Why Julia Gillard is no Kristina Keneally

The Scarlet Pimpernel says:

10:01am | 25/06/10

She is a puppet and a stooge for the unions. She was a union agitator herself, then she represented union agitators as a lawyer and then they put her into parliament. Who do *you* think she is going to take orders from?

Gabriel says:

11:32am | 25/06/10

@ Scarlet…. and who do you think Abbott is going to take orders from? ah yes ... the billionaire miners.

Anne71 says:

12:49pm | 25/06/10

@ Gabriel - good point! But you’ll never get a Liberal fangirl to admit that a Government whose policies are influenced by big business interests is every bit as bad as one whose policies are influenced by unions. If it’s Liberal, it’s fine, seems to be their worldview.

z says:

12:59pm | 25/06/10

First female Prime Minister, First female Premier of NSW, First female Premier of Queensland, Female Govenors and Govenor Generals seems that the labor power brokers who are all male puppeteers hiding behind the ladies skirts to try and get them back into power. Girls don’t forget who is pulling your strings and only whilst they need you.  One day there will be a female PM a female Premier, a female Govenor General or Govenor who earned their way on thier own achievments, this Female PM was the only alternative sitting on the bench.

Bob says:

01:06pm | 25/06/10

@ Scarlet, Thanks for pointing out the bleeding obvious. Lobby groups and backers have sway in politics. Who would have thought. I’m sure Clive Palmer and Twiggy Forrest don’t expect any favours in return for bankrolling the Libs. At least Labor admits their union backing - it’s in their bloody constitution.

Bender says:

02:24pm | 25/06/10

A SAD day in Australian history, the first female Pm with blood on her shirt, and a axe handed to her by Union bosses and faction plotters. Make no mistake Gillard is a PUPPET, just like the NSW Premier.

Hamish says:

03:02pm | 25/06/10

Bob, mate, miners give big money to both parties. Twiggy Forrest was actually considered a big Labor Party supporter until he got screwed by Rudd. Most big companies support both parties which is why the Libs always have significantly less money.

SK says:

03:41pm | 25/06/10

Z

Clare Martin lead the first ever Labor government to power in the Northern Territory in 2001 and was the first ever female leader to win an election in Australia - open your mind beyond the narrow Eastern States perspective

Dovif says:

04:08pm | 25/06/10

As the Leader of the AWU said yesterday

We “the AWU” have a better chance of winning the election with Gillard

The AWU owns the ALP and currently runs the Australian Government

Bob says:

05:07pm | 25/06/10

Hamish, Well I’m glad billionaires contribute to the Labor Party as well. Between them and the unions you might get a balanced opinion. As for Clive Palmer’s one man Liberal cheer squad and the well established lack of money on the Libs part (pre-mining tax Turnbull was expected to bankroll a large part of their campaign), I find it difficult to believe that anyone can make a serious case for the Liberal’s independence from lobbyists and interest groups. They’re as beholdent to chambers of commerce and industry bodies as Labor is to the union movement. The difference is Labor has never made any secret of being a Labor movement, unlike a Conservative Party with the audacity to call itself Liberal.

Jane says:

07:38pm | 25/06/10

Julia Gillard - Australian Story 2006
“I think the shenanigans that are going on with Simon’ s preselection are almost the last gasp of that kind of culture. It is people in Victoria who were part of the de stabilization of Simon when he was leader still engaged in payback mode and I think sitting here today where I don’t know what the result of the pre selection is going to be, I don’t know whether they are going to be rewarded with what they want or not, but I think the vast majority of Labor members and certainly the vast majority of the federal Parliamentary Labor party really view that attack on Simon with disgust. If you involve yourself in that sort of thing, even if you win, sooner or later the fact that you have involved yourself in it, the chickens come home to roost, to misuse a rooster terminology and people do end up paying a price for that at some point.”

.....Just like YOUR chickens will come home to roost, Joooolia, with the same ‘shennanigans’ with the Victorian power brokers…..and your deceit and involvement in that.

Had enough of Labor says:

11:07pm | 25/06/10

Just in case anyone is wondering what the New Colour is called that Joolya is using in her hair, is called.. Its Official name is “KRUDD BLOOD RED”. Trouble is, its definitely not stain-free. Dont let Joolya Foolya

Union Thugs says:

11:50pm | 25/06/10

Is Kevin allowed to goto Fair Work Australia to get his job back ha ha

Mat says:

12:45am | 26/06/10

The Prime Minister is exactly like the fool we have in NSW a double crossing, back stabbing, two faced, power hungry politician. I sent Labor a message in the Penrith By election and as a result of this latest gutless stunt, will be doing the same when the PM who was not voted for calls an election. Just like the Premier the Prime Minister has wasted millions of dollars on stuiffed up projects she was in charge of she can no more run a Nation that the Premier can run NSW. Integrity is a value I have taaught my children shame the Prime Ministers parents never did the same. Nothing more than a snakle in the grass.

Nonus Botoxus says:

08:13am | 26/06/10

@Scarlet,it will have to Shorten,but we all know what that bill will dump her if something more attractive comes along.just ask the gov gens daughter,bill seems to hold a valentino persona when it comes to manipulating weak gullible ambitious women but at least the obey the puppet master,its good to be the king

notsurprised says:

09:55am | 26/06/10

Anne 71, it is big business that drives an economy, not unions. The ALP and its sheep don’t understand economics and therefore big business is portrayed as the enemy. Anything that moves power away from ‘State control’, is very much the enemy of the ALP.

Stuart James says:

11:40am | 27/06/10

How did you dream up this Fairy story,of course she is a puppet no matter what she says.The back stabbers have already picked their man to lead them and he is waiting just below her.It will make no difference if she wins or looses the next election as the deal has been arranged by the labor power brokers and the unions.Un-Australians won’t Advance Australia Fair.

Scot says:

01:37pm | 27/06/10

They have both been put their by the faceless men in Sussex Street. The same people that helped Rudd in the first place and then FIRED HIM. Like NSW, it was not the public that elected Gillard or Keneally it was the faceless men who think they run this country and not the Australian people. I find this very disturbing and in fact frightening that they can do this and we stand back and allow it to happen. These same faceless men have destroyed NSW and they will now do the same in Canberra based now what they think is right for their party, NOT US. Be afraid be very afraid.

SSSuave says:

03:12pm | 28/06/10

Oh sure she got there all on her own Tory. If you really believe that then I have some swampland that might interest you.  The fact that she has a chance to win is irrelevant as we all know we are now in the honeymoon phase… the truth will be “when” the election will be called. I anticipate it will be as soon as possible before she has any chance of doing anything on her own which will allow us to truly judge her by.  I hope voters will look past her nice red hair and her quirky little school girl smile and giggles (when she talks to Abbot).  In many respects Rudd can be blamed as well for giving her so much air time in those cozy little TV chats with Abbot.  I would give her more credit if she would come out and said it like it is… but we will NEVER get that opportunity as she will say what she is told to say.  Do not, for one instance, think that those powerbrokers did not KNOW her loyalty to Rudd would only go as far as they would let it.  She is bought and paid for!

John H says:

04:28pm | 21/01/12

She is most certainly NOT a puppet of the unions; she is a puppet of the anti-trade union (ideologically), and pro-corporate feudalism Right-faction who are every bit as bad as the scum that populate the throwback’s and parasite’s Liberal party. ALP is only better then the Libs because of their Left faction. Left = decent, humane, informed and insightful; Right = mean, narcissistic, greedy, dishonest and parasitic.

Seano says:

08:09am | 25/06/10

I love the way conservatives state opinion as fact regardless of any evidence to the contrary.

