Campaign countdown: Is it payback time for Kevin?

Rosie says:

08:40am | 16/07/10

I have a lot of time for Laurie Oakes. His explicit scenario of a deal made between Gillard & Rudd the night before Rudd was ousted brought excitement to what was a bland speech. Gillard should stop reminding Australians of the what we want in life but how the Govt can implement ways of improving our lives through wise spending of our money. Off course we want good hospitals, good health care, good education for our children, climate change, asylum seekers to be treated in a humane way etc. We also do not want to be reminded how hard one has to work to achieve one’s dreams.

Lenore Taylor summed it up in a nutshell;

“JULIA GILLARD wants Australians to see her as a calm, measured, consensual leader, not an easy image to portray when you’ve taken the top job by brutally knifing a serving prime minister on the eve of an election”

Must be difficult to have on your conscious for the rest of your life a big dark secret when you are a PM for the people of a nation.

Taiabada says:

09:37am | 16/07/10

Just find a replay of the event and watch Gillard’s face!  It says a lot more than her mouth!  You may change your mind about her handling.

Luke4 says:

09:54am | 16/07/10

Gillards face during Oakes questioning was priceless and even more priceless was the look on her face as she left and walked down the corridors.

Notorious says:

10:11am | 16/07/10

Agree Press. What is in it for Rudd leaking such a thing to Oakes?
It’s not going to win him any favours with Gillard or the ALP powerbrokers. Such a leak and he can kiss any chance of moving onto the front bench goodbye.

T.Chong says:

10:11am | 16/07/10

Rosie : We do not want to be reminded….,
What, are you kidding ? , “work hard to achieve your dreams “is standard Liberal core belief. Such a LNP supporter as yourself could not have forgotten so quickly that that was the standard mantra of the Howard years.
Dont be too harsh about dumped leaders, afterall, dont the names Nelson and Turnbull ring some memories of not too long- ago Liberal leaders. ?

Press says:

10:41am | 16/07/10

I’ve no need to watch a second time, thank you.

A further point of interest lies in the wording of Oakes’ questions. “Is it true?” hardly had the ring of confidence about it.

Whether it turns out to be any more than a passing rumour flurry we’ll just have to wait and see. Right now I can’t see it as *the* big issue of the coming campaign.

eye of the tiger says:

11:12am | 16/07/10

Gillard has to tell Australia how she unethically and immorally turned on the PM, her behaviour is totally unacceptable and i use to always vote labour and will not be voting labour in the next election - as i can see gillard being replaced by the party if polls go down. Bill shorten is ear marked for a front bench job - GOD HELP US. And thank God faulkner is moving on - gutless and not a man.

Tails says:

11:16am | 16/07/10

@ T.Chong - It beats the ALP mantra of giving everyone regardless of talent or qualifications a turn. I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer to have a surgeon do my surgery, an accountant do my taxes and a mechanic fix my car - not give it to someone because it’s their turn and we need to have a fair and level playing field with a representation of sexes, ethnicities, sexuality, denominations that reflect today’s society.
Screw that.
And to Press - can’t wait to see what you write tomorrow. That’ll be a hat trick of days you’ve made yourself look like a completely ignorant dill. You reckon Laurie Oakes would risk his reputation like this if the evidence wasn’t real? You’re entitled to your opinion, but that doesn’t make you less of a moron.

Anniebello says:

11:19am | 16/07/10

T. Chong wants us to remember Nelson and Turnbull. We do, but what you have forgotten is they were never the elected PM. There is a difference between being the Priime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. As for Rudd, I don’t believe for a second that Labor would give him a position in the cabinet, and perhaps he already knows it too. Why else would he behave this way? Revenge is sweet, hope Julia is wearing phone books on her back.

Phil says:

11:21am | 16/07/10

Press et al.

Moving forward, dont you think it some coincidence that Rudd was straight off to the US to meet Obama, Clinton, UN etc, Moving Forward he may have already done his job interview, agreed to some US/UN role, either in climate change or economic/policy advisor to the US/UN.

