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Sweet-talking Rudd has forced Gillard to be a bad guy

Malcolm Farr

by Malcolm Farr

22 Feb 01:05pm

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Filed under: Alp, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Labor Leadership, Politics

190 comments

Julia Gillard’s painful leadership bind will force her to demote and further humiliate the man she abruptly ousted - and deeply scarred - as Prime Minister in June, 2010. It is the best option she has to deal with Kevin Rudd and even then it is a ghastly one.

Rudd hanging out this week with people who actually like him… Picture: AFP

A problem for the pro-Gillard forces is that in the public sphere it is they who have been doing all the nasty talk. Simon Crean spoke of Rudd disloyalty, for example, on at least three radio stations and one TV network.

Meanwhile, Kevin Rudd is, in public, seen to simply be doing his public duty as Foreign Minister, building a reputation as one of the top performers among his international peers.

How could Julia Gillard sack a minister who she says is doing a good job, when he has not said a peep of criticism about her?

It will be just as hard to explain this as it was to gie the the full folio of reasons for dumping him 20 months ago. A lot of it is personal.

Below levels of public viewing and hearing, Mr Rudd has had plenty of personal criticism of Julia Gillard and has made clear his ambitions to get his job back.

If Ms Gillard called on a Caucus vote—and won as is widely expected—she would send the loser to the back bench and it would look like a battle over policy instability or a lack of direction for the party.

But if she demotes him it would appear as it was—a clash of personalities. Boards of major corporations are familiar with the process when two senior executives cannot get on. They can’t both sit around the boardroom table.

We then will have the fascinating spectacle of Kevin Rudd on the back bench, free of the restrictions of cabinet solidarity, able to speak out on any subject…and any leader.

In Opposition from 2001, Mr Rudd waved his leadership ambitions around almost annually, pulling out of a ballot at the last minute when he knew he didn’t have the numbers. He finally became leader when he had some hard heads working on his campaign against Kim Beazley.

That type of self endorsement without the back-up support in Caucus makes life difficult for many when a party is in Opposition. It is totally unacceptable in Government and has to be dealt with.

Most commented

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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
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246A big day for Thomson, who thus far is guilty of nothing...
231Craig Thomson speaks. Meanwhile, in Australia...
231South Australia. It's the middle bottom bit.

190 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • Rachel says:

      12:15pm | 22/02/12

      If she sacks him I will not be able to vote labor in the next election. It’s all too petty (when Rudd is really good at his job) and embarrassing for the party.

      I wish to goodness Rudd would just come out and say “No, I’m not after her job” and we could all move on but his silence screams volumes really.

      Reply

    • Tony of Poorakistan says:

      12:54pm | 22/02/12

      Well, what *can* he say?

      He’d take the role in a jiffy, of course, so he can’t say he doesn’t want it.

      He can’t even say he thinks the lying redhead is the best person for the job because anyone who says *that* is a complete fucking idiot, which he patently is not. 
       
      He can’t say she is performing well, because Blind Freddy can see that isn’t true. 

      No, best he says nothing and wait till another lie or two combine to bring her undone.

    • KT says:

      12:59pm | 22/02/12

      For God’s sake Rachel - that is all he has been saying!

    • Chris says:

      01:01pm | 22/02/12

      SHE knifed on his back last time!!  ... didn’t die… Now one more ... Good work Julia!  This will end of Kevin Rudd and ALP…

    • Bob says:

      01:09pm | 22/02/12

      He’s said it regularly, he’s also avoided the question on whether he’d take the job and refused to say whether Gillard has his loyalty. Kind of like how Gillard had more chance of being a forward for the bulldogs (or whatever it was) than being PM in 2010.

    • DOB says:

      01:12pm | 22/02/12

      Its not “petty” - the destabilisation is effectively crippling the government. Would you keep employed a salesperson who spends their time causing so much trouble that no sales gets made? Of course not. Same goes here. Its far from a “petty” issue - epecially when the country’s business is getting stuffed as a result. Rudd should know this and he should have pulled his head in long ago. Its unfortunate that its come to this but its because Rudd is either playing a deliberate spoiling game or is his political ear is 180 degrees out of line. Almost certainly its deliberate. So someone has to go; and in politics that person is always the one who doesnt have the numbers - and in Rudd’s case his beahviour means he is never going to get the numbers. If Rudd wanted to keep his job then he should have come out with an absolute statement of loyalty and stopped playing destabilising games. Given your second paragraph Im baffled about why you couldnt vote for labor at the next election if the PM has dealt with the man whose behaviour is so bad it outweighs his obvious talents. Its not like Rudd has not had plenty of warning about how to play nice with other people. This is not a game and he still hasnt learned a thing. That should tell you something.

    • DOB says:

      01:12pm | 22/02/12

      Its not “petty” - the destabilisation is effectively crippling the government. Would you keep employed a salesperson who spends their time causing so much trouble that no sales gets made? Of course not. Same goes here. Its far from a “petty” issue - epecially when the country’s business is getting stuffed as a result. Rudd should know this and he should have pulled his head in long ago. Its unfortunate that its come to this but its because Rudd is either playing a deliberate spoiling game or is his political ear is 180 degrees out of line. Almost certainly its deliberate. So someone has to go; and in politics that person is always the one who doesnt have the numbers - and in Rudd’s case his beahviour means he is never going to get the numbers. If Rudd wanted to keep his job then he should have come out with an absolute statement of loyalty and stopped playing destabilising games. Given your second paragraph Im baffled about why you couldnt vote for labor at the next election if the PM has dealt with the man whose behaviour is so bad it outweighs his obvious talents. Its not like Rudd has not had plenty of warning about how to play nice with other people. This is not a game and he still hasnt learned a thing. That should tell you something.

    • Jay says:

      01:32pm | 22/02/12

      Rudd and his suporter should resign from ALP and create a new party ALP-Rudd Group with no facelessman. Julia, shorten,swan and other factional bosses will be history

    • Jay says:

      01:32pm | 22/02/12

      Rudd and his suporter should resign from ALP and create a new party ALP-Rudd Group with no facelessman. Julia, shorten,swan and other factional bosses will be history

    • Chris says:

      01:48pm | 22/02/12

      He has, many times.

      He has repeatedly said that he is happy in his position and not after the her job. Whether that is true is a whole other story..

    • Seriously... says:

      01:50pm | 22/02/12

      Rudd will not challenge for the leadership if Gillard calls a spill and recontests the leadership.

      All that will happen is that her judgement will again be called into question for destablising the party and her future as PM will be placed in jeopardy.

    • Daniel says:

      01:53pm | 22/02/12

      I dont know how you can vote Labor anyhow? You need to vote 1 Greens.

    • Rachel says:

      02:18pm | 22/02/12

      I haven’t heard Rudd say that he doesn’t want the job. please can you link me? that is quite a relief to know that he has done that even just once.

      tony of pooraskistan - you’re right. I agree.

    • ScottS says:

      02:25pm | 22/02/12

      All I can say is there’s enough nails in Gillards coffin to satisfy China’s iron demands for a year.

      She is the most devious, undeserved prime minister in our our history and will go down as such. why is she still playing games when the is zero chance of re-election.

    • ANN says:

      02:35pm | 22/02/12

      Can Kevin Rudd go to FairWork Australia and claim “unfair dismissal? 

      I think she is foolish sacking him.  Ever heard of Machiavelli?

      Only 18 months to go maximum before we can vote you all out.

    • Halidom says:

      02:53pm | 22/02/12

      Rudd was a complete dud as PM. Julia who many call Julies as she has been called said there would be no carbon Tax. Well there is no carbon tax. She put a price not a tax on the greatest polluters in Australia.  If this makes Australia a better place to live and breath then that’s fine with me. Julia has been vilified for not doing more yet the opposition has voted down laws that even they say are part of their plan. Abbots plans are as clear as mud he did not get the Mr No for nothing. Can anyone remember one plan that Mr Abbot has said and stuck to. He changes his policy by knowing what the people he is speaking to want to hear. He changes it again when he speaks to another group. Julia has done a great job for Australia she may have a problem with empathy but she is a hard worker for Australia. What if anything do people expect to get from Mr No he makes grandiose promises but can’t back them with how he will finance them. Get your head out of the sand and look at the records. There was no tax it was a charge on pollution that (hopefully) will get the polluters to lessen their pollution. Australia is owned by Australians yet foreign companies making Billions of dollars are taking are resources and shipping them overseas. That’s billions of dollars and people complain when it it is said more of the money should stay in Australia. If they want to rip up Austrian resources they should create more Australian jobs by refining it here as well. As far as taxes go they should be paying at least what the average Australian rate is. So go and look at the records at what Julia has accomplished and stop looking at things that didn’t get done. What didn’t get done is mainly the fault of the opposition.

