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Knives are out and I wish they’d chop chop

Lainie Anderson

by Lainie Anderson

26 Feb 05:50am

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Filed under: Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Labor Leadership, Leadership, Leadership Spill, Pokies, Politics

64 comments

I really wanted to write about My Kitchen Rules this week, but it turns out there’s even more distasteful backstabbing, strategy and deluded egomania to be had in federal politics.

That's not a knife…

After 18 months of reassurances that our Foreign Minister is a happy little vegemite in a united ALP team, it now seems clear that Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been battling two formidable adversaries: TAbbs and KRudd.

I’ve got to admit, for months I thought the Labor leadership tussle was little more than Canberra commentators feeding off a limp carcass.

I spent a few years in a political media scrum and I can tell you there’s nothing quite like the frenzy of journalists on the scent of a leadership spill or election: the relentless hounding and constant speculation can be entirely self-fulfilling.

But the journalists were right. Kevin Rudd does want his old job back, and he’s been working to undermine his own party to make it happen.

The more I think about it, the more I think we voters have been gypped.

To a large extent, Ms Gillard has no-one to blame but herself for poor polling. As I recently wrote, her back flip on pokies reform was one too many for those who’d given her the benefit of the doubt since 2010.

But now we hear the startling revelation from Clubs Australia that last November an MP allied to Mr Rudd promised mandatory pre-commitment would be scrapped if he was reinstated as PM.

Mr Rudd denies the accusation, but it seems wherever there’s smoke there’s a fire burning out of control in this sordid little affair.

Which begs at least two questions: how much of our government’s energy has been consumed with stamping out internal fires lit by one man on a mission?

What would Labor’s polling be like if Ministers had been given clear air to discuss their agenda with you and me, instead of constantly fending off both the opposition and Rudd-inspired leadership speculation?

After all that we’ve learnt in this refreshingly candid week, I fail to fathom why so many Labor punters still want Rudd back in The Lodge.

Do you believe the opposition won’t absolutely cane him on the issue of trust if he’s returned to power? And do you honestly still think he’s a victim?

It is now clear that he has been undermining Gillard’s government among politicians, journalists, financial and business leaders - hell, basically anyone within earshot - for at least 12 months.

It is eye-poppingly hypocritical, then, for Mr Rudd to say he was forced to quit as Foreign Minister because he didn’t have the support of his PM.

As far as I can tell, Rudd quit for one reason: to open the way for a tilt at the top.

And now he wants us to do his dirty work (even trotting out his wife when he was mid air), urging us all to contact our MPs and tell them to get revvin’ for Kevin.

A happy little vegemite revolution, if you will.

There’s so much he-said-she-said going on that it’s hard to keep track.

One thing’s for sure: there would not have been an overthrow in 2010, and his Labor Caucus colleagues would not be so vicious now, if things were fine and dandy with Mr Rudd’s rule the first time around.

I’m not even in the thick of federal politics, but I’ve heard numerous high-level accounts of how difficult and manic Rudd can be.

So if he loses tomorrow’s leadership ballot, Rudd needs to sod off.

Not for the benefit of the ALP, but to allow the rest of us to actually hear what our government - and yes, our opposition - have to say on policies and plans to position Australia for the future.

Most commented

431Australia, you have nothing to fear but fear itself
390There's no one Thomson won't burn to save his skin
336Animal experiments won't cure me from cancer
313Thomson didn't answer the question everyone is asking
266Who murdered the Arts degree?
246A big day for Thomson, who thus far is guilty of nothing...
231South Australia. It's the middle bottom bit.
231Craig Thomson speaks. Meanwhile, in Australia...

64 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • ronny jonny says:

      06:10am | 26/02/12

      The really interesting part will be to see who votes for who. Those with any integrity will vote for Gillard, ride it out and fall on thier swords, those who are only interested in retaining power and keeping their snout in the trough will go with Rudd. Human nature being what it is, I think Rudd will win the ballot, therefore anyone who remains in a government led by him is not looking to the best interests of the country but to their own best interests. Unless they come up with the rumoured Third Man.