Looking back rather than moving forward (as Joolya doesnt want scrutiny of he rpast waste, mismanagement and ineptude)

Yes this story is no doubt payback either by Rudd possibly even Tanner who is leaving anyway, Albo who like Tanner both dislike Gillard, and seeing as labor factional warlords executed him in an embarrassing and humuliating way, and in a way no previous PM was dumped let alone in their first term, by all those who swore absolute support for even the day before.  Given that 8 months ago he was miles ahead in the polls, still preferred PM, he was even these things when he was executed.

Kevin could yet if he has decided to call in international favours from the US/UN destabalise Joolya, and let the libs win the election. It makes sense what Laurie mentioned and I am not by a long shot his biggest fan.

Gillard will be asked about this from now till election day by any journalist worth their salt. It is going around the world. How else is Rudd going to garnish support for himself after what happened.

I just love that labor supporters will make excuses for what happened. It gives the opposition great election fodder to run, that who will be the real PM if Joolya is election PM. Is a vote for Joolya a vote for Combet, Wong, Arbib to be PM.

And do you know what, let me just say this, many working families are not out of the woods yet. They are for too busy looking backwards at wolves at their door, wondering if their roofs are electrified or about to catch fire to consider Moving Forward with Joolya. They are worried if they will be able to afford to heat the homes next year after the inevitable price rise in electricity if Labor are re-elected.

For the record, I dislike Albo and Tanner. They did from me however get massive credability for standing by Rudd in his darkest hour. Yes in sport you go out to slaughter your enemy, and even in business, but anyone who didnt feel sorry for Kev when he was assasinated, isn’t human. I am not saying he was doing a good job or shouldnt have gone, and I said Joolya would make a better leader, but they way it happened and the sudden way he way sacrificed by those continually behind him as leader shows what the labor party is capable off, what they stand for, their ethics, morals and what you can draw from their words of support for a leader.

Isnt it funny that Labor for so long ran campaigns that a vote for John Howard was a vote for Peter Costello and yet a vote for Rudd was actually a vote for Union Domination and Gillard.

Gaw says:

11:35am | 16/07/10

Just watched the video of Oakes very long-winded and leading readings (I mean questions) and I’m amused by the comments of people on here suggesting Gillard’s expression was questionable in some way. Her expression remained constant (with the exception of her nodding ceasing as the ‘questions’ became a set of rhetorical allegations), and her first response was to address the issue with humour. Oh noes!!!111 She must have been really upset (as far as I’m concerned, her response suggested she foreknowledge of the question)!!!111

Personally, I’ll give her some credit as I probably would have ended up thinking about ‘what’s for dinner’ by the time Oakes ‘reading’ was finished. At least she didn’t roll her eyes at such an exceptional presentation of ‘good’ journalism.

Brad Price says:

12:58pm | 16/07/10

@Press. Hmmm, how’s this scenario?
Kevin Rudd has no guarantees from Shark Eyes that he will be on the front bench if she wins the election. But if he takes action and “ratf*cks” her now, then he will have his revenge. Remembering that revenge is a dish best served cold.

This is starting to look like Mark Latham MK2!

mickijo says:

03:41pm | 16/07/10

Gillard’s stare was so icy cold I had to scrape the icicles off my TV. Oh! what a look.

Yeap says:

11:11pm | 16/07/10

You’re right Luke4. If looks could kill Laurie Oakes would have dropped dead before he could finish asking his questions.
Julia Gillard tried her best to hide her displeasure but it was those brief subtle moments of unmistakable body language before and after the Laurie’s questions that gave her away.

Christian Real says:

09:22am | 17/07/10

It seems that some of you Liberal die hards have a problem,and truely show ignorance and lack of understanding how politics works.
It is the Party, not the people that elect the Prime Minister, but you simple people just cannot absorb that fact in your brains.
Did the whole of Australia vote in Kevin Rudd’s Electorate of Griffith, in Queensland, no they did not, it was only the people the live in that Electorate of Griffith that voted for their Candidate, not Prime Minister.
Whether it is Labor or Liberal parties, it is the parties themselves that elect the Prime Minister, not the Australian people.
The fact remains that Tony Abbott rolled Malcolm Turnbull as Leader of the the Opposition, but then it must be really hard for the die hard Liberal supporters to accept and digest the fact that the removal of Leaders also happens in the Liberal party as well.

