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7.30 meltdown shows PM is hot under the collar

Tim Wilson

by Tim Wilson

13 May 11:42am

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Filed under: Climate Change, Election 2010, Ets, Kevin Rudd

191 comments

Kevin Rudd’s ‘passionate’ outburst on climate change during an interview with the 7.30 Report’s Kerry O’Brien on Wednesday night shows he’s out of touch with voters as much as his temper.

Kevin Rudd stranded in 7.30 Report Land last night.

In response to criticism that he lacks the political kahunas to go to a double-dissolution on climate change Rudd said professed “Penny Wong and I sat up for three days and three nights (at Copenhagen) with 20 leaders from around the world to try and frame a global agreement. Now it might be easy for you to sit in 7:30 Report land and say that was easy to do. Let me tell you mate, it wasn’t”.

And the tone of Rudd’s voice suggests it wasn’t just in Copenhagen that he was getting sleepless nights and by the emphasis he put on the word “mate” it was probably code for something else.

But the problem for Rudd is that voters clearly don’t share his feigned outrage.

Results from a Galaxy poll commissioned by the IPA recently showed that 65 per cent of Australians now believe that climate change is entirely natural or the science is contestable.

Australian poll figures on this subject are not unique. A February Ipsos Mori poll from the United Kingdom saw a drop of public support for the number of people who believe climate change is “definitely” happening dropping from 44 per cent to a mere 31 per cent. And the number of people who thought concerns about climate change are exaggerated doubled from the previous year. It’s probably why climate change barely factored in the UK election.

Similarly a March poll from the US found that just under half of all Americans think that the seriousness of climate change is exaggerated. And this result wasn’t a one-off with the number doubting the seriousness increasing four years in a row.

But despite the current dip in support for the science of climate change, no one should doubt that the issue is going away.

Next week the conference equivalent of Mecca for climate change sceptics is being held in Chicago to address the future of climate change science and economics.

The Heartland Institute’s 4th International Conference on Climate Change themed on reconsidering the economics and climate change is likely to be a balance of serious policy discussion and triumphalism from opponents of the US’ cap-and-trade scheme and Australia’s ETS scheme.

But sceptics shouldn’t think they’ve slayed the climate beast for good.

In this week’s budget the government included a $30 million propaganda campaign to run print, radio, television and web-based campaigns to give confidence to voters that the dodgy science in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s fourth assessment report was just an accident.

The problem for Rudd is clearly that most voters clearly don’t share his view or his passion on climate change anymore. And instead voters are reading the science of climate change with the same cynicism that they’re taking to Rudd’s outbursts.

- Tim Wilson is Director of the IPA and Free Trade Unit at the Institute of Public Affairs and attended the Copenhagen Summit – www.ipa.org.au

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191 comments

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    • Henry says:

      12:00pm | 13/05/10

      Rudd could have had a double dissolution in order to vote on the ETS.  He didn’t.  He isn’t passionate.  He is a fake and a liar.  A coward.

      Kerry knows it.  We all know it.  These are his final days.  Thankfully.

      Reply

    • Wayne Fehlhaber says:

      02:32pm | 13/05/10

      Henry :  Correct !  Rudd wears the fake conservative facade at election time , the fake Green facade some of the time , and the fake compassionate facade on hospital visits which is most of his time .
      As far as the E,T.S. is concerned , Krazy Kev belted that drum until the electorate woke to the fact that they were going to pay for the bulk of it , then he blamed the Opposition and the Copenhagen farce for the E.T.S. failure. For once , Kerry O’Brien put some pressure on the P.M. which drew an ill-tempered response from Krazy Kev who showered the blame for no E.T.S. on everyone but the government.
      Yes , he may well be into his final days as Labor leader at least.

    • Douglas says:

      03:18pm | 13/05/10

      It wasn’t a meltdown. That’s what the Mad Abbott does.

      We should remember Aggott’s meltdown on national television when he swore at a woman MP.

      And when he insulted Bernie Banton as he lay on his deathbed.

      And when he cackled like a maniac during the Health Debate:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itUmT2LRPzo

      And, when addressing the Business Council of Australia:


      ...some of those who attended….described Mr Abbott’s presentation as weak and lacking in detail…“It was a policy free zone”, said one person who attended the speech by Mr Abbott. “He just couldn’t provide any details on anything”, said another…

      ...Abbott appeared tired after participating in the Ironman Triathlon two days before the meeting. He appeared to lose his temper on several occasions. Pushed to reveal policy, he is reported to have snapped “well, you tell me what your policy is”.

      [Australian Financial Review, 8 April 2010, page 6]

    • Martin says:

      04:43pm | 13/05/10

      Douglas: Is KRudd or Abbott our topic now? Anyway when Abbott is in action he has his cool. But KRudd just lost it - can see that very clearly in his body language.

    • Far Canal says:

      05:39pm | 13/05/10

      Contrived anger, another facet to the rudderless ship that is KRudd.

    • Comedian says:

      12:02pm | 13/05/10

      I’m not a Rudd fan or hater and always try to be balanced but there was nothing in that, no outburst in my books….beat up
      If he had taken off his tie and wrapped it around his head and said “I pity the fool”, well that would be a different story.

      Reply

    • Matt says:

      02:19pm | 13/05/10

      How is this an outburst?????

      More confected outrage from the Opposition and their fellow travellers at the IPA - and from a media a bit too obsessed with confrontation.

      At best it’s a beat-up - at worst it’s pretty damn irresponsible journalism bordering on lies.

      Get a grip guys - perhaps a story on something worthwhile instead?

    • Jeanne says:

      04:30pm | 13/05/10

      From where have all these Rudd “supporters” turned up? Matter is, he is Australia’s leader, and as such is expected to have decorum in public, particulalry on a topic that has international interest and attention. To present internationally like a spoilt child that is not getting his way is, to say the least, disgusting. No wonder kids today are rude, abrasive and lack finesse - they have no mentors…

    • Helen says:

      01:34pm | 14/05/10

      I’m not a “supporter” of Rudd, Jeanne, I vote Green, and yes this IS a complete and utter beatup. I watched the 7.30 report segment, did you? Rudd was clearly cheesed and he spoke forcefully and with passion - no crude language, no eccentric tics a la Abbot,Joyce or Heffernan. I actually quite liked it because for once he was speaking with a bit of passion, but nowhere did he cross the line from vehement to downright loopy, as the aforementioned 3 do almost daily.

    • Super D says:

      12:09pm | 13/05/10

      Shame they didn’t leave a camera or microphone running after he went off air.  I reckon he would have gone ballistic.

      Reply

    • Macca says:

      01:37pm | 13/05/10

      If only! would have been gold!

    • Matt Stewart says:

      01:50pm | 13/05/10

      That’s exactly what I thought when I finished watching the clip!  You could see at the end he was biting his tongue and really just wanted to go berserk.  If O’Brien didn’t cop it, I bet his staffers did.

      That was one of the most enjoyable political interviews I’ve seen in a long time.

    • dancan says:

      03:46pm | 13/05/10

      I wonder if he cracked out the “Do you know who I am?!” line

    • Brian Connor says:

      12:10pm | 13/05/10

      Henry - concur 100%, great comment .

      ALP is all about power, nothing to do with public service. Liberals/Nationals could be doing something else with their time but are there to serve society.

      To get Red Kerry fired up at an ALP pollie ........the game is up Chameleon Rudd.

      Reply

    • d.jay.stevo says:

      03:34pm | 13/05/10

      “Liberals/Nationals could be doing something else with their time but are there to serve society”  Well no prizes for guessing who you support, but really, got an example? The poor and disadvantaged are part of society you know?

    • Kelly says:

      12:18pm | 13/05/10

      Anything Rudd does for public viewing is orchestrated, whether it’s looking like he’s being tough or if he’s on Rove, holding hands in hospitals or whatever. The man is fake fake fake.

      Reply

    • Christian Real says:

      06:41pm | 13/05/10

      Kelly, you say Rudds a fake, and yet you fail to see that Abbott’s a phoney, like his policies that he hasn’t got, why did Abbott even accept and turn up to an Health debate without a policy to debate.

    • Jack says:

      07:12pm | 13/05/10

      Rudd prided himself during the election campaign on not releasing any policies. All he would say, is yes we have one. And the press let him get away with that. Even the left leaning Barrie Cassidy admitted they had not scrutinised Rudd’s policies right up to election day, the passed it off by saying. its too late now.
      If you want to know what Abbot thinks, read his book Christian. Rather conceal his ideas like the hollow man Rudd, they are out in the public domain and he is very happy to debate them.