      Reply

    • M. Mouse says:

      03:39pm | 26/02/12

      I’d rather we taxpayers got to decide via a general election. We are having to endure what amounts to election sloganeering (smug, patronising false promises and slagging off the “other side”) without any of the fun of going to the ballot box ourselves; and well aware that no matter who gets the poison chalice, Bob Brown will still be dictating policy. So whether we get tweedledum or tweedledee makes no difference, may as well be watching re-runs of “Dallas”.

    • PW says:

      05:34pm | 26/02/12

      I’m a taxpayer too and I am more than happy to wait until the election is due, in 18 months.

    • Gregg says:

      06:28pm | 26/02/12

      That’s a big call Ronny Jonny and there would have to be a good twenty or so Gillard doubters who are swinging enough to swing Kevin’s way.
      Not that it can’t happen but what a fiasco and what a new cabinet there’ll be if it happens, and for how long for Gillard went to an election quick time.

    • PhilD says:

      06:45pm | 26/02/12

      The Third Man is biding his time. He’ll support Julia Gillard because she is the leader and is keen to get on with reforms that will not return them to Government. Tony Abbot will lead the liberals to victory in the next election but Tony and his team will be easy targets for the Third Man who will use a period in opposition to build a more conservative team.

    • LittleJoe says:

      06:27am | 26/02/12

      One of the scariest chapters about this who fiasco ...... other that the continual lies that have been rolled out by the ALP ...... was that they blamed the media for all this, and reporting the actual truth.

      Imagine what would have happened if the ALP just sacked Rudd and told the truth 6-months ago. Yes there polling number would have dropped to 20% but they don’t worry about things like this untill election month.

      As a result of the continual defencive lies by the ALP, the Government planned/is planning to have a senate enquiry about the media ethics because, as it turns out, they were telling the truth.

      So the underpinning fact about the ALP is that they wanted to lie, but wanted to censor the media because they wanted to tell the truth. Sounds very much like Germany in the 1930’s, Russia under Stalin and North Korea.

      ALP’s morality is in the toilet. But in saying this, I am still waiting for the day when a reporter writes a story on the failure of the Budget that Labor took to the 2010 election.

      Reply

    • Brian B says:

      03:24pm | 26/02/12

      Astute comment Joe. We’ve been told for months by Cabinet..“there is no challenge”.....“Mr. Rudd is doing an excellent job as FM”.... and from Mr. Rudd “I support the PM absolutely”.

      They are all compulsive liars. As Blackadder would say “sod off the lot of you”.

    • PW says:

      05:39pm | 26/02/12

      As in all leadership challenges on either side of politics, you support the leader until such time as you challenge. That is perfectly normal practice that has happened in every leadership challenge since time began. If you think about it, it is impossible for it to be any other way. If Rudd had come out publicly and said he didn’t support the leader 6 months ago, the challenge would have happened then.

    • Borderer says:

      08:58pm | 26/02/12

      I believe the saying is “Admit nothing, deny everything, make counter accusations.”

    • Peter says:

      06:31am | 26/02/12

      Its amazing to think anyone could be silly enough to vote for Rudd the dud, Juliar and Labor ever again. How many times do you have to repeat your mistakes before reality and common sense takes over ? Its no wonder conartist do so well there are many sheeple who are happy to line up to be slaughtered.

      Reply

    • jaki says:

      11:36am | 26/02/12

      Never underestimate the utter stupidity of some voters, Peter.

    • Matthew Mark Luke and John says:

      11:39am | 26/02/12

      Spoken like an integral part of the flock of Abbott.
      Praise the Lord and pass the snakes.

    • nihonin says:

      02:51pm | 26/02/12

      Matthew Mark Luke and John, your reply, spoken like a true acolyte, obviously you support the problems within the Labor party, fascinating, says a lot about you.

    • DaS Energy says:

      06:35am | 26/02/12

      I picked him 12 months ago, nasty peice of work.

      Reply

    • Bertrand says:

      07:20am | 26/02/12

      “but to allow the rest of us to actually hear what our government - and yes, our opposition - have to say on policies and plans to position Australia for the future.”

      Thank you!

      Reply

    • Tom says:

      11:06pm | 26/02/12

      From the numerous opportunities given to the opposition over the last few months, they have failed to outline any policies or plans (one line slogans do not count). I think that they are more than happy for the attention to be on Labor because it keeps the spotlight off them and their lack of any plans other than hitting the pause or rewind button on the country.