    • Ben says:

      03:36pm | 22/02/12

      @Rachel, DOB,

      I’m completely thunderstruck that you would still consider voting Labor at the next election at all. Hasn’t the circus that is executive government over the last 5 years dissuaded you?

      Maybe I’m being slightly unrealistic but it just seems unbelievable to me that Labor still manages to poll 30% of the primary vote. With the way they have been conducting themselves and the administration of the country (particularly in this parliament) they don’t deserve 10%.

    • Tim says:

      03:39pm | 22/02/12

      I for one think Julia is doing an absolutely wonderful job supported by the best treasurer this country has ever seen. Her policies are deeply thought out and are certainly never knee jerkers. With Simon Crean, Peter Garrett and Nicola all helping out this country is guaranteed ongoing success into the future…The NBN is an awesome idea whose books should not be open to the Public and these health reforms really do help the sick and disadvantaged. I really can’t wait to see what wonderful reforms they can bring to the education system..oh and look .. there is a pig riding a flying unicorn.

    • Mouse says:

      04:04pm | 22/02/12

      OMG Tim, I was about to call the psych ward to come and get you, then I finished reading your post!  Phew, all is well.  The pig is cute though, pretty in pink! lol :o)

    • Merve says:

      04:08pm | 22/02/12

      According to the ABC’s Insiders Barry Cassidy, all the leadership rumors are coming directly from Rudd himself, even though he is denying it. They know because he is the one who talked to them spreading them.  He nearly lost the ALP the election, now he wants to get back in, even though the destablisation is wrecking the Labor Party.

    • Kevin says:

      04:14pm | 22/02/12

      This is without doubt the most inept and incompetent government in our 110 year history of federation.  There are too many stuff-ups and bungles to mention.  And now they are running around like spoilt school yard bullies focussing, not on the important issues, but on themselves.

      We don’t need a leadership spill, we need an election to put an end to this sad soap opera and get the country back on track.

    • nihonin says:

      04:41pm | 22/02/12

      Kevin Rudd has just resigned as FM, he states he doesn’t have the support of Julia Gillard, wonder where his support will now go.  He blames both Julia Gillard and the ‘faceless men’, very interesting times.

      He also quotes he is doing it for Anna Bligh, by the looks of it Kevin, she’s gone, leadership tussle or not, but good on you for sticking by your principles and not allowing dissension in the party.

      All the best for the future no matter which way you may go.

    • Holly says:

      12:21pm | 22/02/12

      Goodness me - yet another angle.  Michelle Grattan this morning seems somewhat surprised at the turn things have taken - funny that I thought she was driving them.  Perhaps she even thought she was in control.  There does not need to be a poll in caucus.  Rudd does not need to go to the back bench.  What Labor should do is send a raspberry to the media and Gillard and Rudd should issue a joint statement to the effect that there is too much important work to be done for the people of Australia.  We must come first.  Ignore the media games - they are only following their master’s instructions.  We do not want a country ruled in the interests of the rich and powerful only which is what we will get under Abbott.  Wake up Labor Party.  You have much to do - implement the Carbon Tax, roll out the NBN, much needed hospital and education reform etc.  Keep up the momentum and make our country great as it moves out of the sordid shadow of the Howard legacy.

      Reply

    • Against the Man says:

      01:06pm | 22/02/12

      This country will never be great under Labor. The carbon tax alone will ensure at least 3 cycles of election loses for the ALP. Every other f@#k up is just icing on the cake.

    • GB says:

      01:09pm | 22/02/12

      Seriously Holly? “The sordid shadow of the Howard legacy’?
      Get a grip woman.

    • Bob says:

      01:11pm | 22/02/12

      >>What Labor should do is send a raspberry to the media and Gillard and Rudd should issue a joint statement to the effect that there is too much important work to be done for the people of Australia.<<

      Done regularly (well, not joint, but they’ve both been saying the same thing) unfortunately not many people believe them. Not after it happened last time.

    • SK says:

      01:19pm | 22/02/12

      Wonderful statement Holly, spoken like a true labor stooge stuck with your head in the sand in some PMO’s backroom office tweeting and blogging tax payers money away like its xmas candy. In shear desperation but completely failing you try to garner any shred of public sympathy or support to keep the disasterous 5 years of labor debt and destruction on our economy going. Good Luck! i truly mean it…But heres a newsflash for you “LABOR IS DEAD”, people have stopped listening and have woken from their slumber the labor/union/communist machine sold them in 07 with a hopeless lemon. Have fun in the scrap heap for atleast another 10 yrs when the Australan people kick you imbeciles out at the next election ***STARTING WITH QLD***. I take my hat off to Hawke & Keating as they realised something 20yrs ago that all the current crop of degenerate labor hacks in Paliament fail to understand: even ‘Blue Collar workers’ and their Families also ‘Aspire’ and want ‘Prosperity’ in their lives and hence they shifted policies to accomodate the new environment. Fast forward to today and the current labor policies go back to the 70’s and mirror nothing more than Socialisim. THATS WHY LABOR OF 07 & 11 HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A MISERABLE FAILURE.

    • Moo says:

      01:25pm | 22/02/12

      Yep - only problem is why would Rudd do this when he is happily fanning the flames of insurrection ?

      If you think Rudd - who I prefer over Jools - is not intrinsically controlling every utterance and leak/comment/rumour ...then you are drinking the ‘I’m not a control freak kool Aid’.

      Disunity is death but let’s face it this is looking more and more like a race to the Opposition Leader position.

    • Rosie says:

      01:58pm | 22/02/12

      Nice one Holly! Very similar to Gillard, Rudd and Labor caucus colleagues, playing deceitful games with our minds. Thank goodness the vast majority have woken up from what has turned out to be a nightmare!

      This mob already send raspberries daily, not only to the media but to the people they represent undermining our intelligence. Unlike yourself the vast majority have not been fooled. Rudd and Gillard have not criticized each therefore there is no need to make a joint statement that they like each other. Read the article, if anything Rudd and Gillard are praising each other saying both a doing a good job and both don’t want Tony Abbott to become our next PM. Think, doesn’t it tell you the mindset of two deceitful ambitious people trying to pull the wool over your eyes? This is the reason for the chaos not coming to a head. They are all putting self interest before the people.

      While the people suffer, they go about attacking each other, at the same time bastardizing the honourable position of high office.

    • Socialism would not be a disappointment says:

      02:24pm | 22/02/12

      A bit harsh saying that the current labour government displays socialist values…  In a socialist country I think you will find that everybody is forced to contribute however in Australia we allow those that work their asses off and aspire to greatness generate wealth.. These people are than raped through taxes to support a welfare society that wait around for their next dole cheque, baby bonus, rental support payment, healthcare card, family tax rebate, stimulus payment, and any other handout this crap government bestows on them..  Importantly when the cash reserves aren’t sufficient to buy votes from the hopeless hoards that have a “hand out” in perpetuity.. the labour government turns back to those that are working and trys to squeeze for a bigger share..  No private healthcare rebate, means tests on everything, increased medicare levy.  It’s about time that this country gets a government in power that encourages hard work, determination and the success it brings. Encourages industry and effort, and above all recognises that the healthcare rebate, private education contribution and the like are provided to those that try and pay their own way whereas countless others are happy to contribute nothing.  Let’s face it.. socialism is a dramatic step up from where we are today.  I would welcome a time when everyone who is able is encouraged to contribute to the prosperity of the nation.
      Personally I can’t wait to see labour driven out of Queensland…  it will be the start of an awakening for Australia.

    • sam says:

      03:31pm | 22/02/12

      The Howard legacy is what these morons spent on pink bats,overpriced school halls,the department of climate change and other hairbrained ideas.
      IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO LEADS, THE ALP IS JUST ABOUT TO GO OVER THE PRECIPICE,and not soon enough.

    • Ben says:

      03:46pm | 22/02/12

      Wow Holly, obviously you’re blinded by tribalism but don’t you think you’re being just a little harsh on the Howard government? It is pretty widely accepted that the Howard government is one of the better governments Australia has had.
      You’re fairly common but completely wrong assertion that the Liberals only govern for the rich and powerful completely ignores facts. It is a long-held core tenet of the Libs that they are a party of families and small business, not exactly the big end of town. Interesting to note, if you check out the corporate donations register the ALP got more big bucks from big corporates than the Liberals did in the last 3 elections. So there is that little misconception of yours debunked.