    • nic says:

      12:21pm | 13/05/10

      Rudd used the word ‘cowardice’  to deride the Opposition in not following his plan. He even pushed for a double-dissolution election on the issue. He described AGW as being ‘the single biggest moral challenge’ of our time.  What are his actions since then?  He’s back-tracked and has slashed funding devoted to the issue from the Government’s budget. Hardly the actions of someone who is passionate and sincere. He comes across as being an opportunist, who really stands for nothing.

      Reply

    • iansand says:

      12:21pm | 13/05/10

      The Heartland Institute?  Weren’t they the frontmen mouthing pseudo-science for the tobacco companies?

      Reply

    • Shane says:

      01:15pm | 13/05/10

      Yeah, you’re right. They’re the ones who think passive smoking is OK, Climate Change is Crap, and theres no need to send more water down the Murry-Darling.

    • Matt Stewart says:

      01:52pm | 13/05/10

      Yeh, they’ve been wrong before.  Conclusive proof that they will always and forever be wrong.

    • Shane says:

      02:42pm | 13/05/10

      I’m not closed minded enough to assume that they’re always wrong. Just that they’ve got an agenda which runs contrary to that vast majority of real and growing scientific evidence on a number of important issues. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to look at their form on a variety of topics; as all media organisations do, eg. Rudd form on Backflips, Abbott form on changing his mind on issues to suit the politics.

      I am fairly confident in my assumption that you’re a simpleton though.

    • Matt Stewart says:

      03:11pm | 13/05/10

      Assume away.  It can only work to my advantage.

    • acker says:

      12:23pm | 13/05/10

      I still want to challenge this joker to a debate even though “The Punch” wants to gag me ! ..just a sample of some issues..Water Buy Backs destroying rural economies with no balanced recompence such as decentralization incentives such as Corporate Tax breaks and Zone rebates to tax payers earning over $20000 in areas over 250km from Cities over 250,000 people.
      National Reserves not paying shire rates
      Solar Flagships contenders bolted onto Coal Fired Power stations
      Crappy Rural Highways
      Railway tracks being pulled upped
      Dangerous tree limbs falling on people near rivers
      89% of the population living on about 1% of the Australian land mass
      Those 89% of urban legends trying to tell the 11% of us living in the other 99% of Australia how to suck eggs

      Bring it on brother

      Reply

    • shabangabang says:

      12:23pm | 13/05/10

      If that was hot under the collar than I am a Nazi in the making. I get more fired up than that when I spill milk.
      The way I see it he just ‘passionately’ spoke in that tone to ensure Kerry whats-his-name didn’t interrupt him as he tends to do, a lot.

      Reply

    • Mark says:

      01:42pm | 13/05/10

      Snicker…yeh right.

      Keerry the Red called his own messiah a coward and didn’t the Ruddster hate that.

      All he left was blame game politics to which he included everyone literally the Libs and the rest of the world.

      I laughed so hard. Little “I wanna be head of the UN” Kevvie basically siad he was right and the rest of the world was wrong.

      The meglomania was dripping of the walls. The tears of the Labor fanbois are delicious.

    • neil says:

      01:58pm | 13/05/10

      Actually Red Kerry normally only interrupts right wing politicians, he has been a member of the Labor party and was a media advisor to Whitlam. Until last night he has let Labor pollies spin their propaganda with out bringing them to task at all. His last “interview” with Swan was like a fire side chat compared to his viscous attacks on Hockey.

      Now, even Labors greatest media yes man has seen through the hollow man and he’s angry that he’s been lied to like the rest of us.

    • Your nameParis44 says:

      09:08pm | 13/05/10

      I agree. I watched the interview and saw conviction and emotion. He spoke strongly and concisely. He needs to speak like this every time he does an interview to get his policies across. I can recall John Howard getting more fired up then Kevin so why all this negative press? Get real people what kind of leader do you want, someone who’s ever so nice and curteous or someone with passion and drive for change?

    • Against the Man says:

      09:48pm | 13/05/10

      Howard got results, Rudd has achieved nothing and caused more problems. There are lots of people in denial that they made a BIG mistake voting for the bad temper fraud.

    • Cameron Price-Austin says:

      12:24pm | 13/05/10

      I agree with Comedian, he was aggressive but it wasn’t an outburst.

      However, Kerry asked a very good question: forget about a double-dissolution—if Rudd is so passionate about climate change why not make it central to his election campaign and seek the mandate (and majority) required to pass it?

      Reply

    • Kate says:

      12:28pm | 13/05/10

      Because he has no courage?

    • Cameron Price-Austin says:

      12:35pm | 13/05/10

      Probably. Public support has dropped like a brick.

    • persephone says:

      12:54pm | 13/05/10

      Um, because he did last time? And he got a mandate for it then.

      He said in the interview, btw, that he would be happy for the ETS to be an issue central to the next election.

    • Jonathan Appleyard says:

      01:17pm | 13/05/10

      persephone, he said he’d be happy to fight the election on climate change but he wouldn’t say he’d fight an election on the ETS, even when challenged by Kerry O’Brien.

      It seems the phrase ETS is dead.

    • steve says:

      01:22pm | 13/05/10

      He had to drop it as policy as it would have shot holes in his budget
      The ETS and NBN had to come out of the budget to get it to balance

      His position is about politics not the environment or the provision of High Speed downloads for 36 Billion $$$$$$$$$$ of your money

    • Cameron Price-Austin says:

      01:30pm | 13/05/10

      @persephone

      I meant the majority required in the Senate.

      He is welcome to fight the election on climate change. No-one is stopping him. He sets the agenda.

      Why hasn’t he done that? Why not go to the Australian people and say

      “We still think this is the greatest moral challenge of our generation and we believe our ETS is the best mechanism for reducing emissions. We’ve been frustrated in the Senate, but if you support our party in the upper house this election we’ll finally be able to push this through”.

      Instead, he’s postponed it to at least 2012.

    • Shane says:

      01:36pm | 13/05/10

      2 paths through the senate. 1. Coalition which is a no because they don’t belive in Climate Change. 2. Greens and independants, and Fielding might as well be in the coalition on this issue. So, no possible way to get it through the senate. A double dissolution would result in a completely new Senate next year (not sure of the timing). Then presuming the bill passed, because of the hold up in the Senate, the lead time in implementing the program makes implementation next year impossible. Therefore, delay of the ETS would be required to provide enough lead time for implementation. Opposition in the Senate results has caused the delay.

    • Mark says:

      01:46pm | 13/05/10

      Blame game politics from the Kruddster.

      The rest of the world stood in his way and is wrong!!

      I laughed so load at his hissy fit.

      The meltdown has begun well and truly. I am going to love thios campaign with the big taxing Labor trying to prove themselves through spin and lies as otherwise.

    • Just Sayin' says:

      01:56pm | 13/05/10

      If he had a mandate, persephone, it wouldn’t be an issue.  When the people give you the numbers, they give you a mandate.  When they don;t give you the numbers, you don’t have a mandate. 

      It’s easy to spot someone who doesn’t have a mandate, they run around telling people they have a mandate rather than using one to pass their agenda.

    • Ben81 says:

      02:50pm | 13/05/10

      Persephone - “He said in the interview, btw, that he would be happy for the ETS to be an issue central to the next election. “

      No.  Kerry asked if that was the case, and then Rudd jumped in and said “climate change” would be a central issue, ignoring mention of the ETS.  He then avoided the term and used noncommittal language.

    • Steve_of_Cornubia says:

      03:28pm | 13/05/10

      What Rudd does in the future does not alter he fact that he tried to force an ETS on us ahead of Copenhagen while other more sensible people said, “let’s wait and see”. We now know that he was (again) wrong and only luck, the internet, the demise of Turnbull and an epiphany on Abbott’s part saved us from an economic disaster.

      Rudd has yet to pay the full price for his bullying and Kerry is just the start.

      Oh, and Kerry hasn’t changed his politics, he’s just doing his bit to pin all the blame on Kevin rather than Labor, thus ensuring that Julia survives the whole, expensive debacle that was Kevin’s brief reign.

    • Paul says:

      04:10pm | 13/05/10

      Just Sayin says “It’s easy to spot someone who doesn’t have a mandate, they run around telling people they have a mandate rather than using one to pass their agenda. “.

      This. Exactly This.

      Post of the day.

    • persephone says:

      06:50pm | 13/05/10

      Actually, I haven’t heard Rudd use the ‘mandate’ line - I’m just pointing out that he does have one on this issue.

      He got the numbers needed in the Lower House, but it would have been virtually impossible for him to get them in the Senate, given that there had been a larger number than normal of Coalition senators elected previously, and none of them were up for re election.