    • Mikko says:

      07:30am | 26/02/12

      Who’d have thought politics and the Labor Party in particular, could have sunk so low and grown to smell like a bag of week-old prawns in a park dumpster? It’s like a combination of the old violent kids’ marionette show, Punch and Judy and Alice in Wonderland, with Judy likely to beat up Punch once again, but Punch possibly surviving to punch back another day, while the March Hare only has to watch and laugh from his burrow and wait for his day to come. Meanwhile, up in sunny Queensland, The Mad Hatter thinks his tea party could gain control.
      I guess we really do get the politicians we deserve.

      Reply

    • Kipling says:

      07:31am | 26/02/12

      Most of what seems “evident” to you appears to be nothing more than supposition based on nothing more than your own brief tilt in the bear pit…

      Reply

    • NESLIHAN KUROSAWA says:

      07:43am | 26/02/12

      Hi Lainie,

      Just like the picture above tells, kitchen can be a dangerous place to be, especially for rivals such as Ms Julia Gillard and Mr Kevin Rudd. Surely those smiles look like they belong in much happier days right? 

      I am just wondering if there were any happy days though? Just like a picture tells a thousands words, kitchen happens to be part of our personal lives in our homes, personally speaking.

      What about the public lives of our Leaders and Politicians?  They all seem to have forgotten the fact that when they do decide to into politics, even their personal lives become public property as well.

      Sadly, I find that it does not count for anything much these days, except for giving more material to the media and newspapers, for all the wrong reasons!  But is this actually good publicity and the publicity every politician wishes and craves for?

      I truly think that it has surely come to a point of no return for the Australian Labor Party. Actual question should be “can the Labor Party get the credibility and trust of the Australian Voters back once again? Somehow, I feel that if it is just about making a political come back to claim personal victory, why burn all the bridges as they cross them?  Kind regards to your editors.

      Reply

    • Pollywaffle says:

      07:54am | 26/02/12

      Vegemite is bad for one’s health - too much salt - time to give it up.

      Reply

    • Brian Taylor says:

      07:55am | 26/02/12

      What would Labor’s polling be like if Ministers had been given clear air to discuss their agenda with you and me
      didn’t you really mean to write….What would Labor’s polling be like if Ministers had been given clear air to SPIN their agenda with you and me?
      the day any pollie whichever side of the fence they’re on, EVER tells the truth, that’d be the day I’m totally shocked.

      Reply

    • Denny Crane says:

      08:22am | 26/02/12

      It would be just as bad. The main reason that they are down in the polls is because of policy and the lies. They cannot sell a policy without a lie and the public can see thru them. Rudd is only a small part of the problem, the rest is down to Gillard, Labor, the greens and the stupid independents.

      Anyone who lies down with labor will surely get up with fleas.

    • Peter says:

      12:55pm | 26/02/12

      Denny that reminds me of what Angry Anderson said to Peter Garrett when Angry heard Garrett was joining the Labor party. He said to Garrett if you lie down with dogs you will get fleas. Now Garrett s name is mud and he will be infected with fleas for the rest of his life. Nowadays he spends his time grovelling when once i respected him now I have no respect for Garrett at all and consider him a dishonest low life. He should have stuck at what he was good at. Thank God for good and decent people like Angry Anderson.
      Brain I think Abbott is one of the msot hosnest politicians ive seen and thats what upsets the Labor party so much and why they spend most of thier time attacking him.

    • M. Mouse says:

      03:54pm | 26/02/12

      @ Peter, hear hear. I too admired Garrett and hate what has become of him since he joined the ALP. The Chaser had it pretty well right with the sketch about the whales trying to save Peter Garrett.

    • Against the Man says:

      06:04pm | 26/02/12

      Peter Garrett has created a legacy of shame that will haunt him and those close to him forever. He should have stuck to being a rock stars fighting the man.

    • Pollywaffle says:

      07:55am | 26/02/12

      Teresa says he is a changed man.  Does that mean she agrees that he is a house angel and a street devil??

      Reply

    • Craig says:

      08:10am | 26/02/12

      Neither Gillard or Rudd have what it takes to be a good PM. If we could take the best attributes of both of them Australia would be better off.