Joan says:

09:02am | 16/07/10

Labor counts on justifying ousting by turning on the voter and turning them into a mug using Westminster garbage argument. Voter who voted for Rudd scared to say they are a dope. And as for media and other dopes using pathetic argument that removal of an Opposition leader is the same as ousting a PM - well no intelligence here at all -  this person shouldn’t be allowed to vote too dopey for words it they can’t spot the difference between a PM running the country and an Opposition leader waiting for an opportunity to run the country .

Overflow says:

10:02am | 16/07/10

It is in the mantra of “listen to what I say not what I do’ that has enveloped the Labor party in this country.  The latest form is “moving forward’ in other words forget all the incompetence that has happend over the last 2 years and trust us.  The only problem with that is the poor people of NSW have seen it all before.

Joan says:

10:28am | 16/07/10

Overflow…. it`s ` moving forward` with Gillard at the wheel in her L- plated dodgem car -and its Oooops - I`ve learned from my mistakes, I`m looking for the track - Labor`s lost its way, .....

Troy says:

10:30am | 16/07/10

Well Said Jason.

acotrel says:

11:00am | 16/07/10

The Liberal Party seem intent on manufacturing politics for the upcoming elections.  Today Joe Hockey predicted disharmony in the Lodge until Labor is thrown out of office - wishful thinking, I suggest.  And typical of the delusional poison we’ve come to expect from the right!

dovif says:

04:17pm | 16/07/10

acotel

If you look at NSW ALP as a predictor of the Federal ALP, you will find that it is a good predictor

Christian Real says:

10:07am | 18/07/10

Jason CR
Perhaps it is because the Australian people do not elect the Prime Minister, it is the party that does this whether it is Liberal or Labor.

Christian Real says:

10:18am | 18/07/10

Dovif
Typical Liberal diatribe, attempting to compare two different levels of Government with each other, both State and Federal.
Your good predictor, is as wrong and misleading as your comments Dofif.

Christian Real says:

10:56am | 18/07/10

Joan
You are right, you shouldn’t be able to vote

Christian Real says:

11:19am | 18/07/10

Acotrel
The Liberal party has no policies, no ideas and certainly no direction,and that is why they are hell bent on manufacturing and orchestrating hearsay and diatribe against their opponents.
The ‘Utegate Affair was a perfect example of the muckraking and low-life gutter tactics that they are prepared to use to regain power, and it is a shame that the Liberals destroyed Godwin Grech(the Liberals scapegoat) in their endeavour to bring down the then Prime minister Kevin Rudd with their false and misleading lies.
But then again,one only has to realise that the liberals learnt from ‘the Master of deception John Howard, who involved Australia and Australians into a conflict with Iraq, that was based on false and misleading information about ’ Weapons of mass destruction’  that Iraq no longer had .

Tony of Poorakistan says:

01:06pm | 16/07/10

I disagree. Gillard may have an opinion of her own, but we will never get to hear it. She is a union puppet through and through. The woman has never held a real job in her life. She went from being a union hack to a mouthpiece for union hacks as an IR lawyer and, when the union boys decided it was time for a female PM, she got the nod.

MarK says:

08:18am | 16/07/10

Agree to point a.

Sort of surreal given Tory attempts to castigate BoltA for being racist in a piece on the same page.

Would love to see b happen. It would be funny to see Kevin blow up in front of the world. And lets face it the UN is sort of a nice institution to pop useless and never was diplomats for retirement. It doesn’t really do anything anyway.

Richard says:

08:20am | 16/07/10

Calling yourself Yank is kinda racist too

Drew says:

10:19am | 16/07/10

@Richard

Whoosh! Straight over the head.

The OP appeared to be ironic and facetious by using the term to refer to himself. As in, using the author’s own language to get a point across.

Robbie says:

12:21pm | 16/07/10

its convenient for her to say its confidential, making her look like a loyal servant, whilst all along we know what happened. Every time i hear the words from her scrawny lips…“a fair go” i’ll know shes full of it

Greek Snake says:

03:02pm | 16/07/10

Too true Seaus.

A well-respected, veteran in his field, Oakes isn’t done yet by a long shot.

I have a hunch he will be her undoing.

