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Conservatives for Kevin

Sarrah Le Marquand

by Sarrah Le Marquand

27 Feb 05:40am

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Filed under: Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Labor Leadership

22 comments

“Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.” Such was the proverb employed by my late mother whenever she suspected a colorful new acquaintance was providing an alarming insight into the after-school activities of one of her children.

Chairman Rudd, the conservatives' choice for PM. Photo: AP

And just like that the parent-friendly, studious, non-smoking, non-drinking personas so carefully cultivated by my siblings and me would be exposed.

With behind the scenes jostling now under way in earnest ahead of today’s ALP leadership ballot, the identity of those extending the hand of friendship to Kevin Rudd has also been something of a revelation.

There are of course the predictable foot soldiers including colleague Kim Carr and the completely unremarkable encouragement of wife Therese Rein and daughter Jessica. But did anyone seriously expect less than a public display of unwavering loyalty from his own family?

Far more telling is the sudden outpouring of support for Rudd among conservative voters – the very people once baying for the former-PM-turned-former-Foreign-Minister’s blood.

The numbers may be on Gillard’s side when calculating the all-important caucus votes, but across the ideological divide, support for her not-so-quietly seething rival is palpable.

Throughout social media this week several of the Coalition’s most outspoken supporters have managed to find kind words for Team Rudd. Ardent fans of Abbott swooned over Rein’s gushing tribute to her husband. Staunch Liberal voters suddenly spoke of Rudd’s prime ministership in glowing terms. Conservative commentators dutifully echoed the words of Doug Cameron without a hint of malice. And devout Opposition supporters tut-tutted at those nasty Government ministers saying such mean things about one of their own.

He may not be popular in his own party, but his one-time enemies can’t get enough of the guy. And that, of all the slurs flung his way in recent days, might just be the most damning characterisation of all.

What does it say about Rudd that the very people hoping against hope for a Coalition victory at the next election are openly barracking for him?

Fanning the flames of leadership instability is expected of an Opposition so it is unsurprising they spent much of last year mentioning Rudd’s name at every available opportunity. But trying to unnerve Gillard and further undermine an already struggling government is a very different game to openly playing favourites only days out from a spill that is no longer merely hypothetical. If everyone is so convinced Rudd poses a bigger threat at the ballot box than Gillard why would Abbott supporters be so seemingly sympathetic to his plight?

No, the real inspiration for the recent love-in is not Rudd at all. It’s Gillard.

Talking up her nemesis to make her look untenable has become the strategy of choice for her detractors. Maybe they genuinely believe Rudd is the lesser of two evils. Maybe they’re still fuming at the unceremonious manner in which he was ousted from the top job. Maybe they are harder on Gillard because she’s a woman. Or maybe, just maybe, they’re more scared of her than they are of Rudd. 

Despite the barrage of polls suggesting he is a far more popular figure among voters than Gillard, could he in fact be perceived an easier target to topple? It wouldn’t be the first time Abbott claimed his scalp.

Caught in a spiral of self-destruction reminiscent of Kurt Cobain, many within the ALP have succumbed to a culture of panic and in-fighting in which the painstakingly orchestrated martyrdom of Rudd has been allowed to gain traction.

But for those removed from the unsightly mess – namely the Liberal Party’s cheer squad – it is easier to survey the future with a cool detachment. Through those eyes the outcome of a Rudd resuscitation must seem inevitable: a brief honeymoon interrupted by a rapid flatline in both the polls and party-room morale.

If first-hand accounts of the widespread dysfunction and chaos Rudd brought about during his first reign are to be believed then the task of negotiating a minority government in a toxic political environment is surely beyond him.

Australia’s favourite punching bag she may well be, but it would seem Gillard has earned the begrudging respect of at least a few of her political foes. They’ll never admit it – but they don’t have to. Rudd’s unlikely new circle of “friends” has already told us all we need to know.

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22 comments

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    • Erick says:

      04:50am | 27/02/12

      I haven’t seen much evidence for this alleged surge of Rudd support from the Right, but if it exists I’d expect it to be like all those rusted-on Labor voters singing the praises of Malcolm Turnbull.