Dave Sag says:

08:59am | 25/06/10

Even if that were true, so what?  It’s still the best outcome we could have hoped for.  This sudden knifing of Rudd and installing of Gillard was done professionally, smoothly and entirely clinically. It was party putting the nation first, recognising that under Rudd things had started to go horribly wrong.

Gillard instantly set out a clear and strong vision for her party, and her goals as leader, that was refreshing.  She’s unencumbered by superstition, which is a real plus, and she’s very normal compared to previous politicians.  You can imagine her getting home to her lamb roast on a Friday and renting a movie.  It wasn’t just the ‘power brokers’ working for a Gillard take-over, pretty much everyone you meet here in Canberra has been discussing this idea for months. It’s a manifestation of a collective will, an Obama moment for our country. #teamjulia

Wayne Fehlhaber says:

09:19am | 25/06/10

Seano :  There is no evidence to the contrary of what Tony has stated.
Gillard is as guilty as Shorten , Arbib and and the faceless men in the union’s backrooms where the coup was cooked up.
Gillard is a Prime Minister elected by unions , weighted with baggage ,
complicit with every bungle , backflip , broken promise and fiasco that occurred over the past 2.5 years.

BobM says:

09:21am | 25/06/10

@Seano
Fron the DT today - ‘Although Mr Arbib was privately framing the coup as the work of the Victorian Right MPs David Feeney and Bill Shorten, he is known to have been in discussions for weeks. Some weeks ago he consulted powerbroker Graham Richardson as to whether he should shift the NSW Right’s support to Ms Gillard.’
Julia is a puppet of the Union heavies. Even the media acknowledges the fact.

Seano says:

09:36am | 25/06/10

You say evidence, you provide rhetoric.

Steve says:

10:15am | 25/06/10

Gillard, is now at the beck and call of the factions, when they say jump she will say how high.

She just seen 1st hand what happens when you stand against the factions, you get politically assisanted, I wonder how she feels now that Wayne Swan is deputy, but Comby maybe the next in line for the throne.

Gillard is not the leader se is a puppet for the Factions, watch now how the unions will dictate more and more to her, and she will nod and deliver their requests.

Rudd & Rees decided to take on the factions and what happened they were removed, Gillard is the factions face of choice if she wins next election, they will keep her as long as the gloss stays, if not bye bye, espically now that we seen both left & right factions gang up.

We now have a PM, who gave assurances that she would not challenge, but once the factions told her she must do it she jumped, she may have red hair, but already she shows that she has a yellow streak down her back, that replaces her spine.

Grumbles says:

10:37am | 25/06/10

Sorry Dave Sag, but when you are “recognising that under Rudd things had started to go horribly wrong.” you need to realize that under the LAbor party things were going horribly wrong. This is the same crap in a different wrapping paper, the collective intelligence of the party has not shifted even a tiny amount. Gillard is a superior communicator and she can front the electrate and say “everything went wrong, give us another chance” but this is the nation we are talking about, lets not give the exact same party another chance to make worse than they have already.

Adam Diver says:

11:01am | 25/06/10

Talk about an impossible debate to win.

First Rudd and labor are doing fine. Then labor change leaders mid term and suddenly its the benefit of Australia as things were going wrong.

So is labor doing a good job or a bad job?

Was labor a one man band or was it not?

Gillard is good because she has given us a vision and a plan (rhetoric) which is exactly what Rudd had done previously.

The Unions do not run the party, but just constantly count numbers in the background so a leadership spill happens quick and easily?

We don’t vote for the prime minister (under the estminster system) and therfore the change in leaders does not matter to the voting public. But things will now change with a new leader even though we dont vote for a leader we vote for party policies?

If you said Rudd was doing a good job in the last 7 months than under no circumstances should you post here saying how good it is to have Gillard in the top role. Your hypocrisy knows no bounds and it impossible to have honest open debates with people who have moving values and beliefs.

Scot says:

11:09am | 25/06/10

Tory, You are so wrong. They have both been put their by the faceless men in Sussex Street. The same people that helped Rudd in the first place and then FIRED HIM. Like NSW, it was not the public that elected Gillard or Keneally it was the faceless men who think they run this country and not the Australian people. I find this very disturbing and in fact frightening that they can do this and we stand back and allow it to happen. These same faceless men have destroyed NSW and they will now do the same in Canberra based now what they think is right for their party, NOT US. Be afraid be very afraid.

Super D says:

11:20am | 25/06/10

I believe that to some extent Julia did have her hand forced - or rather the timing of her ascendency was forced upon her.  It depends on whether you view the ALP’s machine was acting to get rid of Rudd (my view) or to install Gillard.  I think it got to the point where Rudd was gone.  Under that circumstance Gillard had to step up or risk seeing someone else installed and perhaps never get her chance.

Macon Paine says:

11:34am | 25/06/10

@ Dave Sag

“Even if that were true, so what?”
Well lets be honest here, knifing an elected prime minister like that is pretty low. His poll figures virtually mirror that of John Howard’s in 98 and Howard was able to contest (and win) the 98 election.
” It’s still the best outcome we could have hoped for.”
Really this is the best outcome? Rudd is now the first elected PM to never be given the chance to face the voters as the incumbant. This is a new low for Labor.
“This sudden knifing of Rudd and installing of Gillard was done professionally, smoothly and entirely clinically. “
Yes this seems to be one thing Labor is getting very good at, knifing elected officials. Nobody should not be crowing over this dog act.
“It was party putting the nation first, recognising that under Rudd things had started to go horribly wrong.”
Nonsense, It was party panicking and putting re-election ahead of the national interest. Things had started to go bad, I’ll give you that, but not giving the elected prime minister a chance to fix them and take his case to the people is deplorable. The faction leaders have run roughshot over democracy. NSW Labor style. When Rudd said “I don’t want this going the way of NSW,” believe me he was speaking for the whole country.
“Gillard instantly set out a clear and strong vision for her party, and her goals as leader, that was refreshing.”
She did the same thing that Rudd did, big deal. Why will she be able to implement her vision any better than Rudd? If she loses the election it was all for nothing. If she loses will she be retained as leader of the opposition? Or will the knives of the faction leaders come out again? Im betting on the knives and we’ll get Wayne ‘the wood duck” Swan.
“She’s unencumbered by superstition, which is a real plus, and she’s very normal compared to previous politicians.”
Thats nice. I wont be voting for her or anyone else based on things like that. Policy and implementation are king.
“You can imagine her getting home to her lamb roast on a Friday and renting a movie.”
Am I supposed to like her more and vote for her because of this? Thats not going to happen. Please give us a break.
“It wasn’t just the ‘power brokers’ working for a Gillard take-over, pretty much everyone you meet here in Canberra has been discussing this idea for months.”
So your all standing on the sidelines cheering as an elected PM is knifed just to try and save your own hides.
“It’s a manifestation of a collective will, an Obama moment for our country. #teamjulia “
How can you compare mutiny to Obama’s victory? That trivialises his victory. He was at least elected to the position and he went through a dog fight against other Democratic candidates including Hillary Clinton. Nobody was knifed for him to get where he is today.