      Whether he mentiioned the ETS or not in the 7.30 report interview, I have seen at least half a dozen transcripts (and I haven’t read them all) from interviews in the last few weeks where he has made it very clear he is committed to an ETS. In fact, he repeated this in Parliament again today.

    • Christian Real says:

      06:56pm | 13/05/10

      No Kate, it is because Tony ( the phoney ) Abbott and his coalition party blocked the ETS in the Senate.
      Instead of bullshitting like you Liberals are doing, why don’t you have the guts to acknowledge the truth for a change(oh I forgot, truth is something that the Liberal party and their blind sheep followers don’t believe in, is it?)
      Abbott is Un-Australian and not working in the bests interests of Australia or Australians,by blocking everything from passing through the Senate, just for the sake of blocking bills..

    • Greek Snake says:

      02:28pm | 14/05/10

      @Christian Real: Wow you did all that Liberal bashing and didn’t say the W phrase even once?

      WORKING FAMILIES! There I said it… ahahaha. What about Working Families? Working Families! Working. Families.

      The ALP has that term on cool-down now right?

      You don’t really state your view on the ETS though Christian, I mean in amongst all that Liberal bashing all you do really is dictate Rudd’s failures to pass legislation designed to combat the “greatest moral challenge of our time”.

      If I were to ask you, from a completely neutral political standpoint, why, if KRudd thinks Anthropogenic Global Warming is such a huge issue, did he shelve it until 2012? Why, did he base the budget on a super-tax “maybe” and not do the same for the ETS? Neither of them have passed in the senate yet, but fact is Rudd strives to be the cool kid. He doesn’t care about moral challenges and working families, he cares about the vote and making the popular calls.

      He thinks he’s Robin Hood with this super tax and that people will love him for taking down the big mining giants. In fact, in a few months time I expect to see him blow up on television after several mining companies stall new projects costing the respective states thousands of jobs.

      Then the super-tax will join the greatest moral challenge of our time somewhere on the ALP back burner.

      Maybe one day he’ll come up with an idea that people will like, hopefully by then, the ALP is long gone.

      Kevin 07? Not again in 2010!

    • Charles says:

      12:28pm | 13/05/10

      Even with Kevin Rudd’s hissy fit he still couldn’t answer the question.  This bloke is a rolled gold drop-kick.

      There is still the Renewable Energy Target to knock down as well.  This is where the government gets electricity consumers to pay lots of money for their electricity just so that they can put up big wind turbines on the hills and still burn the same amount of fossil fuel.  Most of this money goes overseas to undeserving toads like Al Gore.

      Another Deep Green own goal!

      Reply

    • freeman says:

      08:15pm | 13/05/10

      hehehehe….... hissy fit, I love it, and that’s exactly what little kevin does.
      he has little hissy fits when he doesn’t have his way or can’t find a hair dryer. he talks big but is looking more like a sissy every day.

    • Faz says:

      12:35pm | 13/05/10

      It comes over as a bit more genuine when supporters of action of climate change put the boots into Rudd for not having the ‘kahunas’ to go the double dissolution route, but when ‘I-think-climate-change-is-crap’ merchants like Abbott and the IPA are critical it wears very thin.

      In short the two positions are,

      1. We think climate change is crap but we’re going spend crap-loads to do something about it because that’s the politics.
      or
      2. We think climate change is real and we’ll spend money now and a whole lot more when it’s politically possible to do so.

      Neither position is inspiring, but which is the less honourable, who has the smaller kahunas?

      Reply

    • Ben81 says:

      01:22pm | 13/05/10

      You forgot one.
      3. We think humans probably have an effect on the world’s climate, but even if we are 100% responsible for any variance in average temperatures Australia completely shutting down tomorrow let alone just reducing our emissions would do quite literally nothing to change that, and we shouldn’t spend billions of dollars and make ourselves much less competitive on our own just for nothing more than a token gesture.

    • Just Sayin' says:

      01:58pm | 13/05/10

      Actually, there’s another.

      4.  You believe it all, you believe you could make a difference, but you don’t care.  I mean seriously, is human life really worth preserving?

    • Shane says:

      12:35pm | 13/05/10

      What the hell is wrong with the journalistic commentary these days? I don’t particularly like Rudd, but for god’s sake, if he’s calm all the time then he’s considered calculating and cold, if he shows some emotion, all of a sudden he’s emotionally unstable. I think Obama had it partially right last week when he said the 24 hour news cycle is putting pressure on democracy. You end up with politicians playing to the base instincts of news organisations, avoiding major future reform, and spending all their time fighting off constant and relentless criticism. Obviously Journalistic integrity and scrutiny is vital in a democracy, but its getting to the point where every facial tick is blown up into “signs of stress”, evidence of imminent aneurism or stroke!!!! The papers sell, the morons believe it, it becomes a self fulfilling story, and off we go to another election and the whole pointless mess starts again.

      Reply

    • Peter says:

      01:50pm | 13/05/10

      Shane - “you end up with politicians playing to the base instincts of news organisations”.  But that’s exactly what the news organisations want.
        The journos, editors and owners don’t want to stand for elections they just want to be players and rule the world from a desktop.

      Rudd was great last night.  He showed the passion we’ve been wanting and good on him.  The media have been following Abbott’s rehearsed putdowns of Rudd for almost 3 years.  It’s tiring and they’ve become boring and wonder why we don’t buy their papers.
      Good on you PM - when you think their being childish with their repeated questions let them know.

    • Matt Stewart says:

      02:01pm | 13/05/10

      Being condescending to your host =/= showing passion.  He was bitter, angry, and frustrated.  Sure, there is definitely some passion in the man, but that’s not what was coming through in that interview.

    • Ben81 says:

      02:04pm | 13/05/10

      Wait, now Abbott’s rehearsed and Rudd is genuine, Peter?  I’m glad i’m not drinking anything or i’d need a new keyboard!  He’s got a few repeated lines lately but bloody hell, that’s some strange double standards you’ve got there.

      And you can’t seriously say that a PM avoiding questions by talking in circles and then pretending to be angry when he doesn’t get his way is a good thing can you?  Watch the interview and point me to the “childish” part, I can’t find it.

    • Les says:

      04:00pm | 13/05/10

      Shane I couldn’t agree more. You are correct.

      What passes for journalism these days is laughable. The line between what is reporting, what is opinion, and what is rumour / hearsay / PR spin has become extremely blurred, to the point where journalists who are meant to be reporting on facts instead push a whole bunch of opinion based hearsay and rumours. It’s quite pathetic really. Should most journalists even have the right to call themselves journalists anymore?

    • Paul says:

      04:08pm | 13/05/10

      Peter - I couldnt care less about passion. What I want to see is results, and want a leader/government I can trust. I would support a government that is boring as bat-shit, as long as they deliver what they say they will deliver.

      At the moment, we are not even close.

    • Robert of Rural SA says:

      11:30pm | 13/05/10

      Sorry Peter rage is rage it wasn’t passion, just a little sociopath showing his true self

    • Paulm says:

      12:36pm | 13/05/10

      A greater proportion of the population seem to believe whatever they are exposed to in the mainstream media.  If they took the time to read some of the documents provided by the CSIRO and other unbiased scientific bodies they’d know man made climate change is very real.  Then again, these documents are probably too complicated and boring, so then we are back to the mainstream media’s summary of this data, which is thin on the ground indeed.  But anyway, I simply ask people to consider this.  100 years ago there weren’t many cars, there were only 1 billion people on the planet, and not much electricity usage.  Now there are 6.5 billion people, with a couple of billion of these migrating from rural to urban lifestyles and with those in western countries having ever increasing energy footprints.  This energy is still mainly provided by coal power stations.  Cars and deisel trains and trucks are of course everywhere.  Don’t forget to add in wide-scale deforrestation , which is a reduction in natures ability to capture and store carbon.  But anyway, even if the west doesn’t believe in it, or is to beholden to oil and coal to do anything about it, China is making massive investments in green energy sources and looks like it will lead the world in this area.  Oh, I also think its a case of waiting for the baby boomers to retire from their current leadership positions across society, they just don’t seem to really give a shit and if anythingare currenlty building energy guzzling desal planst across Australia.  Or on the local level retiring to buy massive 4WDs to do the shopping in.  Indeed, love this representation by Friedman of the baby boomers. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/opinion/09friedman.html  So are you up to the challenge baby boomers?

      Reply

    • neil says:

      02:10pm | 13/05/10

      “the CSIRO and other unbiased scientific bodies”

      Exactly how can you be unbiased when you are paid to studt AGW? Remember last month just when the Senate buget commity was sitting the CSIRO and BOM released a joint paper with no viable scientific argument, it’s gotten warmer so it must be our fault, and tried to tell any media that would listen that more study was urgent. I.e. give us more money!