Julie Coker-Godson says:

05:54pm | 16/07/10

I agree Seaus.  Laurie Oakes doesn’t ask these sorts of questions for nothing.  I’ve watched him in action before.  I’m glad I’m not in the PM’s shoes. (shiver).

Grumble says:

11:40am | 18/07/10

I suspect that Oakes has a lot more on Gillard and he ill drop it at the appropiate time. She is not squeaky clean and upstanding as she claims. For Oakes he must have more damning info on her activiyies and I believe she will be trembling in her shoes every time he asks a question

Beirut Brickie says:

10:05am | 16/07/10

Agreed, luke4.

Sandra says:

10:47am | 16/07/10

Agree. The Australian people didn’t vote for Nelson, Turnbull or Abbott. They voted for Howard (not enough though!) with an impression that Costello was likely next in line and nobody knifed Costello.
Now the Australian people can decide to vote for Abbott or not as he is the elected leader by the Liberals going into the election.

What puppet Gillard and her behind the scenes men (no women) just did was execute a people elected PM - the slogan was Kevin ‘07 despite the parties claims that the people select only a party and not the leader.

If Rudd had been knifed and a man replaced him Labor would be toast. But for now the men really in charge hide behind a womans better popularity. It is an insult to all women that the first female PM is a puppet for faceless men that don’t have the ability to lead themselves but choose to do so hiding behind a woman.

Bea Kay says:

03:17pm | 16/07/10

True. Abbot gained leadership after Turnbull, as leader, crossed the floor to vote with the Government. A totally different scenario from what drove Lady Macbeth to produce the dagger.

Bruce says:

10:11am | 16/07/10

Holly: No. The issue is, Kevin Rudd was our elected PM. An opposition leader being replaced is basically irrelevent, they have no real power. As a nation of voters we have a right to know who is pulling the strings to destabilize our elected leader and government.

Richard says:

10:32am | 16/07/10

Because Holly, its possible that these coalition supporters became coalition supporters precisely because the PM they voted for was unceremoniously sacrifed in a way unbecoming the dignity of his office. The greater concern is, why are ALP supporters unanimously unperturbed by it all? It is, afterall, most certainly is a question of integrity.

Compare the manner in which Abbott became the leader of the opposition to Gillard’s underhandedness: he made a public stand on his principles and took it to the party room where he won by a single vote, an outcome that surprised everyone, including Abbott himself.

Now what principles was Gillard standing on when she presented the people’s PM with his hemlock fait accompli? Was it really her firm conviction that Rudd was being too soft on those pesky asylum seekers? Was she outraged that Rudd was driving too hard a bargain with the miners? Or was her behaviour cynically unprincipled from start to finish?

If so, will Gillard reveal her true principles to us before the election, or will we risk voting her in on trust because Tony Abbott, the Oxford educated family man with a passion for health and fitness and donating time to charity work, is supposedly unelectable?

Daryl says:

10:57am | 16/07/10

I’m not aware of a Liberal PM being ousted by his own party? Has that happened before? It happened with Keating and now with Gillard. Keating challeneged because of an agreement he had with Hawke but Gillard was pushed to challenge by unelected union power brokers because of poor opinion polls. Welcome to democracy the ALP way! This, unlike 1975, was a real dismissal. The PM was dismissed without the democratinc process of elections. At least in 1975 the GG called a federal election in an attempt to break the parliamentary deadlock. The people threw Whitlam and his government out in a landslide at the democratic elections held December of that year. All the re-writing of history over that event yet the knifing of Rudd is far far worse!

Ruxxy says:

11:29am | 16/07/10

Oh break it down Holly.  Tony Abbott is ritually and regularly crucified because he’s practicing Catholic.  He’s stuck by it for years. That’s not “making a mockery” of religious beliefs. You need to get your definitions right.

Jason CR says:

11:31am | 16/07/10

Holly, 
Lets not make it an issue anymore and talk about Labor’s first term instead. 
You tell me each achievement since Labor came into power and I’m sure I can match it with 3 stuff ups.

1. Mining Tax debacle and backflip
2. Promise to reduce housing prices
3. Insulation batt fiasco

I’m sure each Liberal supporter could add another 3 each.

Your turn Holly.