      However while Gillard builds the plane on the way down and Rudd takes it apart again, all the Caucus passengers see only one fate - their demise as a government. Neither is thinking about the collateral damage. The people and businesses that will be destroyed in Labor’s crash to earth.

      Selfish to the extreme, all of them.

      Reply

    • Karen from Qld says:

      08:11am | 26/02/12

      I for one am hoping that Labor “clears thre air” about the Australia Day incident and Craig Thomson. Let Julia clear the air on her statement about courage. I would love her to explain if she has so much courage why did she not have the courgae to take her carbon tax to an election. Let’s hear the reason why Peter Slipper was the right person for the job of speaker. There are just so many things I am waiting for Labor to clear the air on.

      Reply

    • PW says:

      05:47pm | 26/02/12

      Gillard was not planning on introducing a carbon tax but it became the price of Greens support. In any case I am in favour of it and I think come May 1 many more will be as well. It should have been levied on petrol, though, the greatest pollutant of all. The coming tax cuts and pension increases represent Gillard’s great hope of lifting her popularity. On the evidence of history it’ll probably work.

    • Andrew says:

      08:38pm | 26/02/12

      They may get there cheques in May but they will get there electricity Bill after July and realise they are paying a lot more, the cheque they got in May will soon be forgotten about then.

    • Karen from Qld says:

      09:45pm | 26/02/12

      @PW Whether or not you are in favour of a carbon tax is not the point of my comment. You are but one person - there are many more Australians who would have liked to have had a say on this matter. Again I will ask where was her courage. At least John Howard had the courage and integrity to take his plans for a GST to a vote. She made the agreement with Bob Brown before the election. If the carbon tax was part of that agreement then she should have had the courage to tell the truth or does she not know the meaning of truth.

    • splash says:

      01:21am | 27/02/12

      PW,
      in about 16 to 18 months the people of Australia will decide the fate of the carbon tax.

    • TimB says:

      08:13am | 26/02/12

      “To a large extent, Ms Gillard has no-one to blame but herself for poor polling.”

      This is right.

      “What would Labor’s polling be like if Ministers had been given clear air to discuss their agenda with you and me, instead of constantly fending off both the opposition and Rudd-inspired leadership speculation?”

      This, not so much.

      Rudd may have been undermining Gillard with opposition to some of her reforms, but he was capitalising on the mood of the electorate. She isn’t polling badly because of Rudd, she’s polling badly because of *her* actions. Rudd is just taking advantage- Just like she did in 2010.

      Rudd as a terrible boss that polls well? Who cares! Keep him! as long as he wins.

      Rudd as a terrible boss with falling polls? Boo hiss, out come the knives.

      Neither Rudd nor Gillard get to claim the high ground here.

      Reply

    • BooHiss says:

      11:53am | 26/02/12

      “To a large extent, Ms Gillard has no-one to blame but herself for poor polling.”

      I blame the media for their inability to separate facts from opinions and their complete disregard for ethics, which is a cornerstone of journalism.

      Once journalists informed the public about the issues of the day. Now they seek to create the issues of the day.
      What passes for journalism in this country is a disgrace.

    • TimB says:

      02:10pm | 26/02/12

      Whilst you’re there, why not blame the spineless and weak ALP for pandering to media opinion then?

      Or maybe, just maybe the ALP brought all this poor opinion and crap down on themselves by their own actions.

      You want a media that praises the glorious leaders who can do no wrong? Move to North Korea.

    • BooHiss says:

      03:47pm | 26/02/12

      Do I need to go to North Korea for facts and ethics in journalism TimB?

      As I said, once journalists informed the public about the issues of the day. Now they seek to create the issues of the day.
      What passes for journalism in this country is a disgrace.

    • TimB says:

      05:19pm | 26/02/12

      They created nothing. The ALP created this mess all on their own.

      If you seriously think this was the media, then you’re stupider than I thought.

    • Mouse says:

      06:00pm | 26/02/12

      BooHiss, if it wasn’t for the journos you wouldn’t be able to form an opinion on political events because you would have no idea what is happening in Canberra.  Just because they report something that goes against your beliefs or you don’t agree with, it does not mean that they are telling lies, not reporting facts or being biased against a particular party.  They have not created the issues, the ALP has done that all on their own. The pollies have been screaming their guts out to the media lately, loud and strong! Just because the interviews don’t receive the results that some want, does not mean that journos have written it incorrectly.

