Politics is not a glamour profession, yet rather than seek statemen as our leaders, we seem to prefer shiny new kids on the block. Granted Howard was putting up his hand for retirement, yet had he wished to fight an honest campaign, instead of inveigling us with his draconian Work Choices, he could have fought to the bitter end.
I am, however, glad he chose to step on his sword. On the other hand, in the melee that was 2005, we lost a grand politician in the former leader of the ALP, Kim Beazley. Rather than thrust him aside due to his repeatedly failed attempts at winning power, perhaps 2005+ Labor could have taken a leaf out of the Libs notebook.
Howard was Lazarus resurrected twice. He went on to run the country for ten years. Labor missed a great opportunity here, preferring a shiny new leader, a man with little experience as a cabinet minister, instead of a man with a bulk of experience and a bulk of compassion rarely witnessed in a politician. That he had a bulk of body weight seemed to weigh more heavily on Caucus than his previous achievements.
The end result today is that we have a bright sunshiny Milky Bar Kid, who having handed out his Milky Bars, is now bereft of ideas, responding only to the most dire predictions from his advisors. Having bungled the free pink batt scheme, he is gratuitously grabbing at the genome of our hospital system, declaring he’ll redesign it.
If he and his minions are incapable of administering a simple insulation installation, why should we feel confident about his hospital plan?
Better that Labor had supported their old war-horse, Beazley, the experienced politician, rather than this inexperienced gobbledegook talker. As Howard’s record shows, the electorate is not as vacuous as presented by Women’s Weekly, the Telegraph and mamamia.com.au