@ Wayne Fehlhaber you have a good point. It looks like the country is now being run by unions and power brokers. Just like NSW. Just another reason I can not in good conscience vote Labor at any level of government.

robert S McCormick says:

11:45am | 25/06/10

I always understood that it was the ALP which,at their “Conferences”, set ALP Policy in place. Certainly the leaders ideas would always be given serious consideration but when did the ALP suddenly transfer all policy decisions to whatever leader they happen to have in place for whatever short period of time? The poll-driven faceless,nameless people actually running the ALP seem to have missed the fact that ,except for possibly one recent poll, all the indications were that Kevin Rudd was going to lead the ALP into it’s second term. The halo of the ALP’s current darling of the moment, St Julia Gillard, has become very tarnished as a result of her dispensing with any semblance of the loyalty to Kevin Rudd which she was so few days ago proclaiming. Some years ago the ALP loudly condemned, as did most of the rest of us, the hatchet-job SA’s Liberal MP John Olsen did on the then Premier Dean Brown which Olsen did solely on the results of one poor opinion poll. At least the job Keating did on Hawke was pre-arranged between them. Of course this sort of dishonesty & treachery within Australia’s political world is not unexpected.I did not like Rudd but the scores now are Gillard 0, Rudd 10.

Eye4anEye says:

12:18pm | 25/06/10

Got to partially agree with Dave Dag here folks - the knifing of Rudd was “done professionally, smoothly and entirely clinically”. The first time Labor has rolled out anything well since being elected, if only they’d donw this well running the country.

As an aside sick of politicians of both sides saying someone has they’re 100% support and their will be no challenge only to see them on the throne the next day - if it’s potentially going to happen just say not at this time or something huh instead of your “100%” guarentees.

Skippy says:

02:12pm | 25/06/10

I agree it was their way or no way, or you are out too!!!!

hammo says:

04:09pm | 25/06/10

Liberal party lines parroted by party stooges (Scot)  “Faceless men of Sussex St” are hilarious. They remind me of “reds under the bed” scare campaigns. Good people of Sydney, beware! Do not go out tonight you are not safe, there are faceless men in Susses Street

Rob G says:

08:47am | 26/06/10

Of the hundreds of replies, very few actually discuss the policies that will determine the well-being and progress of the country. You are all fixated on the personalities of the leaders,
It is a sad state of affairs when your vote is decided by your bigotry and prejudice rather than the logical decisions required for the benefit of Australia.

Tom says:

08:13am | 27/06/10

Even if it’s early days, so far so good with Julia’s announcements. All the right words have to now translate into actions. Seeing as she maintained Building Industry Commission with the CFMEU still bleating about her,  I don’t think she is a puppet of the Unions. Dare I say it, I have a sneeking admiration for the lady, a bit like Abbott I guess.

Ann says:

10:39am | 27/06/10

MY NEW NAME FOR J GILLARD “THE SMILING ASSASIN”

Mhoram says:

08:42am | 25/06/10

Is there anyone, either in politics or in the general public, who would dispute that those are accurate?

Bill Edwards says:

04:52pm | 26/06/10

Yet somehow you managed to leave out Bevan’s stand-out quote, and surely the most appropriate: ““No attempt at ethical or social seduction can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin”

Roman says:

10:21am | 25/06/10

Couldn’t agree more Gaz!  I’m sick of the tripe about Gillard being female, raa-raa-raa.  Who cares? She has been instated by the Union powerbrokers (as quite possibly the only viable alternative) and that is more of an issue/concern for me.

Jenni says:

10:55am | 25/06/10

and worse *celebrating* the fact that she’s a redhead - what the **** does the colour of her hair have to do with her ability to lead our nation?

can people please stop focusing on her genitals and her hair, and start asking questions about her *policies*? because I - as a female, single atheist - would really like to know!

Anne71 says:

12:54pm | 25/06/10

@ Gaz, I agree. As a woman, I am insulted by the assumption that so many people are making that I will vote for Gillard just because she is a woman too. No, I will not.  I will vote for her if, in whatever time she has before the next election, she does a good job and proves herself worthy of the position. Just like I would have done if Kev had been replaced by another man.

Joan says:

01:07pm | 25/06/10

To you and me, Gillard is just another politician, but not everyone looks at the world through the same glasses.  I work and meet with people from the broad based multicultural society of Australia , politics isn’t part of the usual conversation but yesterday and today it is , they want to tell me how they feel without my asking . What they tell me is that they are shocked at Rudd displacement and don’t understand why. Only men asked me if I was happy about female as PM.  Most people were too stunned, shocked and lost for words except for why?. Other really out- of -the- box comments were ` she`s not married to the hairdresser, a man would not get away with it, Sarkozy got married as President of France rather than living with girlfriend.` And yet another comment after completion of an interview the client said` you can’t have a PM who never has had children they don’t understand, why did they remove Rudd he was doing a good job?.` So Gaz people see Gillard from their own life view and it is not always what you expect. It will be interesting to hear more views from the public rather than opinion based sites such as this during following weeks as the dust settles

ABC says:

10:35am | 25/06/10

How trite and ridiculous!  She will (and should be) treated the same way as any other opponent.  Gender should be as relevant to how the opposition or the media treat her as is the colour of her eyes.  I’m a women and I sincerely hope that absolutely no quarter is given as to how she is treated.  I do hope that you are not laying grounds for an argument that if she is criticised to the same extent that Rudd was, that she is being targeted because of her gender?  She was right there alongside Rudd, nodding like one of those bobble-headed dogs you can get for the dashboard of your car - during the backflips and the policy disasters.  She will now be under signficantly more scrutiny that she has been subject to in the past - and rightfully so - because she has been shielded because of the policy and funding disasters that shone the spotlight so harshly on Rudd.  She’s the Prime Minister now, so the scrutiny should be long and piercing, as indeed it should.  She’s not got Rudd to hide behind now, so I think the disaster that is the BER will now be front and centre.  So don’t play the sexism card if she gets exactly the same of scrutiny and criticism that any male Prime Minister is subject to.

bf says:

01:18pm | 25/06/10

Dear ABC you’ve jumped to quite a few conclusions here about my views - let’s just see how it unfolds. Sexism is likely to be a factor in the way some cast their votes, just as it is in the approach of some reporters (clothes, hair etc).  If she turns out to be a complete dud, that’s fine with me, but let’s hope she gets a proper chance.

Philip says:

05:57pm | 25/06/10

No it won’t be sexism that is her biggest problem. Haven’t you noticed she is a ginger. That is her bigest problem. Don’t get me wrong some of my best friends are gingers but jeeze - PM?

Faz says:

04:26pm | 25/06/10

Like it D. Very Clever.

Others: The lemon was Julienned by the orange. Julia Ever-Red.

Mhoram says:

08:47am | 25/06/10

Yes biff, that’s true. But - they don’t own her, she is not beholden to any of them, and has proven over her time in Canberra that she follows her own mind. I agree with Tory that this is a very different situation to NSW. In NSW, there is a pack of corrupt, lazy and complacent pollies in power who are being caught out in their self-interest, shown up as incompetent and exposed for their continued lack of strong leadership. I can’t see how this translates to the federal Labor party.

Grumbles says:

10:43am | 25/06/10

Mhoram, the unions, especially the AWU have proven that if you don’t tow their line they will neck you. By that measure she is totally beholden to them, if she stops towing the line, they will neck her also. She knows this and will march to the beat of their drum.

Seriously anyone would think we had a change of government yesterday, the way the medi ais gushing over Gillard. It’s the same party run by the same people, making the same mistakes, but with a fresh coat of paint at the front. Conservatives warned repeatedly before the election that the unions ran the Labor party, now they have proved it, and you’re trying to say it didn’t happen?

Fred says:

01:38pm | 25/06/10

Grumbles - AWU was saying how despicable it was that she’s now taken over - maybe other unions would work with your point but I remember hearing how disapproving the AWU was of this yesterday

Mhoram says:

03:08pm | 25/06/10

Grumbles, point taken, but I find it a bit too simplistic to be believable. Kevin Rudd came in and everything changed - not just because it was Labor, but because HE changed how his party operated. This is what has eventually led to his downfall, as the power brokers could not abide being sidelined anymore and, as you so eloquently put it, necked him.