Matt says:

12:42pm | 16/07/10

Jason - how about saving the economy and everyone’s jobs.  That is not bad and should count as three right there old chum.

jason says:

01:06pm | 16/07/10

Sorry Holly, the Knife was thrust into Turnbull from within the Liberal Party…. Not Un-elected Union Heavyweights.  I think you need to follow the sport of Politics a little closer.  Knowing the Players involved helps…Joe hockey said he wouldn’t run against Turnbull, but as it was likely Turnbull was going to get rolled by Tony Abbott , so Joe stood up against Tony Abbott and Abbott won the ballot by one (yes that right) one vote….And it isn’t just the Liberal supporters who have issue with the team selections in the Labour Party. I think some are blinded by Julia being a woman. As though she wouldn’t do anything wrong… what a sexist joke that really is. Our vote doesn’t determine the make up of the Cabinet.The Only way to rise to the top of the Labour Party is to Raise the most funds for the Party , then , your more likely to be up near the front bench or in the Cabinet… there is no other mechanism to do that.. IT is the Unions Ultimate Monetary Control that is determining the future of the party (and when in power) The Labour Party Not the PM, and definately not Regular Aussies.

I do like monkeys says:

02:12pm | 16/07/10

Come on Holly - you don’t really believe Kev was a Christian because he stood in front of churches do you?  I stand in front of Perth Zoo but that doesn’t make me a monkey. (some might disagree).  Why is Kevo now standing with world leaders?  Is that going to make him a world leader? He always was dellusional about his own importance.  I think he would look better outside the zoo.

Christian Real says:

11:40am | 18/07/10

Holly,
I agree with your comments, it is obvious that the radical Liberal supporters have not got a real lot to cheer about and look forward to, especially having a Leader like Tony Abbott that says on the 7.30 Report while being interviewed by Kerry O’Brien, “Don’t believe everything I say.” And also from that same interview : “Which is one of the reasons why the statements that need to be taken absolutely as gospel truth is those carefully prepared,scripted remarks.”
The fact that Julia Gillard is keeping the conversation between her and Rudd confidential shows that she is a person of integrity and I respect her for that.

Dino says:

09:54am | 16/07/10

Mr Diver -
Abbot vs Turnbull - there was a caucus vote it was made clear why there was a change of leader.
Gillard vs Rudd - there was no caucus vote - what happened nobody knows. Ignore asking gillard, go to talk to the unions, they seem to be running the country now?

Press says:

10:53am | 16/07/10

There was no Party Room vote because none was needed.

On the day, Rudd chose not to nominate, leaving a single candidate, Gillard.

A decent act, at that moment.

Ruxxy says:

11:37am | 16/07/10

C’mon Adam, if you can’t see the difference between PM Rudd’s knifing and Turnbull’s demise- you’ve got real problems. In a nutshell- one is an elected Prime Minister- the other is a leader of a political party. Get real!

Christian Real says:

01:29pm | 18/07/10

Didn’t Former Liberal prime Minister John Gorton abstained from casting the deciding vote and this allowed William McMahon to take over as Prime Minister.

Bruce says:

12:27pm | 16/07/10

Jeff: Tony Abbott was born in England to Australian parents. Much different to Gillard who parents are welsh.

Richard says:

11:14am | 16/07/10

Of course you are right in what you, but I think its about the perception the Labor party wants to portray to the electorate: that this was just a smooth transition of leaders, sort of like a tag-team wrestler swapping with his partner or a runner transferring his baton to the next runner seamlessly in a relay race. They want us to just nod our heads blithely and embrace Julia Gillard as a great new step forward for our society. But as if we’re not interested in all the behind-the-scenes political intrigue cloak and dagger stuff, its way more exciting than Paul and Bob falling out. Thanks for breaking this story Laurie.