      P.S. The ALP has already rejected the recommendations of the Gonski review into education, can’t afford it apparently, unlike the multiple billions that they drip feed into inefficient industries to shore up their union base. Whose sordid now?

    • Tony (not phony) says:

      04:13pm | 22/02/12

      @sam says
      Sorry you’re the only moron if you’re taking that line of attack idiot, not even worth responding to. But I will when you talk of Cowards legacy,  are you talking about the high interest rates, inflated housing prices, baby bonuses to the rich, health rebates for the rich, generous tax cuts to the rich, great legacy, more like Liberal pork barrelling.

    • TC says:

      04:55pm | 22/02/12

      Australia never had as good and competent government as it did under the Howard government. Thats a fact (incovenient as it is to ALP supporters)

    • TimB says:

      05:26pm | 22/02/12

      “Rudd does not need to go to the back bench”

      Bwahahaha. Looks like Kevin disagrees with you Holly.

    • the pieman says:

      12:27pm | 22/02/12

      Your comment:Have no fear you little children of both labor and liberal, you all failed to look up at the sky last Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you missed the big show when thousands of tons of Chemicals including Barium, aluminium and othere health depleting agents were dumped all over you, your kids, your bothers, sisters, Mums, Dads and Grannies.
      Yes you were chem trialled all those days and you never even looked up, just as you never looked at the sky for the last 5 years this has been continued.Soon little children you will find out why so many of us around the world are dropping off the perch with cancer. Its all due to Agenda 21 and you didnt even know about that!
      And your main newspapers are not allowed to recognise this nor speak of it!

      Reply

    • KT says:

      01:01pm | 22/02/12

      Why has this website published a non related diatribe from an obvious mental case? Stick to topic please - Oh and take your meds.

    • kirk says:

      01:06pm | 22/02/12

      ummmmmmm what?

    • Moo says:

      01:28pm | 22/02/12

      You’re not an ALP State candidate in the Qld election by anychance?

    • Phil of 8 Mile says:

      01:37pm | 22/02/12

      I love it. Can we please have a story on this topic News? If you dare!

    • ace leo ace says:

      01:37pm | 22/02/12

      Crawl back under your rock with your reptillian friends and watch Zeitgeist another 100 times.

      The world is not yet ready for your ideas and probably never will be.

      You keep convincing yourself that you are the only sane person in the world, but deep down you know the truth. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…it must be an alien planted by the government in order to distract us from the real conspiracy that dominates our lives.

    • BSN says:

      01:46pm | 22/02/12

      Put a tin foil hat on and a cork in your mouth, what the hell has that to do with the topic at hand. Trolling.

    • Hank says:

      01:55pm | 22/02/12

      Love this guy.  I think 21 agenda has something to do with the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development or similar.  Keep up the good work pieman, you’re just the kind of nutter we need to keep us amused with all this other lunacy playing out in the media.

    • jaki says:

      03:11pm | 22/02/12

      @the pieman
      Oh, so that’s what it was ! Thanks for the tip, Pie-O ! Now, off you trot, back to your cell…......

    • mark says:

      03:21pm | 22/02/12

      mmmmmmm…....barium.

    • Ben says:

      03:40pm | 22/02/12

      lol, This guy plays quidditch.

    • Trude says:

      12:30pm | 22/02/12

      If she sacks him, Liberals get a new voter

      Reply

    • Tim says:

      01:30pm | 22/02/12

      Here too. The protest vote (towards liberal, because I doubt disaffected labor voters will try the greens again) will absolutely decimate federal labor to the point where they will be lucky to field a cricket team if she sacks him.

    • Daniel says:

      01:53pm | 22/02/12

      Go Green instead.

    • Rachel says:

      02:20pm | 22/02/12

      wouldn’t it be wise to give your protest vote to a party that won’t make a successful Australia into a smaller, less patriotic America?

    • jaki says:

      03:06pm | 22/02/12

      @ Daniel
      I would if I was a childish idiot, but I’m not, so I won’t.
      Give it up mate, Greens will always be the most minor of minorities.

    • jb says:

      12:38pm | 22/02/12

      Yeah good onya just kick him down again you lying deceitful backstabber(s).
      Bring back the Ruddmiester!

      Reply

    • wolf says:

      12:38pm | 22/02/12

      “A problem for the pro-Gillard forces is that in the public sphere it is they who have been doing all the nasty talk.”
      It takes a big man to show that kind of honest self evaluation Mal.  I applaud your courage.

      Reply

    • Joan says:

      12:41pm | 22/02/12

      Gillard is the bad guy - she has been from day one - since overnight knifing of Rudd. Being the bad guy comes naturally to her so don’t blame Rudd or Abbott for that matter.  She obviously has you,  Mr Farr,  wrapped tightly around her little finger, singing her tune . Mr Rudd has been a good foreign minister and the biggest loser will be Gillard even if she wins the ballot, and gives Rudd the boot- she will score zilch points for that and probably more likely negative points from the voters.  It`s Lose, lose for Gillard as most Australians just want her to get lost.

      Reply

    • Rosie says:

      04:37pm | 22/02/12

      Joan

      Have just seen Mr Farr on TV and if I am correct that former PM Mr Rudd should be reprimanded and relegated to the back bench. This I think will set Gillard the bad guy free! Nothing else to say but it is game on now Joan and Mr Farr! Mr Rudd has resigned as Foreign minister!

      The bad guy always lose in the end! Wow, this takes the cake!

    • Rick says:

      06:20pm | 22/02/12

      @Rosie

      Indeed they do. Bye bye, Tony.

    • SLF says:

      12:45pm | 22/02/12

      It is amazingly entertaining.

      Call a spill and win, she loses an apparently talented Foreign Minister.
      Call a spill and he doesn’t stand and the whole Liebor leadership looks like a paranoid bunch terrfied by the ghost of KRudd.
      Sack him and be seen as petty and even more visious given the apparently good job he is doing.

      Whatever way you look at it, KRudd is playing his hand beautifully.

      Either way, let the entertainment continue, ideally to an early election and I can Vote 1 for anyone other than Liebor.

      Reply

    • antman says:

      02:16pm | 22/02/12

      The best option for Labor would be for Gillard to resign and not seek the leadership. The party then calls an open ballot in which Rudd (assuming that he runs) is defeated because he was a hopeless PM and is just plain nasty, nacissistic, arrogant, doesn’t play well with others and would be an absolute disaster second time around, and most in the ALP loath him for those reasons. Maybe then the ALP will end up with a leader who can minimise the damage at the next election and ensure that we retain some semblance of a democracy.

    • Steve says:

      03:34pm | 22/02/12

      @ SLF,
      Im glad you’re enjoying this toxic, poisionous show put on by the Labor Party. In the real world people are being sacked, investment is being postponed, while the Labor debt just keeps going up and up. Public servants and pensions can get slashed too you know, look at Greece.

    • Ranga Tanga says:

      10:09pm | 22/02/12

      As the the guest MP from England said on Q&A the other night “We owe (Rudd) a debt of gratitude - for the entertainment value he has brought to politics”.

      I agree. I vote Liberal - but want him to lead the labour party.

    • Anubis says:

      12:46pm | 22/02/12

      I’m sure that th Party, the faceless men and the rusted on supporters like Acotrel and persephone will find some way to say that it’s all Abbott’s fault. That’s the usual Labor “Get of Gaol” statement isn’t…now if only they could blame Craig Thomson’s (alleged) preferences for hooker’s and other peoples money on Tony Abbott they would surely be on a winner.

      Comment finished, time to take toungue out of cheek now.

      Reply

    • piemaster says:

      12:47pm | 22/02/12

      oh! not interested or censoring/hiding comments dealing with the chemtrails all over the weekend and Agenda 21!
      Dont want to talk about it huh!
      Good one commies your family gets the same poison we do!

      Reply

    • confused says:

      01:18pm | 22/02/12

      What on earth are you talking about?

    • Moo says:

      01:31pm | 22/02/12

      All your bases are ours

    • Knemon says:

      01:42pm | 22/02/12

      You’re onto some good gear there piemaster!

    • Daniel says:

      01:55pm | 22/02/12

      You are off with the fairies mate!

    • subotic says:

      02:13pm | 22/02/12

      I for one welcome our new reptilian overlords

    • HappyG says:

      02:25pm | 22/02/12

      Just because you are paranoid doesn’t mean they are not after you.

    • Paul J says:

      02:28pm | 22/02/12

      I really don’t think you have read Agenda 21!

    • Phil says:

      02:30pm | 22/02/12

      Gee Those mushrooms must be great. Where did tou get them.

