity, resourcefulness and independent thought’. We are over-governed in our daily lives. Too many decisions affecting individual lives are being made on the strength of a rubber stamp, or its Microsoft equivalent.
Kevin Rudd is perpetuating this with his belief in, as Devine quotes,’ meetings, summits, talkfests, reviews, studies, probes, resolutions and facilitations.’
Rather than a terminator as leader we have a jargonator, a man more at home with the whiteboard than a hard binding decision. His recent meeting with women about body image was certainly productive for them, but was it merely fruit for the whiteboard* for Kevin?
*there is an old saying, that if something isn’t of great benefit, ‘at least it is fruit for the sideboard’.
Categories: bastards & champions · champions
Tagged: Kevin Rudd, Miranda Devine
A previous post likened Kevin Rudd to the Milky Bar Kid, however it seems that cartoonist Bill Leak was already way ahead, as he recalled the 1930s cartoon character Tintin for his caricature of Kevin ’07. 
While we have gotten rid of the orgre from the dark ages, it seems we have elected an apologetic ‘everyman’, a man seemingly for all, yet most likely of real benefit to none. His Milky Bar Kid Christmas handout is fiscally misguided, as is his safety net for the savings and bank accounts of ordinary Australians.
Tintin, you can please everyone for the first few months, but it is then that your government
needs to assume the full responsibility of directing our nation. Because you are in fact the CEO, and showponying, saying ‘sorry’ and handing out Milky Bars to pensioners and the like won’t cut the mustard come next election.
Categories: bastards & champions · politics
Tagged: Australian politics, cartoonists, cartoons, Kevin Rudd, Tintin
October 17, 2008 · 1 Comment
If Kevin Rudd were a TV image, he’d be the ‘Milky Bar Kid’, handing out Milky Bars to all those he can reach. While he is throwing Milky Bars out to the populace, some will benefit, and others will inordinately miss out. The indigenous didn’t actually get any Milky Bars, but they certainly got a ‘sorry’ for all the cream they hadn’t been poured over the last two hundred years. ‘Sorry’ makes up for a lot of spilt milk.
Women who leave a well-paid job to ‘have one for Mum, one for Dad, and one for the country’, also won’t be invited into Mr Rudd’s Chocolate Factory. After all, they obviously have enough of the ‘milk of human kindness’ to take off from work voluntarily in the first place.
In some postcodes, the Milky Bar Kid has dispensed with distributing confectionery, and is instead delivering plasma-screen TVs direct. Apparently it saves on the ordering and delivery time for all concerned.
However, the Milky Bar Kid could be caught short on cream, and only deliver froth. Skimming profits from the Dark Side, who previously held reign in the land of Oz, could leave a very sour taste indeed.
Categories: politics
Tagged: Australian politics, Kevin Rudd