Is there any reason Julia Gillard cannot effect a similar change, in effect making it a ‘new’ government?

Also, I agree with you that the AWU helped bring the right of the party to Julia’s side, but that only happened because Julia Gillard started the ball rolling by giving permission to start counting the numbers. The unions did not run it, or even drive it, they just made an assist. If the AWU try to ‘neck’ Julia, I think they’ll find out how little power they wield these days - but they’re too smart to do that unless they’re assured of everyone else’s support.

I know many people are paranoid that the unions still run Labor, and they do still have a reasonable influence, but they certainly do not have the run of the party as they used to. I think they try to present a front that they do, but it doesn’t align with the reality. Fred’s good point below yours also adds credence to my understanding of the matter.

Grumbles says:

03:21pm | 25/06/10

Fred, Paul Howes, is the national secratary of the AWU and most definitely had a hand in the knifing. No one in the media is claiming any different. Tory is saying that despite it happening, she is not beholden to them, when we know that if you don’t tow the line you get the chop ala Rudd.

mags says:

06:44am | 26/06/10

Right on! She only decided that the government had ” lost its way” when the opinion polls showed they would lose the next electon by miles. Had she been so concerned about the issue she would have done something about it a long time ago instead of being lulled by opinion polls. She and Swan were rewarded for their incompetence and the fact that this assassination of Rudd was necessary shows that the Opposition were right all along. Easy to dismiss this in all the hype, but true nonetheless.

Ryan says:

10:49am | 25/06/10

What an amazing insult to Margret Thatcher!

Mark says:

11:27am | 25/06/10

I would rather Margret Thatcher over Gillard

Mark says:

11:27am | 25/06/10

I would rather Margret Thatcher over Gillard

shabangabang says:

01:08pm | 25/06/10

Thatcher = Iron Lady
Gillard = Iron Carrot
Perhaps the PM could invade New Zealand to help boost her popularity, as Thatcher had to do against Argentina.

Baz says:

01:37pm | 25/06/10

Margaret Thatcher was a very shrewd politician who did what was right for the country regardless of what the impact was for her. She had morals and stuck with them. This little nothing PM has no credibility and no principles, and she has been complicit in all the wrongs of the Labor government. Comments comparing her to Thatcher are totakky insulting to a strong person like Thatcher.

Jack says:

03:46pm | 25/06/10

Yes but MT’s decisions, whilst strong put a detrimental change for the worst to British society, pushing further the gap between rich and poor and her stubbornness ensured her downfall. And she runied that country forever.

Robert Smissen Rural SA says:

11:54pm | 26/06/10

Andy Margaret Thatcher saved Great Britain from the loony left, Julia Gillard is the loony left & will not save Oz, she will drive us to our doom.

Seano says:

08:30am | 25/06/10

What backstab? She met with him face to face.

KH says:

08:53am | 25/06/10

Anyone who becomes a member of the Labor party knows how things work.  Kevin is no fool - he would have known this could happen.  She met with him - he was the one who made the announcement remember, and then he didn’t have enough support to take the challenge.  That is hardly backstabbing.  I will remind you at this point that this is precisely how Abbott got into the leadership position.  This happens on both sides.  Politics is a Machiavellian game, that only the truly ruthless are good at, regardless of gender. 

As for all the goats who say ‘she wasn’t voted for’ - yes she was.  She was the deputy, and if anything had happened to Rudd, she would have been in the job.  Well something happened to him, didn’t it.

And it is a cause for celebration.  If she was the 10th woman to be PM, it would be no big deal.

Phil says:

09:33am | 25/06/10

Seano

Yes she met him face to face with the numbers a few clubs and knives?

The deal was done when she went to him. No dubt about it, it was just a matter of Rudd accepting the fact.

A man might have done the same thing. At least Abbott and Turnbull mentioned it in public and in the case of Abbott had the backing of many inside and outside of the liberal party.

Seano says:

09:35am | 25/06/10

“Anyone who becomes a member of the Labor party knows how things work. “

As the libs are on to their third leader this term I would imagine that anyone who becomes a member of the Liberal party would also have a fair idea of “how things work”.

Adam Diver says:

10:52am | 25/06/10

Seano, I didn’t mean she literally stabbed him in the back. Sorry I didn’t point that out earlier. A poor oversight on my part.

At least she is still 100 percent behind him.

Seano says:

12:45pm | 25/06/10

Mate she came to a decision that he was no longer leading the party in the right direction, she met with him face to face and asked for a spill. There’s nothing even remotely like a backstab there. They both had plenty of time to canvas support. When Rudd realised he’d lost the party’s support he stepped down. Those are the facts, the rest is rhetoric.

NEFFA says:

01:40pm | 25/06/10

this is the reason Julia Gillard will win the election. the electorate have a very short memory.
everyone is applauding Tony Abbott and forgetting only 3 months ago he did exactly the same thing to Malcolm Turnbull. (both men)
Lets not forgett Keating and Hawke (both men)
this is not a man/woman thing, its politics. only the strong will survive

Freeman says:

02:46pm | 25/06/10

Seano, you chip people for repeating Lib Rhetoric then you offer Julia’s throw away statement that she felt rudd was no longer leading Labor in the right direction as fact. No one believes that it was simply a turning point for the ALP. everyone knows it’s because Labor was facing defeat. It just goes to show you will accept anything Labor says.

Ben81 says:

03:09pm | 25/06/10

Seano - “she met with him face to face and asked for a spill”
Doesn’t ‘asked’ imply that Rudd had a choice in the matter?

“There’s nothing even remotely like a backstab there.”
What, specifically at that meeting, or earlier in the evening when certain faction leaders were on their phones putting their plan into action?

Incredible how you people are trying to whitewash this.

Seano says:

04:38pm | 25/06/10

@Freeman - I’m glad you think you speak for “everybody” but I thought Rudd was leading the party in the wrong direction. So there you go that argument has been shot down already.

Seano says:

05:30pm | 25/06/10

What’s incredible is the beat up and pretence that this was a “backstab” Ben81. Particularly considering the Liberals are on to their third leader this term…exactly how did Tony Abbott get his position?

Freeman says:

09:32am | 26/06/10

of course you thought rudd was leading labor in the wrong direction Seano! you just forgot to add that to any of your previous posts.
and you’re right, it wasn’t Julia who knifed Rudd, but it did come from within the ALP and the AWU. no doubt you think that’s just beat up, but that beat up is being led by federal MP’s

Jane says:

11:49am | 26/06/10

Seano says - “what backstab - she met him face to face.”

LOL…nice delusional ignore of all else beforehand there Seano.

Yes, she met him face to face - to tell him he was dying AFTER she had plunged the knife in behind his back moments before…and confident it would do the trick.

Rudd was usurped because he was no longer popular for Labor…NOTHING else. No altruistc concern for Australia…or the way ‘thing’s were going….
It was always going to happen. He was their ticket to power…..power to be maintained at any cost.
It’s the ALP way.
If they think the ‘female’ element shoe-horned in will do the job they are sadly mistaken. She’s an insult to females.
The novelty bounce will quickly erode.

Seano says:

04:26pm | 26/06/10

It must be nice Freeman to not only speak for “everybody” but also to be able to tell me what I think.

Seano says:

08:27am | 25/06/10

What’s grubby about it?

They party elect a leader and we elect a party. If the party feels that their elected leader is no longer serving the best interest of the people and the party then they are perfectly with in their rights to change the leader.