      Journalism is what one person has written, your choice on how you decipher it. What is a disgrace is what has been happening within the government .

    • Fred says:

      08:25am | 26/02/12

      Very sad that our country’s future is being decided by what seems to be a high school popularity contest. I wonder if those mobbing Rudd yesterday were clueless gen ys or young Labor people.

      Reply

    • Gerard says:

      10:47am | 26/02/12

      Those pictures actually reminded me of the scenes from North Korea last year after the ‘tragic’ death of their Dear Leader. So much for rationality…

    • jaki says:

      11:43am | 26/02/12

      Make no mistake Fred, if someone as vacuous and thick as Kim Kardashian wanted to be the PM there would be many, many brain-dead idiots voting for her. Celebrity is all that matters to these young morons, hence Rudd’s “popularity”.

    • Wilma says:

      11:45am | 26/02/12

      I suspect they were much the same as those polled over preferred leader of the Labor party———Conservatives.
      Nothing more conservatives would like than Rudd back in charge.

      Let’s have a poll on who is the preferred leader of the Liberal party Turnbull or Abbott and ask Labor voters. I suspect much the same result but for different reasons. If Labor were to lose power, I imagine Labor voters would prefer someone who wasn’t going to drag them back 50 years.

    • WhoDat says:

      10:02am | 26/02/12

      “the relentless hounding and constant speculation can be entirely self-fulfilling. “

      This is all you needed to say.
      Actually, this and the press removal of the line between fact and opinion relentlessly hounding the government with false and misleading commentary.

      Reply

    • John says:

      10:12am | 26/02/12

      “Sod off” ? Charming. Kevin Rudd will be Prime Minister again, sooner or later, because after Bob Hawke he’s still the most popular Prime Minister in Australian history.

      Reply

    • Peter says:

      12:57pm | 26/02/12

      He is only popular amongst gullible and ignorant fools.

    • John says:

      03:05pm | 26/02/12

      @Peter

      Now there’s a novel strategy for winning over those who support your opponents. Why bother presenting them with better options when you could just call them names ? A surefire winner.

    • Xar says:

      10:47am | 26/02/12

      I hope Rudd gets back and I’m prepaired to contact local MP’s about it - it isn’t through any naive belief that he is a hard luck nice guy, I am just so completely sick of this factional stupidity within the labour government that I cherish the idea of them all in joint misery trying to make it work. I can’t stand Abbott,  LNP isn’t a viable alternative with him at the helm, he’s a nightmare as much as any of them are. Let them all mire in this idiocy of their own creation, due to their ambitions making them forget what they are there to do and who they serve - the people of Australia.

      Reply

    • year of the dragon says:

      06:50pm | 26/02/12

      Xar says: 11:47am | 26/02/12

      “I can’t stand Abbott,”

      Why? I’ll bet I, a lifelong conservative voter, have more valid reasons for not liking Abbott than you.

      You, like all the other Labor rusties, have to hate Abbott. If you didn’t you’d have no reason to not vote for the LNP.

    • xar says:

      09:16pm | 26/02/12

      gracious people do seem to really struggle with the idea that not everyone straps themselves to one party or another come hell or high water. We haven’t got enough space to dedicate to why the man is odious, you know it, I know it. What you do NOT know is my voter history, so can the partisan trash talking.

    • Abu The Goat Boy says:

      10:50am | 26/02/12

      Wipe both of the duds off the board. I would like to see the White Gekko and the Grey Gekko elected leader and deputy respectively. That would be exciting. Muhahaaaaa.

      Talking about Stephen Smith and Wayne Swan. Take your pick as to which is which.

      Reply

    • Martin from Canberra says:

      10:57am | 26/02/12

      I have never liked Rudd,I believe you could see that 3 months after he took Government in 07,he was never a team player,he played his own game,after all they did not call him Kevin747 for nothing,his Government was left floundering while he pressed the flesh with far off dignitaries,and the Kitchen table member were not able go forward with reforms,unless the Happy Little Vegemite approved it..This was not the way to run a Trillion dollar economy.But it was Krudds way,or the highway..Hence Gillard took the highway,and all I can say is thank god she did.I am not a Labor voter but blind Freddie could see Labor was in far worse shape back then ,than now.Finally Rudd has alway been condescending to the Public,and Caucus alike….The Phrase that Therese Raine made the other day….“The Ordinary Folk”...that is a Ruddism,and may I say,I am not ordinary,and far from it.