    • Pat says:

      03:29pm | 22/02/12

      Perhaps : piemaster imagines that he is a an expert on, or has thoughts on such subjects such as ‘tears in the fabic of Time’ , alien programming of some space mothership , or invisible ray energy emunating from plants or household cooking utensils’. As for Agent 21, is that a secret held formula for some new after shave, containing magical properties?

    • Save us says:

      12:51pm | 22/02/12

      Know doubt Julia will execute Kevin next week, and this merry band of clowns will continue. I find it hard to believe that our government has come to this. I don’t understand what the independents see in this and how they can support them, they retribution will come at the next election.

      Reply

    • Against the Man says:

      01:17pm | 22/02/12

      If Julia keeps him all he will continue to do is play mind games with her all day long and keep leaking away to the press. If she sacks him it will be hell to pay. Game over for Liebor smile

    • Martin says:

      02:06pm | 22/02/12

      @Save us

      It’s very easy to understand. Just look at what their other option is.

    • GB says:

      12:52pm | 22/02/12

      Am I missing something? Mal assumes he will bide his time on the backbench if she demotes him. Given his vindictive nature, what’s to stop him resigning from parliament altogether and forcing a by-election which they’d most likely get decimated in? I don’t think it’s as cut and dried as is being made out.

      Reply

    • wolf says:

      01:43pm | 22/02/12

      GB this is less likely to happen since Slipper came across as it will no longer bring down the government. In fact I don’t think the faction hacks would be shooting their mouth quite so freely if they didnt have the extra number (compare the declarations of war with their guarded statements pre Slipper). This turnaround exposes the petty vindictiveness of party politics to the general public, something which they are normally good at hiding.
      I never thought I would say this but the only one looking like PM material out of this whole debacle is Tony Abbott.

    • Daniel says:

      12:53pm | 22/02/12

      Holly,
      You may be a die hard Labor supporter, but give Howard respect, if it wasn’t for him and Costello we would be broke. They put us in a very good position to deal with the GFC that Labor gets the credit for avioding by puting us in huge debt.
      Are you worried Abbott might stop your next tax payer funded handout?

      Reply

    • Bill says:

      01:18pm | 22/02/12

      @ Daniel If it wasn’t for Paul Keating we would be broke you mean - I guess you don’t remember Howard saying when he won the election “We have inherited an economy in pretty good shape” Keating took the hard decisions and made them, without him you would have no super and super inflation

    • DOB says:

      01:18pm | 22/02/12

      Weird - its Abbott that’s offering all the tax payer funded handouts. Do you not actually read anything about Australian politics, Daniel? Or are you in a locked ward or on a desert island or something?

      You have just made one of the most uninformed comments Ive seen on this blog and thats saying something…

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      01:20pm | 22/02/12

      Howard was a BS artist who built the middle class family welfare state. Deserving of zero respect. He can kiss my….....

    • Greg says:

      01:26pm | 22/02/12

      If you believe that you believe in fairies, father Xmas and the Easter Bunny. What Howard and Costelo did was capitalise on historic world growth and a tiny country called China suddenly realising it needed all our precious resources. They also had the luxury of billions of dollars invested in Aussie companies because of a little thing called compusory super…. Hmmmmm cant recall who bought that in… Maybe you can. Howard and Costello were made to look like the same geniuses that made a fortune through 10 yrs of strong market growth. Trouble is those geniuses all lost their money in the GFC. Try getting educated about how markets work and ull soon realise that governments have bugger all to do with how a country performs. I think our current govt is a joke but i also believe the opposition is equally pathetic. As for tax payer funded handouts - Howard went to his last election promising billions in pork barrelling projecst to marginal electorats that would have sunk the country like the titanic. Everyone thought it was joke - even the electorate that was supposed to benefit from it

    • Bob says:

      01:42pm | 22/02/12

      Greg: Two things I’d like to quickly reply to:
      1. If no real skill was needed to succeed economically during the mining boom, why did the Labor states fail so badly on all their major responsibilities? (And get so much debt)
      2. Governments don’t affect economies and a country’s performance? North Korea, China during the Mao years, The Soviet Union, Greece, Zimbabwe, how many examples do you need before realising that you’re completely and utterly wrong there?

    • Stephen T says:

      04:38pm | 22/02/12

      @Bill: The Coalition govt. paid off the $96 Billion Keating debt, now Wayne Swan predicts that the gross debt will race over our current debt ceiling of $250 billion by the end of this financial year and over $270 billion by the end of the forward estimates. It looks like that unless we extend the overdraft again next year our nation will get the notice at the checkout “transaction declined, see bank for details. Under Gillard and Swan our net foreign debt as a percentage of GDP has rise to 51.9% and before anyone jumps on me the link to the document is: a=v&q=cache:9_3XjT8FBIAJ:www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rp/2010-11/11rp12.pdf+Australias+debt+when+Keating+Debt&hl=en&gl=au&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjmqxqZ3-98-HdZAVEXZjMAi28vABy-U-BBeaXkqeq_OU2MHQ2egV8R2KrIVR0oiv0krM94UAuFvT-FfLOuKaMvZ69LX5YhEo1JJhZlKFtg5ReEpt1g_Gt763FhQCYYKkrlLQIb&sig=AHIEtbQMQXs-qwiN8hhmyS23u1B0D3-xtw&pli=1

    • Pat says:

      05:04pm | 22/02/12

      Bill: Pull off those rose colored Keating glasses…..please!
      Keating is the person who gave Australians….
      (1) “The recession they had to have”: including 17 to 18% financial interest rates. that drove many balttlers to loose the homes and businessses , that they were paying off.

      (2) He was the P/M that allowed all those tax rebate funded, long restaurant lunches for executives. T o sit and talk ‘alleged business’ on their fat growing backsides all afternoon, instead of being at the office.

      (3)While that same rip off meal junket existed , it also allowed restaurant owners , to open more restaurants and to ‘print money’.,

      (4) He allowed rapacious greedy investment landlords the big rip off opportunity for negative tax gearing on property, that stll exists today.

      (5)  Keating being a pompous aspiring clown :and former pop band manager,  wished to show his alleged refined classical cultural credentials, How?  Proclaiming, he created the Year’s Government Budget while listening to the music of Mahler !!!  Don’t get me wrong. I love the works of Mahler -but at the same time,- Mahler even to his biggest fans - is certainly,most definateely not a composer to listen to, while doing any postive thinking or while trying to balance the yearly Australian Government financial Budget.
      Jeepers ..as a further cultural Leating sideline: who remembers Keating’s two excessively generous, ridiculous and embarassing 1/4 million dollar government endownment gifts, (making a total of 1/2 a million dollars!) to that sad ‘totally tragic’  self -possessed musical creature, the late Geoffery Tozer , the pianist. Shit!

      (6) Upon retiring, Keating kept proclaiming loud and long, how the public were not going to hear from him, any more. What did we get? A creature who whenever it suits his ego, comes out and sticks his unwelcome beak in, Publicly pontificating on ‘everything and nothing’ at the same time, as if he is some maligned past -political wise guru.

      (7) Perversely though to his credit , upon reflection - he also represents the sharp decline of Labor forces to contain what are,for instance - the current various Labor Party situations. What is the BIG CLEAR difference? Imagine now, if Keating was still an active Parliamentary member today, and he was forced to make any sharp statements,. He would go for the jugular and issue acid tongued vitriol to burn the hide off any recalicitrant Labor member.  Instead,  take presently - Simon Crean… Gillard ‘s- big whipping boy’: .the Defender of the Labor Faith and moreover , of Julia Gillard - damsel in distress -personified . Crean just opens his mouth to the media .... moans, or resorts to sneering expressions of constant irritation. What a pussy!

    • Daniel says:

      12:54pm | 22/02/12

      Holly,
      You may be a die hard Labor supporter, but give Howard respect, if it wasn’t for him and Costello we would be broke. They put us in a very good position to deal with the GFC that Labor gets the credit for avioding by puting us in huge debt.
      Are you worried Abbott might stop your next tax payer funded handout?

      Reply

    • antman says:

      01:57pm | 22/02/12

      No they didn’t. On paper, they left a surplus; in reality, they left a massive structural defecit. They left the Government committed to so much forward spending, mainly through middle-class welfare, that was reliant on the continued windfall tax receipts that they were just raking in pre-GFC. The effect of the GFC in 2008 was that the Government’s tax receipts immediately fell by somewhere in the vicinity of $100 billion, so the $20 billion surplus didn’t last long regardless of the Rudd Government’s additional spending to ward off the effects of the GFC.