That’s how our system works.

The constant rhetoric about union warlords is already tired, probably because it is completely meaningless.

Mhoram says:

08:55am | 25/06/10

Seano, you may be correct in principle (and I agree that we elect a party, not one person), but Luc also has a valid point. The Labor party (or Kevin Rudd really) ran a campaign that wwas completely focussed on him, to the point that other members of the party hardly got any airtime at all. The public saw him as the face of the party and the driver for change that let them feel they could dump Howard (see - Howard, not the Liberal party:) ).
The fact is that the party decides who the leader is, so they have every right to do what they did. Convincing us that they have that right and that it was for the right reasons will be harder.
I don’t think it was grubby at all, especially compared to previous, seemingly interminable, and truly grubby efforts form both major parties. It seems to have happened quickly and quite cleanly, the way you would want it to really.

Seano says:

09:34am | 25/06/10

I don’t think that he campaign Labor ran was any different by any of the major parties in the last 15 years or so. But I think we all have to accept that policies and sometimes leaders change, as long as the change is for the better that’s the important thing. What the Libs seem to forget is they are on to their 3rd leader this term and still haven’t found one that is electable.

I too was happy it was quick and clean and agree the ball is definitely in Julia’s court to prove that this was the right move at the right time. She’s off to a good start.

The main thing is that the disaster that would be Tony Abbott PM is not inflicted on this country.

Ben Gia says:

10:38am | 25/06/10

Even though labour installing Guillard was within their rights, they played us for fools. People voted for Labor based on the fact they thought Kevin was going to be the leader (Kevin07 anyone?). Then, when it suited them because of the polls, they did an about turn and installed Julia Gillard.

Now when people complain about it Labor says “Oh, but you voted for the minister in your electorate, not Kevin” knowing full well they got voted in by marketing to people that Kevin would be leader. Most people are ignorant to the fact that they weren’t voting for Kevin (thinking they were) and Labor are taking advantage of the fact.

Frankly, I think what the party has done is despicable.

Seano says:

12:48pm | 25/06/10

Ben, if you think that then clearly you don’t understand how our political system works. Obviously you’ve missed the point that we elect a party. Regardless of who fronts the ad campaign during the election or who runs the country on the behalf of the party.

Ben Gia says:

03:07pm | 25/06/10

Seano, clearly you don’t understand the point I was trying to make.

Most people don’t understand the political system. Most people thought they were voting for Kevin Rudd. Labor knew this, which is why the whole focal point of their last election campaign was Rudd. Thats why people were running around with Kevin07 t-shirts.

Ditching Kevin was completely dishonest because labor knew people thought they’d voted for Kevin. It’s this sort of two faced, double handed behaviour that has people fuming.

Mhoram says:

03:34pm | 25/06/10

Seano, you make a valid point. All campaings in recent history have revolved around the leader of the party, more ‘presidential’ type campaigns than ones based in the Westminster system. Even the UK are doing it, so what hope do the rest of us have? The cult of the personality drives these now. The media encourage it, as they are desparate to hang on to increasingly fickle consumers, so they provide the shocking sound bite, rather than the facts and rhetoric. The irony of this is that as the media do this more and more, it develops the conusmers of their product to expect it more and more, a vicious circle that could generate a large sequel to Catch-22

The result of this is that people do now vote based largely on what hey think of the leader, as opposed to their local member, leading to an understandable feeling of betrayal when things like this happen. Not so much for the Opposition, as their choices as leader will be tested in an election prior to them taking power.

Where do we go from here?

Seano says:

05:28pm | 25/06/10

No I got your point but Ben but I’m sorry but “most people”? Yes some but most? Get a grip. And do we reward stupidity by changing the rules of the game on the fly because some people are stupid? It’s a ridiculous argument.

Whilst I agree with Mhoram that the cult of personality has a much larger role in political life than ever before or IMO than it ever should it still clear in the media, on election night and on the ballot that we vote for a party not a Prime Minister.

People claming to feel cheated by Rudd’s dismisal fall alargely into the catergories:
1. People who still passionately support Rudd.
2. People who don’t think we should dump sitting PM’s regardless.
3. People who are either too stupid, naive or lazy to understand or find out how our political system works.
4. Right wingers pretending to be disgruntled former labor voters. An old but favoured tactic.

Greg says:

01:08pm | 26/06/10

You went a bit light there Daniel and my more extensive response went into cyberspace, so very briefly just to tweak your cells.
Video conferencing and the like has been around for decades.
All a faster speed does is access information quicker and much much more time usually occurs in the processing at user end, parallel being taking the library book and then the study.
” Remote Farms ” and haven’t you been seeing the Telstra farm equipment control ads that have been on tele for a few years now
” Market trends ” and so you mean online brokers and the like do you playing the games that have goven so much grief to global economics, the same games that governments are now to place restrictions on.

Employment brought on by the NBN creation is just typical of creating work at massive expense to give us something we really didn’t need.
Same for BER
Insulation would have been fine if installation standards were properly adhered to but they weren’t because again it was a big rush job.

I suppose you reckon we had super infrastructure just 15 years ago do you when there was a deficit of 96B passed on and then it deteriorated rapidly in 12 years, comeon now, that’s all BS and you know as well as I do that all manner of projects are occurring under whatever governments are in power and it’ll just be that one creates an environment of more responsible fiscal management whereas the other is completely hopeless with a spend spend spend mentality.
The only reason why they have tried to pull back now is because it’s an election year and they want to give the appearance of being in control.
We would be with Greece now if it had not been for Labor being tipped out 15 years back.

Brendo doesn’t even think there is a Border Protection policy when in fact Labor even has an immigration minister and it’s just that the policy on refugees is all at sea.

But again you rabbit on about the people or horses when it ought to be the courses being taken and how they’re handled.

Diamantina Dick says:

08:25am | 25/06/10

“He wasn’t working so get rid of him. Simple, efficient and quick not like the tedious struggles of the past with all the unnecessary plotting and skulduggery”. Or even, GOD forbid, an election!

...and what’s this about no plotting and skulduggery, WAKE UP!

BrisbaneSceptic says:

08:37am | 25/06/10

Ross, that’s a good point.  Putting aside the fact that they have a long way to go in terms of righting their wrongs (which will be a monumentous task); it is nice to have someone in the top job who describes themselves as “not religious”.  Politcal speak for aethiest,  I assume.

Seano says:

09:26am | 25/06/10

“Or even, GOD forbid, an election!”

Sigh. On which Ballot did you tick the box saying “Who should be our next Prime Minister? (Tick the box below).
1. John Howard.
2. Kevin Rudd.

We don’t elect a PM we elect a party. This is not America and we don’t have a president.

A Bob says:

11:11am | 25/06/10

Thank you Seano, for pointing that out. The “we didn’t get a chance to vote him out” line has been appearing all over the place. It seems many don’t know how our system works.

But wait! There is still hope for those who want to vote him out. He has said he will recontest his seat. Of course, you may have to move to his electorate to do this, so you’d better hurry. The AEC won’t accept enrolment changes too close to an election.

Seano says:

12:50pm | 25/06/10

That’s right A Bob, I think a lot of right wingers are going to have to move to QLD quick smart.

Luke says:

08:46am | 25/06/10

I’m sure Abbott and the Libs already have policy, (as he keeps saying, closer to the election he will start releasing them) and he is well versed in Gillards tactics, they already have a history together. I’m sure he knows exactly how to deal with Gillard.

Seano says:

09:19am | 25/06/10

LOL. The old I’ll release my policy close to the election ploy, in other words he has no policy and will pull something out closer to the date depending on which way the wind is blowing.