      Reply

    • Brian Taylor says:

      01:59pm | 26/02/12

      I am not a Labor voter ...yeah right Martin from Canberra, everyone reading your little post is going to believe that too…NOT
      The Phrase that Therese Raine made the other day….“The Ordinary Folk”...that is a Ruddism,and may I say,I am not ordinary,and far from it…
      That was written either yesterday or the day before in a post, was that you too?
      sounds like Julia’s people speaking here lol.
      away with you labor troll

    • Mayday says:

      11:17am | 26/02/12

      Swan couldn’t organise a raffle at a scouts meeting, please spare us.

      Reply

    • Mayday says:

      11:25am | 26/02/12

      “To a large extent, Ms Gillard has no-one to blame but herself for poor polling.”

      After the Four Corners expose it appears “Ms Innocent” is as guilty as KRudd of manipulation and undermining his position within the party.

      The venom from his fellow ministers, particularly Swan is interesting and I imagine its purely a survival tactic, the man is as talented as empty cup.

      Lainie methinks you doth protest too much, another poor Lefty journo whose party has imploded because of ego and deceit. 

      The Left love to hate and they have a talent for it, Kevin is the just the latest and the one person who has indeed damaged the party CRAIG THOMPSON seems untouchable…....why is that and why is the media not chasing this?

      Reply

    • Philosopher says:

      12:42pm | 26/02/12

      The bookies have had money on Shorten as PM for the next election for many months.  The labour heavies know that Rudd was dudded in 2010. Listen to what Albanese said.  The faction bosses are stitching Rudd up and using their stooges to do it.  I listened to what Rudd said and he said nothing about Gillard and in spire of what Crean said he still publicly supported Rudd.

      This article is proGillard rubbish.If I were Rudd I would have had no chouice but to resign and come home just as he did.  The vote in 7 thisd morning was 83% for Rudd for PM and 17% for Gillard for PM with 66,000 votes already cast. Rudd out performs Abbott and all the coalition and Gillard and all her faction ridden entrourage. The number crunchers have it right.  Without Rudd the ALP is history.  Just remebers this fact of histroy.  The Liberal party was formed from an offshoot of the ALP. History may well repeat itself.

      Reply

    • Judas says:

      01:02pm | 26/02/12

      No concerns about Gillard ( a woman) stabbing him in the back.  Perfectly acceptable apparently.

      Reply

    • Brad says:

      01:28pm | 26/02/12

      This really is just a re-staging of 2010 mainly for the publics benefit. The real story needed to be told of why the ‘knifing’ happened. (The public just lost someone they ‘loved’ so, it was traumatic, and it has been a bit like going through the 5 stages of grief, with most still stuck in the anger or denial stage).  Tomorrow the numbers will again be pretty much the same as there were in 2010. Hopefully, that will mean by the time of the next election in the publics mind Rudd will be, to use an Abbott expression, ‘dead, buried and cremated’

      Reply

    • Jim says:

      01:43pm | 26/02/12

      For a country mad on team sports I am amazed that Rudd has anyone willing to mob him, even if they are not old enough to vote and had been summoned up from by the social networking Ouija board by family.

      As a professional football player his prime ministership consisted of his team creating some great plays, which ended when he ran up, took the ball off them and then ran a full circuit with his jersey over his head and turning cartwheels for the media.

      His FM time has been spent avoiding the ball during match games, tripping up his team then confiding any set plays to the press, then calling the media onto the pitch after the match to show them the goal kicking ability he would use only if he is allowed to be in charge.

      If he was a professional footballer he would be mobbed and I am guessing it wouldn’t be by a bunch of youngsters wanting their arms signing.

      Whatever Gillard has done is the same as any other politician, any other pro sports player, what he has done should get him a lifetime ban from any team sports. Kicking people in the softies when in a pack with their eyes forward looking at the ball is not something I want to carry this bloke round the stadium for.