      That’s unbiased is it?

    • Ryan says:

      02:45pm | 13/05/10

      @Paulm : actually I wouldn’t like to assume that I represent the next rounds of generations however I am pretty sure that Gen X and Gen Y are quite well educated on the “FACTS” surrounding Global Warming. We are well educated on “Climategate” when one of the main climate centers was caught lying, fudging figures in computer models and “hiding the decline”. We are also well aware that these so-called “trustworthy” climate centers will not release raw temperature data for other scientists to reach this so-called “concensus” that is spouted.

    • CBP says:

      03:45pm | 13/05/10

      @Ryan,
      Actually us Gen Xs and Ys don’t read much Bolt, so we know that Climategate was a non-scandal beat up by Murdoch’s illiterate journos; there is not a scrap of evidence that any figures were fudged and all scientists have been vindicated by independant audits again and again and again; and that the vast majority of raw data is available online for anyone who cares to look.
      @neil
      Read the science, not the political summaries or the journos gloss. Make up your own mind. This is as unbiased as it gets.

    • Ryan says:

      05:02pm | 13/05/10

      @CBP : perhaps you are misinformed about the actual raw data availability and how this was handled, try : http://climateaudit.org/2010/03/31/tricking-the-committee/  for some of that unbiased info you are looking for rather than watching the ABC or listening to those with vested interests like Al Gore.

    • neil says:

      06:38pm | 13/05/10

      @Ryan, Iv’e been following the science of AGW since the early 90’s I started out a firm believer but as the science matured it became obvious that human activilty and CO2 have very little influence on an established GH climate.

      But by the time this was clear there was an entire industry dependant on goverments funding AGW research, that’s when it changed from a science to a religion. And snake oil salesmen and nutters like Gore, Flannery and Hamilton started to use it to push their own agandas.

    • Jack says:

      07:25pm | 13/05/10

      So people aren’t carbon based organisms then. Nor are animals and grass and flowers. Nor are plastics? Nor are crops like wheat and corn and sorghum?
      You really do not make much sense. What about all the bacteria on earth, that ultimately control everything by decay and the biggest users of CO2 on the planet, phytoplankton.
      East Anglia have admitted they use post normal science, which basically is science deconstructed by post modernism, so they feel free to adjust data to any ideas they might think up. They freely admit that the IPCC is run by post normal science theory. In other words whatever cockeyed idea East Anglia puts to the IPCC is accepted and passed on as peer reviewed.
      Very, very shallow thinking.

    • Steve says:

      12:38pm | 13/05/10

      At least it Rudd in the real true him everything I have seen before seems fake.
      The thing is that the opposition was saying wait until the world made up thier minds. Now the ALP are saying the same thing. !!!!
      Rudd is absoultley passionate about climate change or passionate about getting relected.

      Im pretty amazed that he canned it and not take it to the Australian people? If it so passionate about. It looks bad for Rudd and he cant really justify why he didnt take it to a double dissoultion.

      Reply

    • julia says:

      12:40pm | 13/05/10

      Kev gives new meaning to the words ‘angry with the world’, doesn’t he?

      And what’s with the extended ‘f’ in fundamental? Was he trying not to say a one syllable word which rhymes with ‘truck’?

      Reply

    • Opinionated observer says:

      12:43pm | 13/05/10

      I just don’t see the relevance of Rudd having sleepless nights in Copenhagen to the debate.  Its all very nice that he was committed to driving an agreement over there, and I can understand his concerns about the political context now - but the fact is he can either call a DD election and get it through, or make it an election issue with a view to achieving a mandate and getting it through.

      Both of those are legitimate options to deal with ‘the greatest moral challenge of our time’.

      Rudd is embarrassed and so he should be - he has been exposed as a fraud more interested in hyperbole than the substance of the policy he promotes.

      Reply

    • TC says:

      03:39pm | 13/05/10

      I agree. No one cares how long it took to fail, just that he did.

    • monkeytypist says:

      12:44pm | 13/05/10

      This is fascinating to watch.  Is there a name for the academic study of how mistruths get disseminated and spread?  The right wing noise machine has been trying to puff this one up all day and it seems like it’s getting legs.  But, there’s one problem -

      Watch the video for yourself (It’s on the ABC website)! If that’s what’s considered “losing your temper”, then the Liberal party must have the cushiest bosses/customers/spouses/relatives imaginable.  There is just no basis for saying that rudd “lost it” - in fact there’s a better basis for saying that he handled a difficult and uncomfortable line of questioning reasonably well.

      Reply

    • Cameron Price-Austin says:

      12:53pm | 13/05/10

      I thought Swan’s post-budget interview with Kerry was equally heated.

    • Ben81 says:

      01:44pm | 13/05/10

      The Liberals are just riding the controversy in the media, it’s not like this came from one of their press releases.  Rudd spoke in a way out of character from his usual self when backed into a corner (his public self anyway) and it’s getting attention.  He still didn’t answer the question either.

      “in fact there’s a better basis for saying that he handled a difficult and uncomfortable line of questioning reasonably well. “
      By avoiding all the questions asked of them?  Sometimes it’s like he actually has an answer, but he goes out of his way to make sure he doesn’t say it directly!

    • Ben81 says:

      01:44pm | 13/05/10

      The Liberals are just riding the controversy in the media, it’s not like this came from one of their press releases.  Rudd spoke in a way out of character from his usual self when backed into a corner (his public self anyway) and it’s getting attention.  He still didn’t answer the question either.

      “in fact there’s a better basis for saying that he handled a difficult and uncomfortable line of questioning reasonably well. “
      By avoiding all the questions asked of them?  Sometimes it’s like he actually has an answer, but he goes out of his way to make sure he doesn’t say it directly!

    • Steve the Elder says:

      04:19pm | 13/05/10

      I would love to watch the interview, however I am staying at a bandwidth impoverished outback town (Coonabarabran NSW). Can’t wait to get back to my 100 thingamargig optic fibre connection.

    • Saskia says:

      12:48pm | 13/05/10

      He comes across as a loony. 

      I think he has lost it (not that he ever had it!). 

      The fake smile as he feels smug at his own fluffy words is sickening beyond belief.

      When you are a man… at least try to act masculine.

      Reply

    • I'm still chuckling says:

      12:49pm | 13/05/10

      It wasn’t a “passionate outburst on climate change” rather than a “tiny tanty” when Kerry had the gall to ask him a difficult question.  It was a lip licking eye twitching, neck straining, hand waving moment.  It must have taken a huge effort on his part not to vault the desk and throttle Kerry for making him look bad.  I did note that his hair didn’t move throughout the ordeal so something went right on the night.

      Reply

    • The Master says:

      12:58pm | 13/05/10

      The “right wing noise machine” as it has been aptly described here wouldn’t be getting the legs it is if it wasn’t for a lazy, out of touch media. Any journalist worth his salt would know the name Mark Arbib has been more prominent in their in-box for the last week. Arbib has a big reputation as a strategist and it’s very possible Rudd’s been told to listen to him, and the other strategists. This is clearly Rudd trying to prove he’s not a wimp, anyone who watched last night’s interview and thought anything else should hand in their media credentials on the way out.

      Reply

    • TC says:

      03:45pm | 13/05/10

      Count how many times he tells you “what I stand for and believe in….” now that the public say he doesnt stand for anything

    • Mike says:

      12:58pm | 13/05/10

      This is Rudds usual response when being asked a question he thinks he shouldn’t be asked in front of the camera. It doesn’t happen often because journo’s are affraid they’ll be cut from access to him. He has that look of “how dare you!” It’s called arrogance.

      Reply

    • Nick says:

      01:00pm | 13/05/10

      I love the idea that Kerry O’Brien lives in 7:30 Report land.

      Stand by for a lighthearted Rudd appearance on Good News Week / 7pm Project.

      Reply

    • Tex Ranger says:

      01:01pm | 13/05/10

      Rudd blew up when Kerry accused him of having “squibbed”.  Truth hurts PM.  If it’s cowardice for one, it’s cowardice for the other.  You can’t have Tanner running around today, telling Abbott to “put up or shut up”, when you yourself have failed to “put up” on the “greatest moral challenge”.

      You can’t say you have tried everything within your power when you have the DD in your pocket.  You know full well that if you were to pull the trigger, you would just shoot yourself in the foot.