      The oft-touted claims that Rudd spent the surplus are completely false; Howard had already spent it before he left office. The GFC meant that it couldn’t be repaid without the next Government cutting spending to the bone and condemning Australia to a deep recession. If Howard and Costello had not been so irresponsible and bought election after election by handing out and promising more and more to the middle-class and wealthy (which includes me), we would have sailed through the GFC with far less spending required by Rudd & Co.

    • glenm says:

      04:30pm | 22/02/12

      @ Antman,
      You’ve been busy rewriting history this afternoon .

    • jg says:

      12:55pm | 22/02/12

      Rudd is not the problem, it’s Gillard.

      She is toxic, a failed experiment that will consign the ALP to a decade in opposition.

      The ALP is doomed to elecoral oblivion with her at the helm.

      Reply

    • Realist says:

      03:34pm | 22/02/12

      Rudd is not the problem. Gillard is just anti - Queensland. Bi Bi Bligh.

    • Tony (not phony) says:

      04:19pm | 22/02/12

      Get your facts right there’s only one Toxic in this country and all the Liberal maggots are supporting him into the lodge, you included.

    • jb says:

      04:55pm | 22/02/12

      Liberal Maggots?
      Bout sums up you and your leader Red 1 pretty well.
      You don’t govern for all Australians just the 30% of dimwits that still support the rats left on the ship…

    • Tony (not phony) says:

      05:12pm | 24/02/12

      @jb
      What you don’t understand the word maggot? It’s a perfect description of Liberals and their supporters and how they operate. It maybe 30% as you say but, I’d rather be part of that society then the scum your Liberals represent, I’d even go to say I’d rather support the assylum seekers then a Liberal maggot.

    • Scott says:

      12:57pm | 22/02/12

      Pieman - 01:27pm | 22/02/12 - you’re a wingnut.

      Reply

    • Phill says:

      01:00pm | 22/02/12

      It’s funny, me and the people in the office I just took a snap coffee room poll of see it the opposite.  If she were to call a caucus ballot and effectively say “put up or shut up” it would be a show of confidence & strength and that she wants to get on with what she is paid to do.  Sacking him looks like a show of weakness & fear.
      Then again, we are just plebs who vote not high paid advisors to the PM.

      Reply

    • Ken says:

      02:44pm | 22/02/12

      Are you sure that it was only coffee that you were taking.

    • Punters Pal says:

      01:02pm | 22/02/12

      Waiting for first e-mail from acrotel to tell us that is is all Tony Abott’s fault.

      Reply

    • Tony says:

      02:09pm | 22/02/12

      @Punters

      Sorry, that’s Timmy’s territory.

    • Don says:

      01:02pm | 22/02/12

      I think it is a beat-up by Gillard’s staffers (we know they’re up to the task).

      Make the public think he is going to get the sack, then appear merciful to the public when Gillard’s good grace is bestowed and she let’s him keep his job.  Machiavelli discusses this tactic at length.

      It’s an old trick, used by Dictators for 1000’s of years.

      Reply

    • Dopey says:

      03:30pm | 22/02/12

      It’s obviously easier to sack Rudd tha be a full forward for an AFL team for one game. I would have preferred she try the harder option first.

    • Blair Edgar says:

      01:04pm | 22/02/12

      If Gillard does not sack Rudd she will deny the peaple and her party the resolution that they want and Rudd will deny the Australian people the showdown that they want. He will slink back into the Foreign Ministry and continue to create sniping opportunities. He welched on the Party Room Ballot once before and he will do it again. He will not fight it out in the Party Room. Australians do not like that gutlessness. They like someone who stands up and says what they want and puts up a fight. That is why Costello failed, he would not fight out the succession. If Rudd wants it he must stand up and get on with campaigning for it. As for Gillard she knifed an elected Prime Minister under the cover of darkness. She can lie as much as she likes, hers is not an elected government it is a cobbled and stitched up deal-making government that is failing and falling apart. We pay these people, they are our paid employees and as their employers we have the right to remove them if they are inept. Maybe Gillard’s Fair Work protects politicians from being sacked for ineptitude? Well the opinion polls are going to slide further and further. Rudd can pose in front of cameras with world leaders all he likes. Beasely, whom Rudd deposed, can put on a big grin and welcome The Foreign Minister to Washington, Ministers can say “This must be resolved”,  Gillard can drone at us that she is doingher job. Is she, is she doingher job, I don’t think so! What is happening? OK fellers, do something, actually do something. They will not give us, the public, the vote that we want. They are too afriad to do that. The only sensible thing is a Double Dissolution to clean out the whole mess and then live with whatever that decides. Win, lose or draw let us the voters decide. The ‘once and for all’ should be decided by the voters.

      Reply

    • Country Karen says:

      01:40pm | 22/02/12

      If we didn’t have a gov general who is compromised through family - this may eventuate…..

    • antman says:

      02:03pm | 22/02/12

      @ Country Karen:

      It’s got nothing to do with family ties. There’s no Constitutional or conventional grounds for the GG to sack a democratically elected Government (and whether you like it or not, they were - there is no bar to minority government in our Constitution) that could currently be called upon.

    • SteveKAG says:

      01:04pm | 22/02/12

      Something has to be done, sack him, call for a vote, call an election, resign I don’t care Labor are thankfully gone in any case…........

      I must admit to feeling more than a tingle of remorse that Garrett is not in amongst all of this…...........

      Bring on an election and get a proper government in there, this lot are shit!

      Reply

    • Max Redlands says:

      02:39pm | 22/02/12

      “... this lot are shit!”

      A somewhat crude but nevertheless succinct and accurate observation.

    • iansand says:

      01:07pm | 22/02/12

      Article summary:  Rudd is a very talented white anter, and more subtle than Gillard.

      Who knows - that may be a great qualification to be PM.

      Reply

    • Hank says:

      01:48pm | 22/02/12

      Hey Sandy old son.  How’s life in lawyerland going comrade?

    • Fred says:

      01:08pm | 22/02/12

      So what if Rudd quit Parliament. And Labor lost the subsequent by-election?

      Reply

    • Bob says:

      01:24pm | 22/02/12

      The answer to that is that Labor would lose less badly than if Rudd spends the next year undermining her. He wouldn’t quit, he’d keep doing what he’s doing. Think of every month that Rudd is in parliament as two more LNP MP’s.

    • Tom says:

      02:02pm | 22/02/12

      Rudd holds Griffith by 58.5 to 41.5 after preferences (44.1% to 35.8% before). He’s popular locally. Can’t see him getting voted out.

    • Luke says:

      01:11pm | 22/02/12

      I thought he just made a statement saying he supports Julia Gillard as PM and he intends to stay as Foreign Minister?
      It just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

      Reply

    • Troy says:

      01:11pm | 22/02/12

      I can’t agree. If she sacks Rudd she looks A) Like a Coward. B) Like she can’t handle the heat. C) Incredibly Petty and D) Blind to perfomance. Add that to the fact Rudd could just easily walk and force a by-election that Labor has no chance of winning.

      Rudd’s played his hand perfectly and now Julia’s trapped: If she calls a spill and finds almost a third of the caucus is against her she looks weak, if she calls a spill and Rudd doesn’t stand ala his first try against Beazley she looks paranoid and if she sacks him, she risks the one thing she doesn’t want to face, a snap election

      Reply

    • Ben says:

      01:24pm | 22/02/12

      Please. You’re blaming this on Rudd - well provide evidence that he is really “making it clear he wants his job back”. Simon Crean is an idiot, the more the Gillard camp publicly tell him to back off, when he cannot be quoted saying he is even interested in the job, just makes labor look like a bunch of dinguses.

      Reply

    • Max Redlands says:

      02:45pm | 22/02/12

      “...a bunch of dinguses.’

      Shouldn’t that be “dingi”?

    • Gavin H says:

      01:27pm | 22/02/12

      This is a scam to try and force him to call a ballot. he should call her bluff.

      If she sacks him he can walk straight out of her office and talk the media, saying its unfair and she has brokend an agreement with him. He expected her to be treacherous giving her past and he hasn’t been agitating for the leadership but now he must as the PM is now as the Australian peopl know a liar and must be deposed before she does more damage to the ALP. Then publicly challenge her to a ballot at the end of the sitting week.

      The salting the earth strategy, damaging her so much that she can never win and election, giving 4 days for MP’s to see this and that he is the best option left.

      Thus the sympathy goes to him and Gillard looks even more treacherous than she does already.

      Gillards advisor’s are proven their “political genius”  yet again. He is way to clever for her.