      However, I don’t buy the theory that Gillard would be harder to beat. Rudd has more support in the general community, so when the Julia wins, the voters will see it as another slap in the face. It seems more likely her popularity could sink even lower.

      Rudd would be more dangerous because for a brief period there would be a surge in the polls favouring the ALP. If he went for an immediate election, the government might just scrape through to another term. And that would be bad for Australia.

      Reply

    • SteveKAG says:

      07:26am | 27/02/12

      “He may not be popular in his own party, but his one-time enemies can’t get enough of the guy.”

      Not sure this is true but i wrote on Friday in the Punch that i would take Rudd over Gillard anyday, that does not mean that myself as a card carrying Liberal member “can’t get enough” of Rudd, it just shows the level of apathy I have for Gillard.
      I can never forgive this government Rudd/Gillard but if it is a choice of who i would rather represent us then i would prefer someone who talks like Rudd than someone who can barely talk.

      Plus I still think the way he was ousted was disgraceful, that does play a part in my thinking.

    • kc says:

      11:10am | 27/02/12

      Rudd was able to win an election as he had enough appeal to voters from the right to represent an acceptable alternative. Conservative voters typically value respect, authority, diplomacy, decency, adherance to process. The moment Gillard won power of our country through a banana republic style coup she lost any possibility of respect from right leaning voters. Conservative voters hate unions because they are disrespectful and arrogant, hate socalists because of their tendancy to be in your face and self righteous, hate the ALP because they treat Australia with disdain. Gillard is the worst embodiment of these characteristics and will only be more hated by conservative voters the longer the longer the ALP fail to show the public any respect. Throw an election FFS you undemocractic, disrepectful thugs.

      You might find that most conservative voters actually value a lot of the social policies from the left. Don’t mind lending a hand (provided it’s not unreasonable, don’t mind promoting job security, etc). It’s just a shame that the ALP think the way to do this is through thuggery and disrepect. Rudd seemed to be able to rise about this, Gillard embodies it to a tee.

      Throw an election today and stop holding our country to ransom!!!

    • DOB says:

      11:52am | 27/02/12

      LOL. All the conservative keyboard warriors ducking for cover. Go and take a look at the Daily Telegraph’s online polling (cited right here in an article last week). Then check the blogs. Its all there. Fact is Gillard is far superior to Rudd and both Gilard and Rudd and (separately) far superior to Abbott. And dont get me started on the catastrophe that is the liberal party front bench: that front bench looks like a cheap version of the Munsters, only a lot scarier. To be honest a small part of me likes the idea of an Abbott government - then thickies like you lot could get to show us what a real clusterf…k. looks like. Then I think “do I really wanted by country screwed over for another 4 years after the Howard government spent 12 years wasting everyones’ time?” and I put that idea out of my head.

      ps - despite what you people think, its not over until the fat lady sings or the scrawny guy in budgie smugglers calls barleys. You peopl should start getting nervous because there IS going to come a day when Tony Abbott’s contradictory, illogical, and plain out unworkable, dog’s vomit style “policies” get looked at seriously by the public. Im betting that after all this time theyre not going to like what they see. You think we lefties are worried about Abbott? Not at all.

      Bring it on.

    • Road Dogg says:

      01:16pm | 27/02/12

      It’s moronic to suggest that Turnbull is some how a lefty in disguise. But typical of the rusted-on supporters of the far right to try and misrepresent a sensible centrist position as some sort of socialist conspiracy.

    • RyaN says:

      02:01pm | 27/02/12

      Anyone who was reading DOB’s post, here let me translate:

      Wahh, waaah, drivel, drivel, inane comment, libellous statement, drivel, cry.

      DOB, put a post-it note on your monitor with this message “Don’t post when you have been drinking!”

    • Vivian says:

      06:17am | 27/02/12

      Not one quote for background.

      Not one link for proof.

      Yawn.

      Reply

    • Neil Wheedon Watkins Pye says:

      11:17am | 27/02/12

      *sigh*

      TimB
      Is that you?