      Reply

    • Christian Real says:

      07:08pm | 13/05/10

      Tex Ranger, The truth is that Rudd did not squib, as you falsify in your comment, the truth is Abbott and the coalition blocked the ETS from passing through the Senate’
      Libs = Liars Incorporated Business Syndicate

    • one for the sheeple says:

      01:09pm | 13/05/10

      Oh wow kevin, you and penny stayed up three days and three nights?
      Puuuuhhhhleease like that means anything
      Keep dumbing it down for the sheeple

      The ETS (ENORMOUS TAX SCAM) aka international banksters bailout has been planned behind the scenes FOR YEARS and mostly by those with an interest in making money from carbon trading (Goldman Sachs anyone?) It takes about 5 mins on google to find that one out. Kevin is doing the bidding of the UN and the rest of the globalist scum.

      The vacuous and disingenuous faux outrage from kevin is pathetic
      Give us all a big break from the dumbed down propaganda

      Reply

    • Paul2 says:

      04:38pm | 13/05/10

      Like Obama over there (Change you can believe in….ha ha) Rudd is a front man for the globalists.  I’m sure he’s looking down the barrel of not getting his treasured dream of a UN office, thianks to his failure to deliver Australia up to his Masters in the timeframe required.  No matter, the Member for Goldman Sachs has rediscovered his own burning ambition.  They’ll get us yet.

    • Crash says:

      06:35pm | 13/05/10

      Well if that’s all the case I’d best make sure I get out my tinfoil hat to block the sateliites from reading my thoughts

    • Mattj says:

      01:16pm | 13/05/10

      The interview was gold.  Rudd is normally so sugar coatingly smug that it was fantastic to see him lose it a little…let a bit of his real character get through. 

      When my ex GF was a receptionist for his wife, before the days when he was on Sunrise, he used to call from time to time to speak to “the missus” (that’s for you Kev!).  Apparently he actually pulled the “don’t you know who I am” line one time when asked who was calling.  Went nuts apparently.  I always teased my GF about calling one of the current affairs programs while he was running for election, and relay the story. 

      But she refused because he was going to do something about climate change, or something or other…

      Gold.

      Disclaimer: I’m not that fond of Abbott either.  Seems we have a South Park scenario presenting itself to us for the next election.  A choice between a “douche or a sh*t sandwich”!

      Reply

    • Mark says:

      01:44pm | 13/05/10

      Take the shot sandwich then. You already know the douche is hopeless.

    • Brad Price says:

      01:17pm | 13/05/10

      Further to this latest outburst is that he has shown he can’t handle difficult situations. Remember the spats for lack of his favourite meal on a plane flight. Let’s not forget the lack of a hair dryer while visiting troops in Afghanistan!
      Let the implode continue…....

      Reply

    • Jonathan Appleyard says:

      01:20pm | 13/05/10

      I’m glad Kerry O’Brien lives in “7.30 Report land” because it means he asks the tough questions.

      The so-called journos in the Canberra Press Gallery couldn’t ask a tough question to a Labor politician if they tried.

      The only certainty after last night’s meltdown is that Rudd will withdraw from the serious media again and do more Mel and Kochie and Kyle and Jackie O.

      Reply

    • DJ says:

      01:30pm | 13/05/10

      I know why it was so cold this morning ........ the ABC attacking the ALP ?
      Hell must have frozen over !

      Reply

    • Greg says:

      01:30pm | 13/05/10

      you have to ask where was Rudd more comfortable?

      Rove
      GNW
      7.30 Report

      If I where the PM I would stick to GNW.

      Reply

    • demeter says:

      01:36pm | 13/05/10

      Rudd has yet again saved the Australia tax payer millions of dollars. He is patient enough not to call a double dissoultion election because he know that a general election was coming up. As he said he will have the ETS as a central part of his election platform. It worked last time and it will work again. It not rocket science.
      ETS central focus, remind people about the great health reform, tell people Abbott is a luney with a work choices scheme, the ALP are great economically saving Australia from recession, the ALP are sharing the profits from mining companies for working families.

      Reply

    • Brad Price says:

      02:35pm | 13/05/10

      So where’s Zeus? Trolling other blog’s i suspect!

      I’m pretty sure that after the last election and the resultant inability of the government to implement policy. Ruddy was reluctant to go DD because he would run the risk of handing total control of the Senate entirely to the Liberals.

      The same is still highly likely in the next general election. They knew that and thought they could negotiate their way through with other parties for their great big new tax regime.

      It’s becoming evident now through the spits and spats of Rudd that he has outplayed himself and the Labor government. He has mastered his own demise as far as i’m concerned.

      And no, Greek Mythologists, we won’t see pheonix here…..

    • Ben81 says:

      02:41pm | 13/05/10

      “As he said he will have the ETS as a central part of his election platform.”

      Oh wow, are you for real?  Did you watch the interview that’s the subject of all this today?
      Kerry O’Brien asking him to confirm that was exactly what Rudd got all worked up about and clearly wanted to avoid!  He specifically interrupted Kerry when he asked about whether the ETS would be part of Labors election platform and made it clear that he’ll fight on “climate change”, not the ETS, and went on to use vague non corfirm-or-deny language!.

    • demeter says:

      03:58pm | 13/05/10

      @ Brad Price

      You know it will work climate change again will win the election for the ALP. They will blame the coalition for stopping it last time and all the Green voters will vote Labor, you know it and I know it. 9% of Australians voted Green thats all that Rudd needs on preferences. Most people want an ETS to stop climate change and Rudd will use it as the centre piece.

    • Brad Price says:

      04:40pm | 13/05/10

      He will have too play that card. He has painted the Labor government into a corner with this one.

      I bet the Libs have total control of the Senate after the next election. Which may be sooner than KRudd realises if this budget is blocked in it’s entirety.

      Where’s Zeus and Persephone? Are they doing Kevin’s hair?

    • RB says:

      01:37pm | 13/05/10

      This guy is losing the plot. Blah blah blah, rhetorical question, blah blah blah. NEXT!

      Reply

    • Paul says:

      01:54pm | 13/05/10

      Beat up, beat up, beat up…........the only comment that comes anywhere near being ‘an outburst’ is the line about it being easy to critisize when you are in “7:30 Report land” and my cats farts have a bigger outburst than that.

      I actually thought he kept his temper pretty well given that he was interviewed the night after the budget and wasn’t asked a single question about it.

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      01:59pm | 13/05/10

      The Prime Minister is emotional.
      Emotional people get things done.

      Reply

    • Hamish says:

      03:23pm | 13/05/10

      Is that a joke?

      If so, it’s pretty good.

    • Brad Price says:

      03:24pm | 13/05/10

      In my experience it is “passionate people” who get things done. Emotional people are unable to think and act clearly under pressure….

    • Andrew says:

      03:48pm | 13/05/10

      Emotional people commit most of the murders in this country but I don’t see them doing to much building.

    • freeman says:

      08:17pm | 13/05/10

      Stephen,
      maybe he needs a cranky nap

    • Peter says:

      02:02pm | 13/05/10

      It was hardly a meltdown. It was Rudd talking the truth about how easy it is for some media commentators to critisise rather than do anything.. There was nothing extraordinary about this interview other than journalist who don’t like the facts turned around on them and choose to attack a bloke for speaking truth.. No fan of Rudd, but on this, the ETS and the mining tax he is 100% correct..

      This critisism is akin to this journo sticking up for his mate interviewing Alistair Campbell (see link)

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4N2JnIT-3g

      Reply

    • SM says:

      02:04pm | 13/05/10

      He’s avoided The 7.30 Report and The Insiders like the plague, and thought he go on and cruise through on the back of the budget.  Kerry slaughtered him, and showed why he’s still the best in the business

      Reply

    • Martin says:

      05:07pm | 13/05/10

      You like to referred it as passion. I would rather caall it fake! KRudd is so fake left right and center. If he does get annoyed, it is not because he feels let down or anything but it is because he doesn’t get his way. His body language and face expression show it all!!! It’s sooooo…. bloody obvious mate! Ops…

    • Matt Stewart says:

      02:13pm | 13/05/10

      No wonder he and Penny Wong couldn’t achieve anything at Copenhagen.  According to an Australian and New Zealand study published in the British Medical Journal, people who have been awake for 17 to 19 hours perform worse in tests than people with .05% blood alcohol.  And he claims they were up for 72 hours!  He might as well have drunk a bottle of vodka.  Unless he was lying.

      Ref: Williamson AM, Feyer AM (October 2000). “Moderate sleep deprivation produces impairments in cognitive and motor performance equivalent to legally prescribed levels of alcohol intoxication”. Occup Environ Med 57 (10): 649–55. doi:10.1136/oem.57.10.649

      Reply

    • One Term Wonder says:

      02:16pm | 13/05/10

      Kevin has dumped the ETS, sorry jumped the Shark…

      Oh well, he’ll hand over to Julia and be off to a UN job sooner than we thought.

      Gone, Kevin, gone.

      Don’t let the door hit you on the ars on the way out fella!