Yes, Julia and Tony have a history. And that history is exactly why Tony is in big trouble. No sitting on his hand now and coasting off the back a scare campaign.

Gavin Hodge says:

10:34am | 25/06/10

In taking on Gillard, Tony Abbott is taking on his deepest darkest most evil nightmare. A woman in power.

Greg says:

10:47am | 25/06/10

If you open your eyes and ears you might just find policy is there already:
. can the NBN white elephant
. border protection
. review the Labor disasters
the latter being so numerous and of such extent, that’ll unfortunately take a huge effort but must be done.
. reel in the massive deficit
You can party but someone has to pay for it and most people are responsible enough to see that they need to pay for themselves, perhaps not a heap of Labor politicians though.

Daniel says:

12:02pm | 25/06/10

Greg, these are the very reasons Abbott will never be PM.
Can the NBN, arguably the most ambitious and productive infrastructure program australia has seen for almost 2 decades, and may actually help our businesses and community keep up with the rest of the world?

Protect our borders? unattainable drivel, designed to cash in on the xenophobic minority. Our standing army couldn’t even hold 1/3 of australia in an invasion, how are we meant to stop refugees entering the waters of a continent 4/5ths the size of the USA, with less than a 1/10th of the total population? let alone that “boat people” are such a miniscule minority of illegal immigrants as to be almost laughable….

Reel in the deficit? EVERY country is in deficit. We had a global financial crisis! We are performing better than almost all other developed countries. Scare-mongering over deficit is ludicrous. Try the Greek debt of $2 trillion, if you want to compare against a country in trouble. I would rather be in debt than have no infrastructure. What’s the point of a vault full of cash, when health, education, transport and communication are left to rot?

Abbott would be this countries worst nightmare as PM. I don’t even vote Labor, and even I can see Julia is the better choice in our 2 party system.

Seano says:

12:54pm | 25/06/10

I see Greg, so Abbott’s “policy” is to:
1. Can a major infrastructure investment that we desperately need and that is starting to ramp up because….why? They didn’t think of it first?
2. Sabre rattle about the tiny number of people who come here by boats so the bigoted and the paranoid can feel better.
3. Blame labor.

Yet more proof that Abbott is unelectable.

Greg says:

01:21pm | 25/06/10

Well Daniel,
I’m all ears about how a super fast internet will actually help us be more productive.
Will it help out with droughts and food production for instance?
And keeping up with the rest of the world?
We’re doing far better than it according to you further down re Greece etc.
With asylum seekers it is not about invasion mate but that there is a global refugee system that Australia is part of and through a softening of regulations re the boat people situation, that has just encouraged more of them to risk their lives on the open sea and to queue jump on refugees abiding by the system.
Sure there are those people who overstay on visas and apprehending them is a task the immigration department has to deal with and asylum seekers just happens to stretch resources further so valid visa applications are being delayed.
If this is how you would like Australia to be managed, that’s your call but many would like to see it managed better.

And the next step? Do you think housing them in so many miscellaneous remote communities around Australia is going to help their assimilation?
What’s the transport like, employment?, how long will they be there for? and are they prisoners to those locations?
It may surprise you to learn that considerable effort goes into the issues of housing individuals/families for arrival in a controlled manner as a refugee.
A bit like inviting some guests to stay a bit as against a Corey whatshisname was throwing a street party.
Just stability Vs Mayhem and nothing to do with refugge fear as you would like to make out.

Australia and other countries have had surplus budgets and built/maintained infrastructure quite well at a pace that has meant we have lived within our means and not massively borrowed, it’s called balanced budgetting and far better than to be headed towards the Euro path, Greece included and that’s where an over spending trend will take you, a great boom bust cycle encouraged by government. unaccountability.

And why make it an Abbott or Gillard issue when if you had yours, your familys and the country’s longer term welfare in mind you might just analyse total government policies/approach to get an idea of how a country will fare living within its means or on borrowed $$$$ and time.

Brendo says:

01:33pm | 25/06/10

Greg -  ‘border protection’ ... that’s a policy?  Seriously mate, you’re teasing us.

sim says:

02:00pm | 25/06/10

Yep, Can the NBN.  I work for an ISP, and i think the NBN will leave australia further behind then ever before.

The company i work for will be providing 100 mbps speeds later this year REGARDLESS of the NBN.  Now, this is what the NBN is hoping to achieve over what? The next 5 years?  And how much will it cost me, a tax payer?

Not to mention Norwary has 400mbps speeds TODAY!  Labor wants to spent alot of money on tech which is already out dated, yeah qualitiy policy from n00bs.

Daniel says:

02:35pm | 25/06/10

“I’m all ears about how a super fast internet will actually help us be more productive. Will it help out with droughts and food production for instance?”

I’ll play. Too many people, including the Liberal party, seem to think the internet is purely for entertainment and porn. How will it help business be more productive? take the example of businesses conducting video conferences and meetings on a global scale (even politicians could save us a bundle if they were to meet that way). Far more feasible when our net connections are up to the same standard as europe, the USA and asia. This can be applied to research and development, health and medical applications for patients around the world, education facilities, the list goes on. Remote farm locations have little chance of communicating their needs or researching new methods to help against adverse conditions when they get dialup speeds. And what of commerce? how can australian businesses compete against global companies? their ability to react to market trends will be much slower than their international competitors on up to 10 gb/s lines.

And let’s not forget the number of people that will be employed now and in the future for both the building and maintenance of this communications project…

“Australia and other countries have had surplus budgets and built/maintained infrastructure quite well”

If we’ve maintained our infrastructure so well, why has health, education, communications and transport been in the spotlight? They were negleted for over a decade under the Liberal party, and now drastic spending is required to address these. Noticed that recently?

“And why make it an Abbott or Gillard issue”

Well it seems that the Libs would like us to see it as the “same horse different jockey”. The leader has changed but the policies will remain. Abbott’s on the run policy making without due correspondence to his party is enough to tell me just what we’d be facing with the Liberals in charge. It would be Abbott’s policies, not the Liberals. That, and the sad fact that a broad chunk of the public seem to vote for the leader rather than the party is the reason I made the comment

Amber says:

10:24am | 25/06/10

Unfortunately there are plenty of women who will vote for her for her gender alone.

JR says:

12:12pm | 25/06/10

You are probably right Amber, but those women were never going to vote for Abbott anyway. If you are currently a woman and an ‘Abbott” voter, I think that you are less likely to vote for Gillard than Rudd. No one is harsher on other women than female conservatives (as a general rule). On a purely superficial level, I think this loses more votes than it gains on the current 52:48 2PP poll. There would be more male Labor voters unwilling to vote for a woman than female Coalition voters willing to change their vote because Gillard is female. Thats only on a purely superficial level.

Mhoram says:

09:03am | 25/06/10

Sludger, I agree with the fact that convincing us about these points will be one of the harder things Gillard and the Labor party will have on their plate coming into this election. I feel she made a pretty good start by not distancing herself from the fact that she was involved in these decisions, in this method of geverning. Owning those actions is important and is hopefully more than just lip service. Now she has to prove that she will change how things work, how they’re being managed, and that she has the depth to be a good PM. Tony Abbott seems to be struggling to establish this side of his leadership.