Daryl says:

11:54am | 16/07/10

What? Ha that’s hilarious! Firstly Gillard was deputy PM and as culpable in this “dysfunctional” government as Rudd, Swan and Tanner. Don’t tell me you believe the “it’s all Kevies fault” line? Gillard stood side by side on every failure. ETS backdown, rorts in the school scheme, profit tax backdown, insulations fiasco, failure to deliver election promises like the 200+childcare facilities, grocery choice program, fuelwatch, public control of health care by July 2009, “root and branch” overhaul of the tax system, not to touch the private health tax rebate, “I’ll turn the boats around” (lie, lie, lie). This government has been a disaster. It’s burnt the surplus and racked up a $40.4billion defecit and we now have record levels of foreign debt. Tell me, did you vote for Kevin, Holly? If you did, it sounds like you’re backing up to make the same mistake again. Everyone makes mistakes, but most of us learn from them!

BobM says:

04:58pm | 16/07/10

Holly, you’re just a brown-nosing Labor hack. Spare us the “thank you Julia for having the guts to step in” B*S*. The only ticker Julia has is when her puppet masters wind her up each morning. Tick tick tick…..

Nicole says:

05:24pm | 16/07/10

BobM, I have to agree with you. *Cringe*  I just threw up a little in my mouth.

ToWhite says:

11:39am | 16/07/10

Because Mark Latham is as mad as a box of frogs.  The blokes a nutcase.

Sherekahn says:

11:34am | 16/07/10

While Kevin Rudd was Prime Minister, he ran Government with polishing up his chances of gaining a seat at the UN Security Council.  That is why he didn’t have his mind firmly on the initiatives at home, such as the ‘insulation debacle’ and the Refugee crisis.  Of course, he would not wish to tarnish his refugee credentials.
I believe it would be a suitable place for him to find a use for some of his talents.
As for “Party bombshells: Secret PM deals still haunt Labor.”  Nonsense, the pen having writ moves on.  It is only the Media trying to ‘keep their jobs’ that waste time with such ideas.

Daryl says:

12:06pm | 16/07/10

Sherekahn, it sounds like you’ve bought the “it was all Kevs fault” line too. That would be the most narrow sighted view of the mess this Labor party has created. Things got off “track” because Gillard, Swann and Tanner delivered failure after failure. Look at the insulation fiasco, the profits tax debacle, the ETS backdown, and the failure to deliver on election promises (childcare facilities, grocery choice, turn the boats around, wont touch the private health rebate). Voting Labor was clearly a mistake. Our surplus is now a $40.4b defecit and foreign debt is at record levels. I always tell my sons, “everyone makes mistakes, but only silly people make the same one twice”!

julie coker-godson says:

06:37pm | 16/07/10

Didn’t Bert Evatt try to do that as well?  Or am I mistaken?

MarK says:

12:49pm | 16/07/10

Nah. Hawke and Keating had gravitas and a spine. The other two are not worthy of a mention in their company.

The Hawke and Keating show actually did things. Made real reforms. Like them or loathe them at least they had courage.

Rudd and Gillard are Whitlam without the vision or the nice sounding voice. They have presided over the most remarkable and disgraceful spending waste of government money (that is yours and mine) that the country has seen.

In 20 years time they will be a 3 year footnoted interruption in decent government. Hardly worth a mention except as an example of what not to do.

Tobacco Bush says:

12:03pm | 16/07/10

The intersting thing about this was the Oakes asked it at the Press Club.
If you have it on your own why ask it in such a public forum unless you had to justify your huge salary to the bosses at 9 every now and then with a “publicity stunt”.
Gillard was right about Oakes not turning up to many of her press conferences beffore she was PM - must be contract renewal time for Laurie.

The Scarlet Pimpernel says:

01:12pm | 16/07/10

@ Tobacco Bush
Possibly the so-called ‘Sphere of Influence’ is finding it a bit difficult to get around these days, as opposed to simply being round. Perhaps, they just roll him out, so to speak, for major events.

Richard says:

01:18pm | 16/07/10

Tobacco Bush, if you can’t see something that’s as plain as day to me, you are blinded by bias. Laurie Oakes was visibly aghast on tv as the drama unfolded the night of the 23rd and the morning of the 24th. In my mind there is little doubt that he decided right then and there to get to the bottom of this sordid business and to expose it to the public so we could all see what a grubby process it really was. I have no doubt that Laurie Oakes choose to expose the double-crossing at the National Press Club precisely because it is such a public forum. It has nothing to do with Oakes’ justifying his salary and everything to do with this being the most extraordinary event in Australian politics for the last 20 years (at least).