      Reply

    • JA says:

      02:25pm | 13/05/10

      Rudd is so full of BS - can someone please confirm:

      - The dates Rudd and Wong “sat up for 3 nights”
      - Who were the imaginary “world leaders” - it certainly wasn’t Obam as he wasn’t there

      I supect this is another “we lived in a car” moment, exaggerated and untruthful with real events the exact opposite.

      Reply

    • RT says:

      03:00pm | 13/05/10

      I’m not sure who has it worse: Wong spending 3 whole days with Rudd, or Rudd spending 3 whole days with Wong. Two of the most annoyingly smug people in Australia…

      And I think everyone will agree that his comment for being up for 3 nights in a row was a lie… more likely they continued to talk (not act) till about 10pm over a later supper

    • Mr Tatsyrup says:

      02:27pm | 13/05/10

      What a brain implosion!!!  Doesn’t like personal critique does old Kevster does he?

      Can you imagine JWH behaving like that?  Sadly Australia has gone from a classy statesman to a stained, moth eaten sock puppet.

      Reply

    • Rebecca says:

      02:44pm | 13/05/10

      Oh come on, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of passion. Even JWH showed it occasionally. For example, he was extremely passionate about invading Iraq, and look how well that turned out!

    • Chase says:

      03:18pm | 13/05/10

      JWH acted like that all the time. Turn the blinkers off.

    • Mr Tatsyrup says:

      03:21pm | 13/05/10

      Well we won didn’t we?

      Name one thing Rudd has done successfully?  He is still fighting the taliban.

      And how dare our troops no have a hair dryer for him!  What do they do all day?  Its not like they are fighting a war or anything is it!

    • Rose says:

      03:44pm | 13/05/10

      Australia has not had a statesman of any description for a very long time. JWH doesn’t come close to fitting that bill. Rudd may have his problems but many of Howard’s policies and actions bordered on pure evil. Fancy ripping $10.1b out of the domestic violence budget and allocating it to terrorism fridge magnets, fancy invading a sovereign nation for no valid reason, fancy Work Choices, fancy demonising asylum seekers for political gain. And on top of that his spending made Rudd look like Scrooge McDuck, he squandered the huge majority of the profits from the mining boom with absolutely nothing of value to show for it. I have nothing but contempt for JWH and consider Abbott to be as bad or worse.

    • Rebecca says:

      04:15pm | 13/05/10

      Mr Tatsyrup, John Howard should be tried for war crimes after that invasion. I won’t call it war, because that would imply there were two sides. It was an invasion pure and simple, and the people of Iraq have paid for it, some of them with their lives.
      I won’t continue on, because it’s a pointless debate to have with you.
      Rudd is in his first term, he promised a lot, probably too much, but nothing he has done can possibly compare to the mess Howard got us into. I understand people are frustrated but you need to give it time.
      Don’t vote in Abbott.

    • Nick says:

      06:13pm | 13/05/10

      Yes Rebecca, just look how Iraq turned out.  It’s dictator toppled, a democratically elected government and violence is way down. 

      You, and people like you make me sick.

    • Huddo says:

      02:41pm | 13/05/10

      Watching the segment last night I commented to a friend that if he breaks down and calls Kerry a C**T then I can die happy….... smile

      Reply

    • Andrew says:

      02:42pm | 13/05/10

      He just looks “artificially” angry. God forbid his hair moves out of place. He truly reminds me of Gene Hackman’s assistant in No Way Out (Kevin Costner movie 1987). I think the character was Scott Pritchard. In the end he blew his brains out.

      But seriously, I stayed up for 3 days and nights with Penny Wong in Copenhagen…. um ... so what .... since they locked you out of the big kids meeting what did you guys do ? Paint each others toenails and share stories about the first girl you kissed? Get stoned and listen to KD Lang all night? Watch french cinematic greats? Discuss the derivation of the word specificity?

      And I fail to see what Nopenhagen had to do with Labors ETS. The said we HAD to get it done before Copenhagen. They failed (sure blame it on that nasty Senate) and now since Copenhagen it’s not so important.

      Can anyone imagine what a laughing stock we would be now for implementing such a ridiculous tax when everyone else in the world hadn’t.

      That’s the point not Copenhagen and that’s why he tried to divert Kerry from asking another question.

      Can’t you see it now: “Why did you back down on the ETS?”
      “Grumble ...$@&$ ... Copenhagen ... Abbott $%@@ ... MATE!!”
      Kerry: “So why was is it so important before Copenhagen?”
      Rudd (Points) (Gasps) “WHAT’S THAT”
      Kerry turns
      Rudd, exit stage left.

      Reply

    • Jane says:

      04:24pm | 13/05/10

      PMSL smile

    • Lara says:

      02:43pm | 13/05/10

      I loved it,at last Keven stood up and didn’t let Kerry to bully him.
      The emotion was real, that is what I liked about yesterday interview.
      Not plastic,scripted and political correct.
      Keven when you show feelings you are acting like a man not like a wimp.

      Reply

    • TC says:

      03:56pm | 13/05/10

      Yep. He reminds me of a mate’s mum when she used to get angry. All pursed lips and pink cheeks.

    • Pamela Skipper says:

      02:49pm | 13/05/10

      Good on you Kerry O’Brien for having a go as you really gave it to him and it really bought the worst out in that man so the whole of Australia could see what he is really like.  He was not happy Jan!!! I just hope that everyone remembers just the damage he has done for the next Election!!

      Everytime I see Rudd on TV I could smash my TV, but I can’t afford a new one as I did not get the stimulas package!!!

      Reply

    • Macon Paine says:

      04:03pm | 13/05/10

      Agreed. Im actually a little surprised but heartened by Kerry O’Brien giving the PM a difficult time. O’Brien’s an old Labor party hack from way back but something tells me that even though he’s a Labor man he’s not too impressed with Rudd and his Gov and perhaps he’s (rightly) appalled with Rudd’s sheer cowardice over the ETS.

    • Brian says:

      02:51pm | 13/05/10

      What did you expect? He has had a dream soft run by the media for 2 and a half years so isn’t tough enough.

      Kerry let him off lightly in the end, probably because he was out of time as Rudd is a maximum user of time in waffling about nothing.

      The worst PM in my lifetime we have here. He just brags about throwing money in a panic at a problem that caused one quarter of negative growth before China saved us - not his wasteful handouts and spending on dud projects and rorted projects.

      They should replace him now so that there are 2 options come election time as he has become a joke.

      Reply

    • Moz says:

      02:58pm | 13/05/10

      When Rudd was on Triple M last week you could hear in his voice how pi*sed off he was with the introduction given.
      Dont forget about his spat with the air stewardess or the hair dryer incident….Last night was not an isolated incident
      Maybe we are seeing the true Rudd for a change

      Reply

    • ND says:

      02:59pm | 13/05/10

      How are the tobacco companies Tim?

      Reply

    • Just Sayin' says:

      03:22pm | 13/05/10

      Being “taxed into profitability”, according to my lecturer at ‘The Marx, Rudd & Swan School of Economics’.

    • Rob says:

      03:06pm | 13/05/10

      An extremely biased article but wehat else would you expect from Tim Wilson? He’s a lacky at the IPA, a Liberal Party front dedicated to get the born-to-rule brigade back in power.

      Reply

    • Matt Stewart says:

      03:36pm | 13/05/10

      Actually, he’s a Director at the IPA, an organisation funded by membership subscriptions and philanthropic and corporate donations.

      An extremely biased comment but wehat else would you expect from ‘Rob’?  He’s a guy who writes under the cloak of anonymity to bag people who are very open about their affiliations and surnames.

    • Simon says:

      04:31pm | 13/05/10

      As opposed to the Unions and their born-unable-to-rule brigade currently in power?

    • Rob says:

      05:52pm | 13/05/10

      Unions don’t write articles in Punch. For that matter, neither do I. What difference does it make if I use my surname?  And being a director at IPA just makes him more of a Liberal stooge. And to say Wilson is “open about (his) affiliations” is patently false - the IPA is never open about its ties to the Liberal Party.

    • OJ says:

      03:08pm | 13/05/10

      Given the never-ending campaign against science and facts by the likes of Tim and the right-wing media, it’s not much surprise that belief in climate change has fallen.

      Still, who needs to listen to the scientists when you’ve got the brilliant mind of climate change expert Andrew Bolt to listen to, eh?

      Reply

    • Peter Simmons says:

      04:39pm | 13/05/10

      At least Andrew Bolt, myself and other “Right Wing” readers have the guts to use our real names,  OJ.
      Your surname wouldn’t be Simpson would it?

    • OJ says:

      03:09pm | 13/05/10

      Given the never-ending campaign against science and facts by the likes of Tim and the right-wing media, it’s not much surprise that belief in climate change has fallen.