BobM says:

09:29am | 25/06/10

Agree Suudger - as another blogger said ‘everyone might give her a honeymoon, the leftie press might even try to get her elected but the truth is she is even less qualified to run a country than Kevin Rudd. A former member of the communist party she has spent her life before parliament as a union IR lawyer with no experience in the practicalities of life or economic management. The only important thing she has been charged with in the last 2.5 years has been a massive waste of money. She has shared in all of KRudd’s bad decisions (except, she claims, the mining tax) but worst of all her elevation assures a return to government by factions and unions. God help us if we are dumb enough to fall for the NSW Labor trick of kill the leader, blame the old leader, hail the new spotless leader, trust us again’.

Dee says:

10:33am | 25/06/10

“Lastly, to make Wayne Swan her deputy is a particularlyy cruel piece of lead in the saddlebags that only the ALP could come up. “
How so Charles? This is a tried and true formula of the Coalition…

Christian Real says:

06:36pm | 25/06/10

Wayne Fehlhaber,
While Julia Gillard, is from the left, one of the biggests unions that backed her was the AWU, which is a right wing union.
Kevin Rudd, I believe is a member of the AWU, being from the right wing, and I am right wing also and a member of the AWU.
While I felt Kevin Rudd perhaps deserved the chance to finish his term in office,  Julia Gillard will have my full support as well as my family’s and we wish her well.
At least the Labor MP’s have the guts to challenge the Prime Minister for the top job, where in the Liberal party Peter Costello whimped out challenging former Prime Minister John Howard for the Prime Ministership and then left the Liberal party with his tail between his legs and even whimped out of challenging for the position to lead the Opposition Liberal party.

Joan says:

09:46am | 25/06/10

In parliament Gillard plays the pollie game as shrill and dirty as any man.  Her lethal grab for power and her `game on` challenge to Abbott show`s that she has bigger balls and a meaner streak than anyone in parllament today. Nothing about dignity or respect about what happened yesterday- she snubbed her turned up nose at the voter , the voter who voted in Labor based on Rudd leading the party. What happened yesterday is a sad day in Australian politics, I have not met one person who thinks that what happened yesterday was fair game- in fact most are saying that what happened ie - we go to bed with Rudd as PM and wake up to Gillard as PM - has the taste of a banana republic about it.  The voters in marginal seats by voting for some other than Labor should send a message - register a protest vote on behalf of all Australians that manipulation and skuldeggery that led to the dismisal of PM by some powerful few is not on in Australia.

LifeofY says:

09:49am | 25/06/10

Hear, Hear Mike!

Wayne Fehlhaber says:

08:14pm | 25/06/10

Mike :  Gillard’s complicity in the political assassination of Rudd highlights a lack of dignity and no respect at all.  As for intelligence on her part , she showed a distinctly receptive response to her union masters as a subordinate .  One week prior to this coup , perpetrated by union thugs in a Sussex St. union backroom , Gillard re-affirmed her allegiance to the then Prime Minister . Make no mistake , this woman was in the plot up to her neck.
What made history yesterday , was that a Labor Prime Minister was politically assassinated just months out from the end of his first term.
That is what history will record on this diabolical and shameful point in our political history.

Gavin Hodge says:

10:44am | 25/06/10

By “men” do you mean the entire male species, or just Tony Abbott?

Michael says:

10:47am | 25/06/10

As it has already been pointed out by a few bloggers, she is a legit party leader. People vote for the party and the party votes for their leader. The people will get their chance in due course. I don’t see what is so hard to understand.

Seano says:

09:23am | 25/06/10

As Julia has been widely recognised for having done a job with her portfolio only the most biased of right wing punters would agree with your rhetoric.

Ben Gia says:

10:40am | 25/06/10

Garret should be thankful. Rudd stuffed up and he got fired.

Ian Moses says:

11:40am | 25/06/10

As Julia has been widely recognised for having done a terrible job with her portfolio most punters would agree with you.

There Seano I fixed it for you.

Jane says:

01:39pm | 25/06/10

Garrett has got to go or at least do an intensive course in media training. He comes across as a bumbling fool. He is too honest to be a politician and looks very uncomfortable when he is forced to lie.

Seano says:

05:16pm | 25/06/10

OMG Jane, do politicans lie?

Ian, that would be funny except it’s lacking in one essential ingredient…wit.

Michael says:

10:49am | 25/06/10

By Julie, do you mean Julia?

iansand says:

11:31am | 25/06/10

I think it might be a reference to Ms Bishop.  It is apposite.

Andrew says:

10:06am | 25/06/10

I don’t think you watched the same question time as me. Gillard did a mea culpa to try to stop the criticism then Swan (oh what a great ally he would make) got up and defend his lie as a change of mind for the good of the country. HA HA.

2 days ago you were telling us all how rudd has everything covered and would beat abbott, no worries. Now you’ve jettisoned him and you’re backing up the red terror.

You need to stop believing your own press releases.

Maybe read what mark latham said today about how labor now stands for nothing and is poll driven. Wasn’t he another labor golden boy cast aside by the factions and the union bosses. Oh, that’s right, you guys are constantly trying to equate him to abbott now aren’t you. Sorry mate he’s all yours.

Prediction: Gillard gets a rails run for about 2 weeks. More BER crap comes out. Miners hold fast. Labor drop seat of melbourne to the greens as tanner doesn’t run (you think that was a coincidence??) and loses 4 more in western sydney, 4 in QLD, 3 in S.A. and 2 in W.A.

That would give LNP 76, LAB 69 and others 5. LNP still with a majority of 1 even after the pick a speaker. And thats not taking into account the rest of vic or tas.

I think Labor is on a hiding to nothing, bring on the election you’re only fooling yourself.

Joan says:

10:06am | 25/06/10

Voters of Australia should lodge a protest vote against Labor that they will not be taken for fools - they will not accept Australia being turned into a banana republic - go to bed with one leader voted in by them then to wake up next day to another selected by a few. And please don’t give me   the line that the people only voted for the party we all know that`s not true - why bother dumping Rudd then?.

Michael says:

12:36pm | 25/06/10

Actually Joan, the only people who voted for Kevin Rudd were the majority of electors in the seat of Griffith. It’s how the system works. We don’t have a say on who leads a party in government, and never have. The same way that the Liberal voters never voted for Nelson, Turnbull or Abbott as party leader.

Joan says:

01:18pm | 25/06/10

Michael - Rudd 2007 was the face on the brand of Labor- Labor would have got nowhere if brand Albanese had been Labor face 2007- so stop kidding yourself- you and others like you must think the public a fool. If the face of the brand does not matter - why dump Rudd?

Michael says:

02:06pm | 25/06/10

Joan the answer to your question is a cynical one. It’s to win votes. We all know that populism wins elections and the leader going into an election is, to put in cynically again, a human neon billboard with all the bells and whistles designed to win votes. It’s a necessary evil because a party is only as good as it is elected. If they don’t pander to the voters then they don’t get the votes. The party didn’t think they could have won with Rudd (I actually disagree - I think Labor would have lost seats but won Government), and that’s one big reason why they had the spill.

I think it will serve you well if from now on when you vote, you do so of the understanding that you are voting for a candidate who may or may not be affiliated with a party, and that the leader at the time may or may not be leader at the next election.

Joan says:

07:49pm | 25/06/10

Michael don’t be so sure about Gillard brand being the winner. Australian`s prefer a fair game and Gillard`s blood red hair is a symbolic reminder of her ruthless rise to Primeministership.  To me she is just a politician and yesterday she showed she is more ruthless, has bigger balls, and can play dirtier than any other pollie in parliament today.