      Reply

    • Cienfuegos says:

      01:29pm | 22/02/12

      I found the whole Crean outburst rather rich, considering this is a guy that has benefitted his entire political career through nepotism (his father being a former pollie) and cronyism (during his time at the ACTU).
      If we had a popularly elected leader in this country, I couldn’t see Rudd, Gillard or Abbott succeeding. To me, Turnbull is the only statesman-like leader, along with his business acumen and progressive social views, making him more qualified than any current crop of Australian parliamentarians.

      Reply

    • Ken says:

      02:56pm | 22/02/12

      And what did Crean do to his old comrade Mark Latham?  Looked very much like a dagger protruding from his back.

    • Greg says:

      01:30pm | 22/02/12

      then we’d be in the same mess we are now. A minority Lib govt reliant on independants to get anything done. My guess is we would be in exacltly the same boat

      Reply

    • Bob says:

      01:48pm | 22/02/12

      It would take five minutes to find a trigger for an election. Or they’d simply refuse to negotiate leading to an election anyway. Then as soon as they controlled the house, they’d find a trigger for a double dissolution election to wipe out the Green influence in the senate. Long story short, we would definitely not be in the same boat.

    • Peter says:

      01:53pm | 22/02/12

      Greg, at least then we’d have a Government withy the balls to call a general election which they would win in a landslide

    • jamesM says:

      01:41pm | 22/02/12

      Undo what was done and succeed!  Everyone we asked said very clearly that they much prefer Kevin Rudd.

      Reply

    • jg says:

      01:48pm | 22/02/12

      What if Rudd threatened to quit unless he was reinstated as PM?

      Rudd cannot lose.

      Reply

    • Daniel says:

      01:51pm | 22/02/12

      Malcolm, Every time I hear Kevin Rudd being interviewed he says he is not interested in the Leadership. Its seems to be the Murdoch press that has this obsession.

      Reply

    • Symon says:

      01:53pm | 22/02/12

      If she sacks Rudd I would counsel him to make a claim to Fair Work Australia for unfair Dissmisal.

      Wouldn’t that be hilarious!!!!

      Reply

    • Richard says:

      01:54pm | 22/02/12

      You need a reality check, Mal: Kevin Rudd’s not the problem. The problem is Julia Gillard’s chronic unpopularity. Julia Gillard is hated, Kevin Rudd is loved. That’s the real problem. You don’t solve a problem by making it worse, which is what Julia Gillard sacking Kevin Rudd would surely do.

      If Labor wants to have a chance of winning the next election, they must right the wrong of July 2010 and return Kevin Rudd to his rightful place as Prime Minister, as popularly elected by the people. Any other action, any other action at all, will merely seal their fate.

      Thems the facts Mal, I suggest you get acquainted with them.

      Reply

    • Karen says:

      03:26pm | 22/02/12

      Kevin Rudd is not LOVED and he wasnt elected by the people. He became PM because the Party elected him leader before the election…the same party then elected Julia leader while in office therefore making her PM.. Voters dont elect the leader of a party or the PM.

    • Richard says:

      07:37pm | 22/02/12

      Semantics, Karen. It was Kevin ‘07’s face in every tv ad and on every corflute sign in every election and don’t you dare try to airbrush history.

    • Anne says:

      02:00pm | 22/02/12

      We were all disgusted that faceless men could oust our Prime Minister a couple of years ago. I am not convinced Rudd is behind all this hype at the moment. Its probably the same or other faceless men thinking Labour is doomed under Gillard and want to get rid of her sooner rather than later. Labour is doomed regardless of who has the leadership at the next election. Why would Rudd want the leadership of a party that won’t win?  He should deny he is after the top job, wait for the election to be over and when Labour loses, contest for leadership of the ALP then. He won’t have been part of ousting another Prime Minister part-way through a term. We didn’t like it happening to him and won’t like it if he is a part of doing it to her. If Labour want another leader, let some of the faceless men be man enough to challenge her. We’ll deal with them accordingly on voting day.

      Reply

    • Sack all involve says:

      02:13pm | 22/02/12

      If Julia sack Rudd she will have to sack all trouble makers because right now they had damage their own reputation with voters for what they did to Rudd a second backstabbing for doing nothing wrong. To win the next election she has to chose new PMs to replace them who still have integrity, loyalty, and good reputation for voters to votes for her and give the Labor party another chance. When their is trouble at school every body involve get suspension not only one that mean Rudd should not be sack alone everyone who disrupt the government with backstabbing, gossiping, bullying ,and cause trouble shoud be sack with him when they are doing more damage with constant abuse and disrespect toward Kevin who just like them work under Julia.it should be a
      equal sacking. You are aloud to chose new loyal PMs to replace them if you want to win the next election. The new faces of PMS will give hope the Australian People and stability to your new government to lead to the next election and sure win

      Reply

    • Sack all involve says:

      02:13pm | 22/02/12

      If Julia sack Rudd she will have to sack all trouble makers because right now they had damage their own reputation with voters for what they did to Rudd a second backstabbing for doing nothing wrong. To win the next election she has to chose new PMs to replace them who still have integrity, loyalty, and good reputation for voters to votes for her and give the Labor party another chance. When their is trouble at school every body involve get suspension not only one that mean Rudd should not be sack alone everyone who disrupt the government with backstabbing, gossiping, bullying ,and cause trouble shoud be sack with him when they are doing more damage with constant abuse and disrespect toward Kevin who just like them work under Julia.it should be a
      equal sacking. You are aloud to chose new loyal PMs to replace them if you want to win the next election. The new faces of PMS will give hope the Australian People and stability to your new government to lead to the next election and sure win

      Reply

    • bea says:

      02:18pm | 22/02/12

      I hope the Australian Opera is taking notes on all this. Who needs Verdi when we have our own version of Macbeth playing out, while the country sinks into apathy.

      Reply

    • Friar Tuck says:

      03:37pm | 22/02/12

      Macbeth was a Scottish play by an Englishman. Julia is not Scottish. She is Welsh or Irish.

    • Pat says:

      05:42pm | 22/02/12

      But Friar Tuck, who cares today if a regie director changes some positional locale in mounting a version of an opera? This is the feminist version of Verdi’s Macbeth played out in Canberra country
      .Plot modification:
      The witches quote becomes: “When shall we meet again, in thunder, lightning or rain?. When the trouble is done and Julia’s lost or won”  ” Just before Gillard first knifed Rudd she sings that aria in some Party backroom considering his upcoming assassination,  singing that famous aria ’ Le Luc Lingue -The light is fading’ This ruler sporting red hair, stands on the parliamentary battlelments, convinced the aggrieved forces will not unseat her from her throne as P.M Finally she does the sleepwalking scene before her political suicide scene exclaiming ” Out dammed Rudd!..Will the electorate ever make my treacheous hand , be scented with true leadership status? ”

    • Redgy says:

      02:18pm | 22/02/12

      You labor supporters need to wake up!!  I will not introduce a carbon tax under the government I lead!!!!!  How can you support a government that lies and just keeps putting up taxes and at the same time introduce new ones?  I earned more money under the Howard government than any other time in my 30 years of work running my business.  Now at the point of closing down, as wages and taxes are going through the roof.  Wake up Australia..  Labor must go!!

      Reply

    • andye says:

      05:56pm | 22/02/12

      @redgy - “non core promises”.

      Also, you say you earned more money during the worldwide good times and now your business is struggling after the GFC? How amazing! It must be Labor’s fault!

    • Trev says:

      06:28pm | 22/02/12

      @andye

      The Coalition no longer call them “non-core promises”. Now they use the term “aspirations”.

      Just as they no longer use the term “WorkChoices”. Now they use “flexibility”.

    • Arnie says:

      02:20pm | 22/02/12

      She should have sacked him quite a long time ago. The man is a sociopath, like Many CEo’s, Vice Chancellors etc-and Australia seems to be a particular victim of leaders who are sociopaths at all levels. I think we actually are naive and fall for the rubbish spewed out of the mouths of sociopaths.I would like to see him out of politics, he just cant whiteant a party.

      Reply

    • Gregg says:

      02:20pm | 22/02/12

      ” Rudd hanging out this week with people who actually like him…”
      They do make a lovely couple do they not but one wonders whether Kevin is wondering ” CIA knew what was going down back in 2010 and so wouldn’t have Hillary told me! and then what was ASIO doing ? “

      Meanwhile, I see a few posts about what such a good FM Rudd is etc. and I just wonder what that could be based on, especially seeing he has only been doing that for a bit over eighteen months and what do they actually achive and what real weight does Australia swing in international affairs anyway?
      If Rudd’s body language form some clips of him sitting around a table in Mexico is anything to go on, he didn’t look like an overly communicative person and for any minister and especially one you would want representing the country that is a necessity.