      Still, who needs to listen to the scientists when you’ve got the brilliant mind of climate change expert Andrew Bolt to listen to, eh?

      Reply

    • Keith says:

      03:22pm | 13/05/10

      Did it occur to anyone that Rudd might be agitated largely because “voters” are taking the apathetic and convenient point of view?

      Reply

    • TC says:

      12:53am | 14/05/10

      Poor little fella. Do you think he’ll be OK?

    • Allan Smith says:

      03:30pm | 13/05/10

      Kevin Rudd - Lowy Institute - Nov 09
      This man is a political coward by his own definition.

      “…It is an endless cycle of delay, and I am sure that with December almost upon us, the eighth excuse cannot be far away — which will be to wait until the next year or the year after until all the rest of the world has acted at which time Australia will act.

      What absolute political cowardice. What an absolute failure of leadership. What an absolute failure of logic. The inescapable logic of this approach is that if every nation makes the decision not to act until others have done so, then no nation will ever act.”

      Reply

    • Rupert says:

      03:35pm | 13/05/10

      Seems footage of our Kev losing it has been plastered all over the world!

      Some gold comments courtesy of some of the UK sites where descriptions such as “nasty little b1tch”, “angry dweeb”, “sad little git” riddle the blogosphere…

      Well done Kev.  Brand Australia has been sodomised and ridiculed worldwide due to you.  What a champion.

      Reply

    • Steve says:

      05:19pm | 13/05/10

      Howard decided to invade a sovereign country when he was in power (just like Nazi Germany) and we all had to say we were New Zealanders when traveling overseas.

    • Nick says:

      03:39pm | 13/05/10

      Rudd hardly lost his nerve. I believe he exposed a side of his which we rarely see - anger out of his passionate hard work over climate change. The write-up here is especially apt - http://dailybludge.com.au/ (they’ve also the video up there).

      Reply

    • freeman says:

      08:24pm | 13/05/10

      what we saw was a pansy having one of his now-famous hissy fits.

    • Bob Higgs says:

      03:54pm | 13/05/10

      Rudd was asked a few awkward questions away from the agreed script. This appeared to put him under stress and resort more to his true self,  but still prevented a full live tantrum (would love to see one of those).  Deviating from the script is highly unusual for Australian journalists, it must be Kerry is now covering the possibility of the Libs winning the next election.

      Reply

    • Christian Real says:

      03:58pm | 13/05/10

      It is about time and overdue that the media puts the blame where it really lies, and that is with Tony(the phoney) Abbott and the Liberal/National party that blocked this ETS bill from passing through the Senate.
      Abbott’s continual blocking of bills in the senate is not only Un-australian, but it is also not in Australia’s or Australians best interest.
      Being opposition leader does not mean that abbott is entitled to block everything from passing through the Senate, he is not a good leader, nor does he have any policies or ideas .

      Reply

    • Rebecca says:

      04:36pm | 13/05/10

      Indeed. Abbott and the libs have no alternatives to offer up, just criticisms. I’m absolutely at a loss as to why Rudd is getting the blame for having dropped the ETS for now!

    • Rupert says:

      04:47pm | 13/05/10

      Rudd could have called a double dissolution election easily to ram through the ETS as Whitlam did with medicare.

      They were both fools, with Kev being also a coward and liar.

      But I guess blaming the opposition is the easy way out.  No mention of all other minor groups that also opposed this dog of legislation.

    • Andrew says:

      05:07pm | 13/05/10

      More than 80% of bills have passed through the senate so maybe you should get a grip.

      Typical leftie blame game, I promised something, I failed, it’s someone else’s fault.

      Dhat nwasty obbosition won’t leb me do what I want to (sob sob).

      If he was true to his rhetoric Rudd would have called a DD election, he didn’t he tried to move the political narrative away from his failures onto what he thought was safe ground ... health. only one problem that’s all talk no action as well.

      Sad little man very very sad.

    • Matt Stewart says:

      07:26pm | 13/05/10

      You’d have a good point if either the Libs or the Coalition actually had the numbers to block anything in the Senate.  You might have noticed that the Greens also think this is a rubbish piece of legislation.

    • Greek Snake says:

      04:46pm | 14/05/10

      @Christian Fake (see what I did there?)

      The day you make a post that does not have “Tony (the phony)” and “liberal coalition is un-australian” and “not in australias best interest” I might actually consider what you have posted.

      If persephone is an iPod, you are an iPod shuffle. You don’t hold anywhere near as much and are a cheap alternative, but set shuffle and repeat on, and we tend to get the same old party lines, trumpeted at random throughout the day.

      I do like how you completely ignore the fact that the ETS was laughed at on a global scale, and then have the audacity to blame the Liberal/National coalition. As someone stated earlier, they don’t have the numbers to block it alone - the greens (yes those damn environment loving tree huggers) assisted to block it. Can’t have been in the “best interest of Australia” then I guess.

      Being opposition leader means he IS entitled to block everything. An entitlement is not an obligation. That’s ALP vocabulary for you… WORKING FAMILIES.

      Kevin 07? Not again in 2010!

    • Frank Merlot says:

      03:59pm | 13/05/10

      Oooh, maybe Red-Kerry turning on his own was just Julia getting someone else to do her dirty work…new leader soon? hehe

      Reply

    • Gazza says:

      04:03pm | 13/05/10

      Give Rudd a break, who wouldnt be annoyed after talking to Penny Wong for 72 hours straight. Fair call Ruddy. Dont let Kerry bully you around. Next time give him a list of questions to ask.  .

      Reply

    • Paul says:

      04:31pm | 13/05/10

      Rather speak to Penny for 72 hours than Kevvy for 10 minutes.

    • Johnny Worthington says:

      04:05pm | 13/05/10

      Just for balance:

      1) Where was the moral strength of those Opposition members who were going to support the ETS but went to water when Tony Abbott took over?

      2) Has anyone else noticed on the new Tony Abbott ad that he mentions health etc… but not one word on the environment. Sick of the stacks on. Maybe you should ask these questions to the Opposition.

      Reply

    • fro says:

      04:15pm | 13/05/10

      maybe bye bye kevvie - and hello foxy Julia….people may be jumping off the labour bus, but they sure as eggs aren’t all jumping on the the bus to mad monk town.

      I feel a hawke/keating coming on..

      Bob Brown must be lovn this….

      Reply

    • Bill says:

      04:21pm | 13/05/10

      “But despite the current dip in support for the science of climate change, no one should doubt that the issue is going away”.  So you’re saying the issue IS going away?

      Reply

    • Ellis Wyatt says:

      04:25pm | 13/05/10

      It is a real pity that there are now some intellectual property issues with re-working those bunker scenes from ‘Downfall’.  Plenty of choice material to work with following that little trip into ‘7:30 Report-land’.

      Reply

    • apb says:

      04:41pm | 13/05/10

      I read this thinking it was a load of rubbish. How could anyone see a ‘meltdown’ in that interview? Who in their right mind would take the Heartland ‘Institute’ seriously. Then I got to the end and saw it. The IPA.

      Reply

    • Mr Tatsyrup says:

      05:00pm | 13/05/10

      99% of the population saw Kev flip his hair piece!  When have you ever heard a PM act like that?  Call an interviewer ‘mate’ and belittle him on TV?

      A small glimpse of the foul mouthed grub that he truly is behind the scenes, away from cameras and churches.

    • Brad Price says:

      04:46pm | 13/05/10

      I suspect that Kevvy will have some personal issues and need to resign from politics, passing the mantle to “Teflon Gillard”. He won’t lead them to the next election. It’s getting a little too hard for “the most popular short term leader”.

      Won’t be long now until the opposition starts asking questions to this effect in parliament…..

      Reply

    • George says:

      04:47pm | 13/05/10

      Control freaks don’t like being reminded that they have lost control!

      Reply

    • Andrew says:

      04:53pm | 13/05/10

      Kerry had a go at Kevin? Don’t believe it. They orchestrated the whole thing behind the scenes. It was designed to show that Rudd is determined to do something about the ETS -  watch Episode 2. I am sure it is coming. (Oh by the way Kevin if you are reading this you might like to know that my neighbour was working even harder than you while you were in Copenhagen. Difference was that she was actually helping to change the world and not getting paid for it. You are being paid to get results mate.)

      Reply

    • freeman says:

      08:35pm | 13/05/10

      Yeah, I’m not so sure, Andrew.
      over the past month the ABC have not been giving kev07 the free ride they usually do. I’ve heard some genuine criticism of kev on ABC radio at last. I’m wondering if the progressive ABC media are genuinely dis-illusioned with Labor.