Christian Real says:

09:56am | 18/07/10

Amber,
The Labor Government, or the Liberal Government, which ever party is in government at the time,elects the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister never has been elected by the Australian people, only the people in Kevin Rudd’s electorate of Griffith in Queensland, would have voted for him being their Federal candidate.

Not so kind says:

11:58pm | 16/07/10

I would not be so kind in my conclusions.
After all Gillard is a career politician isn’t she? I tend to think all those occasions she was the acting PM sitting in Rudd’s chair in Rudd’s office was enough to make her salivate at the possibility of making it a permanent arrangement. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It’s the way she achieved her ambition that shocked me most. We all know that being ambitious is not a bad thing and that politics is dirty business but these people have taken it to an unprecedented level in Australian politics.
Should we have to get used to this unprecedented high level of dirty and ruthless business? I think not.

The funny thing is that the more I look into this whole saga the more I start to believe that Rudd was lured into a trap that led to his downfall.

For instance, it has been said that one of the most compelling factors for Rudd’s popularity drop was the shelving of the ETS. We now know that the strongest advocates within the ‘gang of 4’ for the shelving of the ETS were none other than Julia Gillard and Wayne Swan…know what I mean? 
Of course they knew as we know that politically it was Rudd’s responsibility to take since he was the PM. Julia’s so far successful attempt’s to blame it all on Rudd by saying ‘the gov had lost its way’ and she was moved to correct the situation is ample proof that she knew she could escape unscathed in the eyes of an easily led public.

It’s only a theory anyway.

mark says:

02:19pm | 16/07/10

Oh Please: I agree politics is a dirty game. Deals are done and broken all the time. That said it would be far easier to make a longer list about Labor. Remember Rudd, Latham, Crean, Beasley in opposition? Keating and Hawke are still at it and nobody even cares about either of them any more. There are two major differences between the changes in opposition and in Government that I think you have missed.

1. Changing a leader while in Government is very different than while in opposition. Changing a PM that was elected by the people and the way it was done is low. Before you start on about us not having a popularly elected PM I know how the system works. But when you have Kevin07 as your campaign slogan and a picture of Rudd on every how to vote card, it is very clear who you are voting for as PM. I can guarantee ever how to vote card in the coming election will have a picture of Julia on it along with the local candidate.

2. The liberal party is not ruled by factions. Labor is quite clearly now run by the union factions and they have effectively hijacked democracy in this country. The scary thing is what deal was done to pay the unions back for their support of Julia? Will they do the same thing to her if the polling does not go the way they want? Effectively our PM is a puppet to the unions and she owes them.

Yes politics is a dirty game but what the unions have done is not politics, its about power and they have taken control of Australia in a fashion that is not too dissimilar to the coup in Fiji. And we are very quick to condemn Frank Bainimarama for what he did.

Don’t let your blinded ideology dupe you into thinking what was done here is normal for politics.

DD Ball says:

10:23pm | 16/07/10

I just realized I was wrong. This matters because it shows the ALP will be divided before, during and after the election. We voters will not know who we vote for if we support the ALP. I know the ALP stand for nothing, but now they won’t even be able to stand very well.

Against the Man says:

10:48pm | 17/07/10

You couldn’t be more right, how Australians can even consider her a leader is a mystery. She clearly is not what we want the next generation of Australians to aspire to be.

dead to me says:

09:50pm | 16/07/10

Well said Alan, history is not going to be kind to this generation of selfish and untrustworthy Labor mis-leaders.

Belle says:

07:44pm | 18/07/10

Neither was the Prime Minister at the time. It does make a difference. No matter how hard Labor apologists try, this was a despicable act by desperate people.

Belle says:

07:42pm | 18/07/10

If “we” don’t vote for the PM, why was Kevin Rudd’s face on every Labor candidate’s literature during the 07 election?  I also recall a neighbour of mine having a huge picture of Mark Latham in his window for the previous election (nowhere near his electorate). “We” may not directly elect the PM, but the person leading the party is the one punters think will be PM if they vote for their local candidate.
If it wasn’t such an issue, why are Ms Gillard and her acolytes focused on the fact that Tony Abbot will be PM if people vote for the coalition?