      He has come across as a brash loud mouth weasel as PM and I doubt that he would be any different as PM and there’ll probably be a lot of international people who’ll know he is only in the role because of a deal done on his dumping and he is just pushing his own barrow.

      If he ends up on the back bench, it could be interesting if a motion of no confidence is moved in the government and Julia is no dill when it comes to survival, the Slippers and Wilkie situation an example of that and no wonder she is attempting to dampen the flames and also not even prepared to ask what is actually going on with the Craig J investigation, three years just criminal in itself.

      If Joe Blogs had his name all over misappropriation of funds, he would have been in dock inside half of that time.

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      02:22pm | 22/02/12

      Oh please, why do people act as if this is the first time that a politician has ever lied? That never before have politicians been knived..get real this is politics.

      For all those people who hate the ALP and wont vote for them, what is the alternative - In your guts you know he is nuts Abbott??

      Reply

    • James says:

      02:28pm | 22/02/12

      Dillard is already a dead horse. The only thing we are waiting for is her BURIAL or cremasion ceremony. From the electoral perspective it will certainly be a worthwile WAKE to hold and to dispatch all the labor party drongos into oblivion.

      Reply

    • Paul says:

      03:42pm | 22/02/12

      Dear James,
      Why are you downgrading drongos to the level of the labor party? Drongos behave better are smarter, and cleaner.

    • KimL says:

      02:29pm | 22/02/12

      I like Rudd and would vote Labor if he was back as leader, but I don’t like Gillard I think she is manipulating and very nasty. If they sack Rudd I will never vote Labor again. I have watched the dogs come out and bark every day, trying there best to discredit him.. here is a message for you..up your nose, I have faith in Rudd and none in the rest of you..cept that scotty bloke, who spoke nicely about Rudd yesterday..thanks mate your a gentleman

      Reply

    • Chris says:

      02:30pm | 22/02/12

      Rudd has been after her job from the minute he lost his. How those imbeciles Oakshott and Windsor came to the conclusion that Labor was the most stable choice for government - after Rudd had spent the entire campaign leaking on Gillard - is one of life’s mysteries. I blame these Independents for the mess that our country is in - when a small group of unintelligent half-brains are given the power, this is what you get. ELECTION!

      Reply

    • Harvey says:

      06:40pm | 22/02/12

      @Chris

      It’s very simple. Just as anybody else would, the Independents sided with the people who weren’t calling them imbeciles and unintelligent half-brains. For some reason people don’t find that particularly attractive.

    • onlooker says:

      02:31pm | 22/02/12

      If you read this Kevin and they dumb enough to sack you, start your own party, if Katter can do it so can you and many of us will follow.

      Reply

    • peter says:

      03:39pm | 22/02/12

      I’m with you, onlooker.

    • all seeing eye says:

      02:31pm | 22/02/12

      I can’t see the head Idiot getting rid of Rudd because he’s going around saying the head Idiot is an Idiot. I can see somebody getting a overseas embassy posting soon though. And this will leave the door open for another challenge before the next election in order to buy the election, unfortunately the Electorate has already been sold up the river.

      Reply

    • ANN says:

      02:32pm | 22/02/12

      Can Kevin Rudd go to FairWork Australia and claim “unfair dismissal? 

      I think she is foolish sacking him.  Ever heard of Machiavelli?

      Only 18 months to go maximum before we can vote them all out.

      Reply

    • Stever says:

      02:43pm | 22/02/12

      This story is just created, as there just is not enough going on to keep the Canberra reporters busy. Look at the comments of all parties; this is a non event with no starters really. It will die down again in a few days as there will be no-one else adding anything new and there wont be a any vote. Dead.

      Reply

    • Simo says:

      02:47pm | 22/02/12

      It’s just spin, Good news bad news either way somebody is talking about labour, She sacks him it may be the first time she ever does what the media has said she will and she may lose a vote or get a vote, Either way she doesn’t know until she’s told, GO Bob Katter at least he’s real.

      Reply

    • Etrix says:

      02:57pm | 22/02/12

      Kevin & 30 clown he got should all put a no confidence motion in the parliament… that is the only way to get JULIAR out & twist power brokers arm & get his job back…

      Reply

    • Gordon Greenidge says:

      03:06pm | 22/02/12

      Gillard is the worst PM this country has ever had. I cringe when that woman opens her mouth and says or is quoted as saying anything. She is a liar, a cheat, a plotter and a schemer, only motivated by the power of the office and wanting other people to think she is important. She is not remotely interested or capable of advancing the interests of this nation or its people. She and her minions bleat empty cliches and meaningless buzz words in fear of losing their position while the nation is stuck in the mud and the 2 speed economy runs away out of control. These people have no vision, no idea, no talent and no connection with the voters, K Rudd, Stephen Smith and Penny Wong excepted. It’s time to remove the current leadership and install someone who will inspire. It doesnt matter Labor or Liberal, they are the same, we just need legitimate leadership from someone with integrity, vision, appeal and an ability to positively engage this country instead of sitting around and obsessing every day over internal memos reporting what Rudd might be up to, its just ridiculous. The current leadership crop have been installed as a result of trickery, deceit and back room deals with self serving minority interests. This has crippled us and it’s got to stop. Rome is burning.

      Reply

    • andye says:

      06:01pm | 22/02/12

      @Gordon - Haha, yeah “vision”. Lets scrap the NBN and spend some money on… roads. Now that’s vision! Abbott is the man to lead Australia into the 20th century! Huzzah!

    • Bill says:

      06:44pm | 22/02/12

      @Gordon

      John Howard is the worst PM this country has ever had.

    • TimB says:

      07:10pm | 22/02/12

      Roads are far more important than faster internet Andye

    • andye says:

      12:42am | 24/02/12

      @TimB - What are technologies that actually lower the need for roads? Hmmm, I wonder? Perhaps videoconferencing and remote desktop would be two obvious starters?

      The thing is, for all the talk about the cost of the NBN, it is essentially a loan to NBN Corp, which must be repaid. The idea is to get the thing built and end up even on the budget. Those roads are coming out of our taxes, or perhaps out of new tolls. Everybody loaves a good toll, right?

      Its not simply about faster internet. Demand is going to keep rising whether you think we need faster internet or not. ADSL is built on a 100 year old copper network and has severe limitations which limits its ability to be installed any distance from an exchange and may actually see performance get much worse as users increase.

      Basically, it is a stop-gap technology that is at a dead end. The optic fibre will be running at maybe 10% of its theoretical capacity when installed. You want a network to last a long time and be upgradeable or you want to be spending lots more money a little further down the track?

    • Peta says:

      03:22pm | 22/02/12

      Did I read someonesays vote green. LOL LOL LOL You have to be kidding!
      THe greens couldn’t run a bath!

      Reply

    • Green says:

      03:46pm | 22/02/12

      Not only can we run a bath, we can actually beat it!!.

    • Ted says:

      03:26pm | 22/02/12

      And free to leak . Can’t wait .

      Reply

    • brenton says:

      03:28pm | 22/02/12

      I have another angle.  Why don’t we just ask the Unions who they want as the Labor leader?  They run the party anyway, don’t they?

      Reply

    • dobbo says:

      03:40pm | 22/02/12

      How about this scenario. Once again News Ltd achieves a different outcome than it sought by fomenting this latest crisis. PM gains credibility and enhances authority by putting Rudd in his place.

      Also re all the Hanrahan’s out there saying “we’ll all be rooned” - last time I looked Oz economy was steaming along just fine and the so called dysfunctional ALP/Greens alliance alliance (brought into being by good ole News Ltd meddling) was chalking up more legislative victories.

      Reply

    • Barry says:

      03:44pm | 22/02/12

      Gillard should do what any strong leader would do and sack the underling that is plotting to overthrow her. Just like Kevin Rudd did to Jul…..... Oh, hang on?

      Reply

    • Wickerman says:

      03:47pm | 22/02/12

      How is this for a conspiracy theory?:

      Julia G & Kevin R are planning this together! The idea for the malaise is that Julia can see who is loyal, who is duplicitous & who is a traitor. Kevin though the smiling/denying tactics will still be fine as Foreign Minister. As well as he ego is stroked for another couple of months. Leadership spill happens but behold Kevin does not challenge.

      Just thought - even if there is only a 0.01% chance its correct.