    • James says:

      05:26pm | 13/05/10

      bollocks.  Terrible journalism Tim Wilson.  Terrible photography to whoever took the photo of you - it looks like an ad for shamwow.

      Reply

    • Gareth says:

      05:34pm | 13/05/10

      He looks like Malcolm Turnbull

    • Dick J says:

      05:35pm | 13/05/10

      Rudd & Penny spent 3 days and nights blah blah blah. Does he think he is Billy Hughes at Versaille?

      The man is a detestable fake and bulls!t artist. No one can ever believe a word Rudd says.

      The AGW fraud and Rudd deserve each other.

      Reply

    • Sir Bruce says:

      05:36pm | 13/05/10

      Rubbish. 

      IF you really wanted to do something, and someone stopped you after saying they wouldn’t, the ONLY thing that would get me concerned is if you didn’t get frustrated.

      Liberals block a policy that had a mandate and Labor cops it… you forgot to wear the Liberal cap for your photo, Wilson.

      Thank goodness the silent majority see it for what it is - a PM who believes in something.

      Reply

    • Matt Stewart says:

      07:16pm | 13/05/10

      1. The Liberals don’t have the numbers to block policy, nor does the Coalition
      2. If Labor needs support from other parties then they don’t have a mandate
      3. Labor still has options to pursue the policy but Rudd has chosen to shelve it

    • Rational MC says:

      05:52pm | 13/05/10

      When you tantrum…you lose. I think the Kevin Rudd we saw yesterday was just a fragment of the one the army saw in the hairdryer incident and the flight attendant would have had to deal with…
      But I don’t think he was angry. He was just faking it and that’s why a large proportion of the electorate has now disconnected from him.
      I can’t see his new tax pass the Parliament either…
      We’ll see what the reply to the Budget will be. Abbott has a good chance to be convincing in this address to the nation.

      Reply

    • persephone says:

      06:59pm | 13/05/10

      Oh, so in that case he was faking anger with the hairdryer incident and the flight attendant as well?

      As - according to you - this was the Rudd we saw yesterday, but not really, because he was faking it….

      Honestly, can’t we at least have a couple of rightwingers here capable of Rational argument?

    • Diamantina Dick says:

      06:38pm | 13/05/10

      No it wasn’t a meldown, it was a script malfunction.
      O’brien was not tough either, he won’t let Liberals get a word in edge ways, this time Rudd was given enough rope and hung himself. His problem was mainly clearly confected rage at no outcome in Copenhagen and weasle words on seeking a mandate for ETS. I also want to see the diary entries where he was up 3 days and nights, wonder if the and the 141 others slept in their limo’s!

      While I’m here, I think the ALP need to reassess the attack on Liberal economic credibility, the electorate do not have the memory of a goldfish.

      Reply

    • Daniel says:

      06:59pm | 13/05/10

      If people think that thats “hot under the collar” we have really turned into a nanny state. News Ltd cant get off this guys back. I dont particulary like Rudd but he never gets a chance to show the real Kevin.

      Reply

    • Robert Smissen of god's own country, rural SA says:

      02:55pm | 14/05/10

      Mate, the little rodent gets plenty of chances to show the “real Little Kevvy” but pretends all the time, will only do interviews outside a church but hangs around in sleazy strip joints leering at women the getting so legless he “can’t remember” what happened, yeah poor Little Kevvy,not! ! !

    • MrX says:

      07:12pm | 13/05/10

      So Rudd’s “rage” demonstrates that he “lost it”. Losing the plot. No decorum.

      BUT…

      It was all a calculated action on his part, because he’s so phony. It’s not real emotion under the cyborg shell.

      So he calculatedly, coldly, became all hot tempered?

      Make up your mind people. I call beat up, from a desperate bunch of hacks who can’t even get their angle straight.

      Reply

    • Against the Man says:

      07:14pm | 13/05/10

      Calm down mr latham….sorry I mean mr rudd. all anger no results shame, shame. Maybe he doesn’t like it when people point out the truth - he is a crap pm.

      Reply

    • whatever says:

      07:56pm | 13/05/10

      “kahunas”?  don’t you mean “cojones”?

      Reply

    • Leanne says:

      08:25pm | 13/05/10

      This was the textbook interview for all up and coming politicians or journalists. Kerry held back and then pushed in again. Kevin was uncomfortable, surprising really for someone who’d previously appeared so accomplished. He should have anticipated these questions, but his discomfort made us all squirm as we watched this interview go to pot.

      Reply

    • Peter says:

      08:36pm | 13/05/10

      It’s easy to preach from our soap box, we all do it.. Maybe we don’t like it when some one gives us the cold harsh reality that sometimes things aren’t easy.. What did you want him to do? Sneak in some masqueraters pretending to be senetors and chuck in a few extra votes? I mean the Greens weren’t voting for this so it must have been a good and decent ETS as far as good ETS’s go. I don’t think you’d ever get an ETS through without bipartisan support because it affects us all…

      Reply

    • Phil says:

      08:44pm | 13/05/10

      As a liberal voter, he did look uncomfortable, however meltdown?, dont think so.
      What I did notice watching it, is that he has obviously been given these key phrases by Hawker Briton, and you could almost think watching him that he thought they are either funny or rediculous as he had a smirk as if he thought the GFC a funny thing bobing around the world.
      I am the first to bash Rudd, I think he is a d_ _khead. But I dont think he lost his cool completely. He was pissed off no doubt. You would not have wanted to serve him his RAAF dinner, or not have the hairdryer on hand when he next asks thats for sure. Recon he may have smashed a few things later.
      I do think that Working Families have had enough of, the buck stops with me, and you know what!, the truth is,  we as a government have been upfront with the Australian people, taking the hard decisions to spend, spend, spend, working families want good health and hospitals network, with super profits, growing up sleeping in the car after we got kicked off the farm.
      A tough life Kevy.

      Love DJ’s comment above.

      Reply

    • Mr Pastry says:

      08:57pm | 13/05/10

      Its difficult being a prime minister when you are not up to the job - give Julia a go and I might vote Labour again

      Reply

    • Robert Smissen of god's own country, rural SA says:

      02:56pm | 14/05/10

      That is the scariest idea that I’ve ever heard! ! !

    • craig says:

      09:44pm | 13/05/10

      it wasnt a meltdown or an outburst. I did squirm and he did look uncomfortable . He didnt behave like a leader and that is the issue, he is a fake

      Reply

    • veronica nicholls says:

      10:27pm | 13/05/10

      if someone a wonderful max gillies cannot find his essence then there aint none   fake fake fake

      Reply

    • Bruce says:

      12:50am | 14/05/10

      Bring back Mark Latham. At least I thought he had conviction. I would love to know what Mark Latham is thinking now about kevin rudd ? Much the same me thinks !

      Reply

    • BigBob says:

      07:38am | 14/05/10

      I was actually releived to see him get annoyed. Labor has been under attack from Abbott for quite awhile now. I have often felt they have been more than tolerant. I would have given Abbott a good belt long before this.

      Reply

    • Angie says:

      11:35am | 14/05/10

      good luck Big Bob - Abbott is pretty tough…....unlike anyone in the ALP…..many of them could spend a little less time bickering and more time in the gym!!

    • Nathman says:

      10:56am | 14/05/10

      I just saw the youtube vid of this exchange [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF9VihG7JGw] and was astounded at 0:30 with Rudd’s comment of “You [O’Brien] being absent from the negotiations in Copenhagen themselves”...

      Is Krudd forgetting that after 3 days of lengthy and intense negotiations coming to exactly naught he was LOCKED OUT of the final meeting that arrived at the non legally binding and flimsy ‘agreement’ to cap “Global warming” at 2*C??

      Who was the absent one then? Certainly, the ‘agreement’ was nothing but a front to show the media that Copenhagen was somehow more than a waste of people’s time and energy. They would’ve accomplished more by ditching the travel and planting a few trees.

      Reply

    • Shelley says:

      11:46am | 14/05/10

      ...In this week’s budget the government included a $30 million propaganda campaign to run print, radio, television and web-based campaigns to give confidence to voters that the dodgy science in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s fourth assessment report was just an accident…

      This steams me. They can find money for this bs and employ yet more staff for Rudd (probably in media monitoring!), even put up people trafficked into Australia illegally in 4 star hotels!, but cannot , for example, actually FIX teeth in low income earners instead of just telling people that yes, they’re right. They do have a toothache!

      Reply

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      I wnaetd to spend a minute to thank you for this.

      Reply

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      05:36pm | 21/08/11

      I propose not to hold back until you earn enough amount of cash to order all you need! You should just get the personal loans or just term loan and feel yourself comfortable

      Reply
 
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