      Reply

    • William says:

      02:17pm | 26/02/12

      Gillard deserves to be undermined.  In fact, she deserves everything that’s coming to her.  When quizzed on her interest in the leadership before the 2010 coup, her trust and integrity problem started at “There’s more chance of me becoming the full-forward for the Dogs than there is of any change in the Labor Party.”  or “You may as well ask me am I anticipating a trip to Mars.” or “I think there’s more chance of me going around the world sailing solo a dozen times.”  This is why Anthony Albanese is one of the few who understands Gillard’s credibility problem.  Then there’s the carbon tax lie, cash for clunkers, the Citizens Assembly, her changed positions on asylum seekers, the East Timor processing centre, Bob Brown’s accusations over a broken deal over logging in Tasmania, her torn up pokies reform agreement with Andrew Wilkie, the Four Corners interview, the security scare on Australia Day.  And her defence for all of this?  “I get things done.”  So, no need for honesty or integrity in leadership then?  The majority view is that Gillard is a back-stabber, and it’s just ridiculous that two thirds of the Labor caucus are still backing her over Rudd.  Talk about denial.  If Rudd loses, then Abbott deserves to be your next PM.

      Reply

    • Philosopher says:

      03:00pm | 26/02/12

      The bookies have had money on Shorten as PM for the next election for many months.  The labour heavies know that Rudd was dudded in 2010. Listen to what Albanese said.  The faction bosses are stitching Rudd up and using their stooges to do it.  I listened to what Rudd said and he said nothing about Gillard and in spite of what Crean said he still publicly supported Gillard.

      This article is proGillard rubbish.If I were Rudd I would have had no choice but to resign and come home just as he did.  The vote in 7 this morning was 83% for Rudd for PM and 17% for Gillard for PM with 66,000 votes already cast.(68,000 an hour or so later same percentages) Rudd out performs Abbott and all the coalition and Gillard and all her faction ridden entrourage. The number crunchers have it right.  Without Rudd the ALP is history.  Just remember this fact of history.  The Liberal party was formed from an offshoot of the ALP. History may well repeat itself.
      It may be that neither can win now with this blood letting and assassination of of Rudd but with Rudd they will lose much less than 15 seats and be in striking distance.  With Gillard they will lose well over 30 and be in the wilderness for 10-15 years

      Reply

    • Against the Man says:

      05:44pm | 26/02/12

      Well said. The ALP need Rudd. Gillard….17% FFS what a joke!

    • year of the dragon says:

      06:58pm | 26/02/12

      Philosopher says: 04:00pm | 26/02/12

      “Just remember this fact of history.  The Liberal party was formed from an offshoot of the ALP. History may well repeat itself.”

      Not quite. The modern Liberal Party did come about as a result of two mergers between the existing conservative parties and former ALP members.

      However, point well made and an interesting one to ponder.

    • Philosopher says:

      09:13am | 27/02/12

      I was referring to the formation of the Liberals from the UAP with the majority labour dissidents from the Scullin Labour government.The Nationalist Party formed a large bulk but it was the Right Wing Labour Party leaders under Lyons and the cooperation with the Jack Lang leftists that brought down Scullin Labour. Labour was split into three groups. The Right wing Joined the Nationalists conservatives and the Lang Leftists were left with no alternative but to join then in bringing down Scullin and Labour. The UAP emerged under the Labour leader Lyons. I get a feeling history may well repeat itself. What is amazing is to listen to these fools ignore their electorates and of the 20 guys that are certain to loose their seats some 15 are so frightened of their faction bosses they will still vote for Gillard against Rudd even though the public are clearly telling them they want Rudd.  It just shows the power of these factions bosses and how dangerous they are to AU democracy,The Senators seem to forget along with these guys that they are also dependen on quotas to get in and Labour will also be decimated in the Senate.

      Reply

    • Philosopher says:

      10:45am | 27/02/12

      Gillard has just won overwhelmingly 73-29 so some report.  They have sown the wind and will now reap the whirlwind.  Watch Qld now and watch the AU people tear labour apart at the next election. Ron Clark mayor of GC has just resigned and will contest Broadwater. It has only just started.

      Reply
 
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