    • Bearbrass says:

      10:26am | 28/02/12

      Vivian is right.  Sorry Sarah but you asserted without proof this conservative enthusiasm for Rudd; where were the quotes, or even just some names?  Anyone would think that someone in the Gillard camp was feeding you a line.  Conservatives don’t want Rudd, we want an election, one way or another.  Gillard’s end has merely been deferred, not averted.

    • NESLIHAN KUROSAWA says:

      07:17am | 27/02/12

      Hi Sarrah,

      How true and straight to the point!  This particular proverb happens to be one of my personal favorites of all time.  Because my great grand mother said it very often through out her 110 years of her life.  It kind of stayed with me over the years.  That particular picture above also brings back fond memories about Mr Kevin Rudd and what he has always stood for. However we might all need to be reminded about that very fact.

      I just wanted to ask “what has really changed in the last year for the Labor Party in general”? Can we expect to see any major changes to their strategies and policies as well as a cabinet reshuffle?  Or is it just about a power struggle and chance to get to the very top, once again? Was it actually worth all the negative publicity about a very divided ALP?  Only time will tell.

      I must also state that being politician as a representative of the general public is a privilege and not a right, given so easily to everyone. It also happens to be one that should not be taken so lightly, right?  I presume that 2012 will most definitely be a year to remember for most Australians.  I have certainly expected more courage, honesty, integrity and a united front from the Federal Government of Australia. 

      Somehow I feel this way,  just because they are all members of the same Party and not the opposition Party.  Who should be working together for the benefit of Australians, for a change.  That is if they are actually willing to take the time, to do a quick reality check about their very positions, instead of just thinking about their personal gains as well as trying to fix their image problems. Kind regards to your editors.

      Reply

    • subotic says:

      08:31am | 27/02/12

      “Caught in a spiral of self-destruction reminiscent of Kurt Cobain”

      Yea, wish a few more Australian politicians would follow Cobains lead….

      Reply

    • Nick C says:

      08:51am | 27/02/12

      Yeah….ummm, I don’t think so.

      Reply

    • Fred says:

      09:26am | 27/02/12

      Kevin is way more “conservative”, but they’re not conservative they’re radicals.

      Rudd stands for sickening amounts of immigration (Big Australia) as do Liberals I strongly suspect, and basically just taking care of people who are already rich by ruining the poor and middle class.

      So they want Rudd so they get a Liberal lite for 18months, then it’d be fairly easy to knock him off at the election.

      Reply

    • Ned Springstein says:

      10:14am | 27/02/12

      Abbotts finished.

      Reply

    • kc says:

      11:09am | 27/02/12

      Rudd was able to win an election as he had enough appeal to voters from the right to represent an acceptable alternative. Conservative voters typically value respect, authority, diplomacy, decency, adherance to process. The moment Gillard won power of our country through a banana republic style coup she lost any respect from right leaning voters. Conservative voters hate unions because they are disrespectful and arrogant, hate socalists because of their tendancy to be in your face and self righteous, hate the ALP because they seem to treat Australia with disdain. Gillard is the worst embodiment of these characteristics and will only be more hated by conservative voters the longer the longer the ALP fail to show the public any respect. Throw an election FFS you undemocractic, disrepectful thugs.

      You might find that most conservative voters actually value a lot of the social policies from the left. Don’t mind lending a hand (provided it’s not unreasonable, don’t mind promoting job security, etc). It’s just a shame that the ALP think the way to do this is through thuggery and disrepect. Rudd seemed to be able to rise about this, Gillard embodies it to a tee.

      Throw an election today and stop holding our country to ransom!!!

      Reply

    • Dolt says:

      11:11am | 27/02/12

      Of course they were for him. They may be vicious, nasty, malevolent beasts but they realised that a Kevin win meant at least one Indie pulling out and an election. That’s why they ‘wanted’ Kevin. Kevin was to equal Saint Tony.

      Reply

    • Geoff says:

      12:27pm | 27/02/12

      First off it’d be nice if you actually got something right about politics. 

      Not all Liberals are Conservative.  Just as not all Labor are Progressive, even if since Rudd there has been an attempt to rid the ALP of any form of Conservatism.