      Reply

    • Steve says:

      03:48pm | 22/02/12

      The Labor Party is a JOKE. These dysfunctional weirdos can’t organise themselves, let alone the country. The handful of public servants that still vote for them should look at whats happening in Greece….. pensions and pubic servants are a luxury this country won’t be able to afford under much more Labor incompetance.

      Reply

    • Holly says:

      03:50pm | 22/02/12

      Daniel - Legay of Howardgovernment-wrecked public education system - all set out for you in the Gonski report.  Wrecked the health system by artificially propping up private health at cost of billions, billions handed out in non means tested benefit payments tothe rich not just middle class, billions forgone in revenue because of capital gains concessions, super concessions, tax free super over age 60 - all to help the already wealthy.  Wrecked our international reputation by lying about children overboard, WMDs and led us to war under false premisesetc etc. Pray tell me why I hould not think this legacy sordid.

      Reply

    • AdamC says:

      04:10pm | 22/02/12

      Holly, as the Federal government is only tangentially involved in funding public education, and not involved at all in running state schools, it would have been extremely difficult for John Howard to ‘wreck’ public education, even if he were minded to do so. One might have hoped your comment went uphill from there but, alas, the opposite is the case. 

      As usual, your ludicrous rants amuse and horrify in equal measure.

      And, incidentally, John Howard did not lie about either WMDs or ‘children overboard’.

    • Rich says:

      04:09pm | 22/02/12

      Gillard isn’t forced to be a ‘bad guy’; and her fall from grace has nothing to do with K-RUDD. It’s everything to do with her talking to us like we’re a bunch of primary school students…

      The only person in politics who has a worse speaking style than Gillard is uh, tony uh, uh abbot. uhHe, cannot, uhsay a, uhscentence without pausing everyuh, uh, everyuh, uhsecond to say ‘uh’ and have a think.

      Reply

    • Utopia Boy says:

      07:55pm | 22/02/12

      At least Abbot speaks in English. Rudd gets confused between English and the English dictionary. He thinks they are the same thing…..

      Paul Keating, love him or hate him, is obviously a brilliant communicator, but didn’t need to break out the Macquarie when it was time for a keynote speech. Communication when not on Sunrise (pre scripted friendly questions from a sycophant (David Koch) is always going to be KRudd’s downfall, and it’ll happen again…...

    • Tony (not phony) says:

      05:17pm | 24/02/12

      @Utopia Boy
      Abbott speaks english, yes and only one word, NO!!!

    • Apple Cider says:

      04:10pm | 22/02/12

      He’s not as sweet as you think.

      Reply

    • Erasmus says:

      04:12pm | 22/02/12

      What larks! If Rudd is sacked, he gets to play the victim yet again If he isn’t, he gets to keep white anting Gillard to his hear’s content. All while playing Mr Nice Guy to the public. He’s a devious little bugger, isn’t he!

      Reply

    • Enough is Enough says:

      04:32pm | 22/02/12

      http://www.6minutes.com.au/news/top-stories/procedural-gps-face-higher-insurance-fees

      But the ALP is so happy to support their nursing union buddies in subsiding the under qualified nurse practitioners and midwives to the core and give them access to Medicare Benefits while means testing private health and cut funding to hospitals.

      ALP corruption has hit a new low! What is the bloody Minister of Health doing?

      Election now! Australia has had enough of this corrupt Labor regime!

      Reply

    • Enough is Enough says:

      04:32pm | 22/02/12

      http://www.6minutes.com.au/news/top-stories/procedural-gps-face-higher-insurance-fees

      But the ALP is so happy to support their nursing union buddies in subsiding the under qualified nurse practitioners and midwives to the core and give them access to Medicare Benefits while means testing private health and cut funding to hospitals.

      ALP corruption has hit a new low! What is the bloody Minister of Health doing?

      Election now! Australia has had enough of this corrupt Labor regime!

      Reply

    • poa says:

      02:56pm | 23/02/12

      Hey..If The HSU wanted to give more money to its members maybe management could have saved them a few bucks by using uglier prostitutes?

    • poa says:

      02:56pm | 23/02/12

      Hey..If The HSU wanted to give more money to its members maybe management could have saved them a few bucks by using uglier prostitutes?

    • Plain Jane says:

      04:39pm | 22/02/12

      Punch late to the party again.

      He’s resigned as Foreign Minister..

      Game over.

      Reply

    • Ron e says:

      05:01pm | 22/02/12

      Don’t know why you would say that, Jane. Hard to imagine Rudd has hung around since getting the shaft just so he could slip into the shadows.
      One of two options as I see it.
      Challenge Gillard in a leadership ballot, and probably lose, then quit parliament and force a by-election.
      OR…. Not challenge Gillard and quit parliament anyway. Again, forcing a by-election.
      So I guess maybe you’re right. It is game over….
      For Dulcie Gillard and her government.

    • Robert says:

      06:52pm | 22/02/12

      @Plain Jane

      Oops. They posted this > Ridd quits article 14 minutes before you commented.

    • Plain Jane says:

      07:27pm | 22/02/12

      No, they didn’t.

      That piece was NOT here as I was posting.

      Dead set.  I checked.

      Little bit of blog software sleight of hand, there. Typical Punch. Piss bloody poor, if you’ll pardon my language.

    • Ron e says:

      04:39pm | 22/02/12

      NEWSFLASH!!!!!
      Rudd has resigned as foreign minister.
      Leadership spill due early next week.

      Reply

    • Ron e says:

      04:47pm | 22/02/12

      Rudd won’t have the numbers in caucus, and might not even run against Gillard, but then again it’s hard to imagine him going quietly. He’s certainly been a major pain in the (huge) Gillard arse.
      This little sideshow has distracted the media from covering several obvious recent failures, including the release of the Gonski Report. Anyone got a spare $5Bn!? Gonski report is the political equivalent of the Garnaut report. Expensive to complete, and hideously expensive to implement.
      Political poison.

      Reply

    • Bruce says:

      06:59pm | 22/02/12

      @Ron

      Got any links to “great pieces by Alan Kohler” on it for us, Ron ?

      Bwahahahahahahahaha

    • Mark/Fox says:

      07:45pm | 22/02/12

      I think he was to honest to work for the Labor party now he has resigned.

      Reply

    • Martin says:

      11:04pm | 22/02/12

      @Mark

      You Coalition supporters sure are geniuses. I won’t even bother trying to explain it for you.

    • BILL FAIRLESS says:

      09:31pm | 22/02/12

      Do either of these people deserve to lead our nation?Surely there must be someone in the Party that is capable of concensus instead of the machiavallian intrigue the electorate has been forced to live with for the past eighteen months.Neither Gillard or Rudd have shown they are up to the job and if they had any sense they would both exit stage right for the good of the Party they insist they love so much.

      Reply

    • Wayne ker says:

      10:34pm | 22/02/12

      Election now!!! But if it doesn’t come up the way we want we want ANOTHER election now!! And we’ll keep bitching and calling for one until it comes up Liberal!!

      Reply

    • Jolly says:

      11:24am | 23/02/12

      Your moral high grounds about Rudd spoiling it for Labor runs hollow, Gillard & co. The rot was set in when Gillard and the “faceless men” assassinated the then popular Labor PM (Rudd) under false pretext of “popularity’ of the Labor party. Now Gillard is the least popular PM ever and Labor has no credibility with the electorate. Why is Gillard frowning when she is challenged? One rule for her and another for Rudd? Crean like Lathem is a lost cause. The current mess reminds me of the Kernot and Democrats’ saga. Kernot started the rot with her indiscretions and her defecting to Labor. Meg Lee nailed the coffin of the Democrats.  Will the lack lecture, credibility lacking, conniving, lying Gillard be remembered for the destruction of Labor? Sure looks like it! There is NO WAY in hell the Gillard Labor is ever going to win the next election!!

      Reply

    • Jolly says:

      11:34am | 23/02/12

      Sad, sad, sad!! Labor under Gillard is dead! Gillard has done enormous damage to the party’s standing among the educated professional people of Australia. The Greens have shown their true colours about their bias against the business communities and Kernot has killed the Democrats. What choice? Should Turnbull become the Liberal Leader, the Liberal party will have a massive, landslide victory. That will spell the total demise of Labor for a loooooong time to come. Come on Turnbull, give us some hope and reason to vote. Abbott is as bad as Gillard.

      Reply

    • Chelsie says:

      12:44am | 20/04/12

      **Derail ahead**.@42 tssk, sorry can’t help you there. PAYG transfers legal sliponsrbieity 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 sliponsrbieity 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 sliponsrbieity 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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