      So the Liberal as opposed to Conservative, cheer-squad for Rudd was politically motivated.  Rudd would be harder to beat than Gillard, just on the popular vote alone.  But he wouldn’t save Labor as his popularity would only bring with it a few percent of the vote.  Cheering for him is only about causing disunity amongst the ALP membership.  Simply put…  divide and conquer.

      Reply

    • Yuri says:

      01:56pm | 27/02/12

      I think this comment nails it, much better than the article. Everyone knew that Julia would likely win the leadership ballot, but Liberals supported Kevin because the closer he got to Julia in numbers, the more Labor would be torn apart. Divide the ALP and conquer at the next election!

    • Philosopher says:

      02:19pm | 27/02/12

      More Gillard/faction rhetoric.  Rudd was destroyed by th facions precisely because the polls both the newws media and their own were saying that Rudd was the most popular politicans in AU. Far more than Gillard and more than Abbot. So why did he have to be character assassinated?  He was aginast the factions and they could not control him.

      Rather than have Rudd they would rather destroy the ALP and hope they can use apologists like you to repair the damage. 18 months is an eternity in politics.However, have you got 18 months. We will see.

      The Australian people are a bit too trusting sometimes and the party machinery is adept at manipulation but I think you have gone too far this time and you are all about to get it where the chicken got the axe.

      Reply

    • Helen says:

      05:25pm | 27/02/12

      Or…. surprise, surprise, people actually hated working with him.

      And seriously, you believe polls??? Does the tooth fairy live at your place too?

    • Philosopher says:

      02:47pm | 27/02/12

      More Gillard/faction rhetoric.  Rudd was destroyed by th factions precisely because the polls, both the news media and their own, were saying that Rudd was the most popular politican in AU. Far more than Gillard and more than Abbot. So why did he have to be character assassinated?  He was against the factions and they could not control him.

      Rather than have Rudd they would rather destroy the ALP and hope they can use apologists like you to repair the damage. 18 months is an eternity in politics.However, have you got 18 months. We will see.

      The Australian people are a bit too trusting sometimes and the party machinery is adept at manipulation but I think you have gone too far this time and you are all about to get it where the chicken got the axe.

      Reply

    • Norlan says:

      09:01am | 20/04/12

      **Derail ahead**.@42 tssk, sorry can’t help you there. PAYG transfers legal rblionspeisity to the employer to withhold and remit income tax of employees. Since the employees only ever receive after-tax income, they are deemed to have paid their tax. But contractors and some kinds of labour hirees however remain responsible for withholding and remitting their own income tax.The most benign circumstance I can think of is that your brother had a HECS debt and either hadn’t declared it, or the employer hadn’t paid it. Then your brother would be stuck with making up the shortfall (unlike income tax, HECS always remains the legal rblionspeisity of the person who got the education). But in that situation your brother wouldn’t be out of pocket in any real sense, because he would’ve received the money from his employer that was supposed to be sent to HECS.Your brother might also have made a withholding declaration to the employer to send more tax to the ATO, but the employer didn’t act on that declaration and instead gave the deemed income tax to your brother. Your brother might’ve thought he was getting the correct paycheck based on his increased declaration, but he was in fact getting just a normal payment. Then the ATO would chase him, because he in fact received the money when it was due to the ATO.The less benign circumstances I could imagine that might give rise to your brother’s tale would be if the employee were involved in some sort of informal or improper PAYG arrangement with the employer (for example, if the employer was not properly PAYG registered or the employee had submitted an incorrect or improper withholding declaration); or if the employee was hired under a labour hire firm/contractor type arrangement where the legal rblionspeisity for getting the income tax right remains with the labour hire firm/contractor, not the boss (in some cases, sole traders like to set themselves up as a labour hire company , and that company, ie themselves, carries the can for the income tax).It’s extremely uncommon for the ATO to chase people for tax money that the person never actually received. They generally only take such punitive action against people with a very poor history of compliance or an established history of actual tax-dodging.I think there’s some info missing from your brother’s story, but this is not the place to discuss it further.

      Reply
 
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