Sick to Death of Labor Lies says:

03:05pm | 02/07/10

Oh Please Holly…..... Is this a “gee-up” or are you serious. The fools would be jailed in many other parts of the world.  Forget the leader for heavens sake, even if they are OK (which both are not), under Labor they are not secured. Look at the party. Its amateur hour with these clowns, one disaster after another and we now pay 2.1M every 30 mins of every day, of every week, of every month thanks to the stupidity of Labor’s reckless spending. And you and I will be repaying that debt for the next 30 years…

Ian Moses says:

11:29am | 25/06/10

Nathan I agree, Tanner as a soon to well funded retired politician would do a far better job than Gillard, a current constant drain politician.

Tiberious says:

11:50am | 25/06/10

He is a great politician he just never had the appeal. They bring out the mortician’s assistant when they really need an attack dog to restore the status quo. He would have made a great deputy but there was no way you could have a pm and a dpm from the same left faction both from melbourne

BobM says:

03:33pm | 25/06/10

Tanner jumping ship while it’s still afloat. He probably can’t swim….

Robert S McCormick says:

12:09pm | 25/06/10

Like all politicians, when it comes to politics, Gillard neither knows,nor understands, the meaning of words such as Trust, Loyalty & Honesty, Up until they are elected they, like the vast majority of people, have principles,morals, standards. As soon as they are elected they become infected with some strange virus they lose all sense or morality, decency, loyalty and honesty. They become what we see every day: Self-engrossed parasites, totally disinterested in Australia and the people.

Baz says:

02:03pm | 25/06/10

Robert M - very well said and I totally agree. She, like so many other politicians have absolutely no morals, ethics, honesty, loyalty (LOL), and there is certainly no trust. I abhore all politicians, but especialy those that do back-stabbing deals like this one. That was a dark day for Australia.

Mike says:

04:22pm | 25/06/10

“she is not the prime minster as she was not elected by the people”

No Prime Minister is EVER elected by the people. Prime Ministers are appointed by the Governor-General.

Super D says:

11:21am | 25/06/10

Did you not hear?  Rudd’s staffers got their redundancies

BobM says:

05:32pm | 25/06/10

No, she’s around here somewhere. Although she’s probably busy googling Julia Gillard’s achievements (shouldn’t take long) so that she can sound intelligent when she raves on about how wonderful Julia is . Kevin Rudd, who’s he?

BobM says:

05:21pm | 25/06/10

She hasn’t got any views about how to run our country that are any different to Rudd’s. She signed off on all his grand plans and made a hopeless mess of her ‘baby’,  the BER. She directed the BER program through very costly, large State contractors, no doubt so that the Unions could exploit the loophole where ‘major projects’ got extra union site allowances. Our new First Female Prime Minister was willing to sacrifice cost efficiency with our taxes and borrowed money in order to allow the Unions to build up a nice pre-election war chest. No wonder the Unions support her.  Bring on the election!

Louisa says:

12:26pm | 25/06/10

Brigitte - she just has a live-in hairdresser

Baz says:

02:09pm | 25/06/10

Single means just that - single. She is not married and if you are not married you are single. You may have a boyfriend/girlfriend but you still remain single.

James says:

03:21pm | 25/06/10

Gee Baz, what a nuanced person you are!
Not married means single - just love how black & white your world is…
Not good, thus evil…
Not with us, so against us…

Baz, even the law recognises that de facto relationships have rights similar to marriages, so not single at all.

Louisa - should we check if La Gillard is claiming her live-in hairdresser as a tax deduction

Rosie says:

10:59pm | 27/06/10

Brigitte, what does Abbott, Rudd & Obama have in common? They are all legally happily married to lovely intelligent ladies that have given birth to loving caring children. All Gillard has is a HAIRDRESSER BOYFRIEND!

Gillard claims she couldn’t have focussed on her career if she had children! Rudd’s wife, millionaire in her own right and US first lady is a lawyer like the ambitious Gillard.

Billy B says:

09:11pm | 26/06/10

Dear OldGirl - So by voting for the Greens you are really voting for Labor. DOH!

Harryshack says:

11:53am | 25/06/10

The mistake made here is common - we never vote for our PM: we vote for our local member. Who becomes PM is, depending on the party that wins the right to form government, determined by (in the case of the ALP) the trade unions, and in the case of the Lib/Nat coalition, the person voted leader of the party. Personality politics is not what a well educated population should do - policy politics is what it should be about.

Richard says:

12:20pm | 25/06/10

If its all about policy politics and not personality politics like Harryshack says, then why do people (like OldGirl above) say “I won’t be voting Liberal because I don’t like Tony Abbott”?
I aggree, Tony Abbott is too conservative, but I support the core policies of the Liberal party, which stand for small government, small business and small guilds/trade unions. That is why I will vote Liberal in the upcoming election (dispite my distaste for Tony Abbott), and I suggest you do the same if you don’t want our nation to be dominated by Big Government (who are apparently puppeteered by Big Unions).

notsurprised says:

10:13am | 26/06/10

Ceejay, parties elect their leader and the people elect the PM by choosing the party WITH that leader. It is only the ALP who have rolled a sitting PM and this has now happened twice. The system should not allow this to happen to a PM. If there is doubt within the ranks, a general election should be called and the people be allowed to vote before lobbyists and special interest groups.

Ripa says:

01:59pm | 25/06/10

Natural? Jooles is a wind up doll during interviews, she repeats the same rhetoric, the laughing, the shaking of her head, all the while dismissing issues and points, she actually thinks by acting this childish way people are going to think she is the winner. Careful what you wish for, she is Rudd 2..0.

xyz says:

02:04pm | 25/06/10

Ramm, I think you need to look at Kristina’s photo more closely. If she’s a blonde woman of a certain age (and she is)... then she is definitely colouring her hair (note the hairline)!

And Julia is more than simply non-Christian… she an atheist (yeah)!

Edward James says:

12:08pm | 26/06/10

To maximise your vote you need to make the effort to number the boxes below the line.  Party politics and rusted on party support has got us in this mess.

Brad Price says:

04:46pm | 25/06/10

It’s what got rid of Rudd so why wouldn’t it work here.

She lives by the sword she dies by the sword I say!

ToWhit says:

04:18pm | 25/06/10

Don’t forget “Can’t Remember Carmen” Lawrence.  Her abondonment of responsibilitiy of the Penny Easton issue is an indictment.

BobM says:

05:26pm | 25/06/10

Gillard may be for ‘the workers’, but if she screws employers then the workers won’t have a job. Simple really.

Voter says:

05:58pm | 25/06/10

Nope, its not.
The parliamentary system (as opposed to a presidential system) is designed so that regardless of who is the leader of the government (i.e. prime minister) decisions of any moment are voted on by a parliament of elected reps. The executive power under a parliamentary system is limited to setting the legislative agenda. The thing about a presidential system is that the power vested in the president renders the election of that position almost 100% a popularity contest. And who in their right mind thinks that that is a good way to determine anything?

Amy says:

10:42pm | 26/06/10

Right…  So Voter, what’s your point exactly?  I missed it since I didn’t mention anything about the Presidential system and merely discussed a change to our system which, I believe, would eliminate much of the concern voters have over the way our country is run, particularly in the potential for a change in leadership on the whim of as few as 58 people.  I don’t consider my proposal to be unreasonable. 

If, however, you are arguing against the concept of voters voting on the basis of the leader of the party at the time of the election, then you’re clearly misguided.  We know how the system works, we know that we vote for our local member and not for the leader of the party, but there’s no way the labor party would have made this change if they did not believe that voters vote on who they see as their potential PM as opposed to local member.  I certainly don’t remember seeing any “Stephen07” tshirts at my last federal election…

Rangalad says:

06:07pm | 25/06/10

Timbo, I take it you mean stupid ‘style’ as opposed to colour? The list of influential rangas is pretty impressive - Cameron Ling, Bluey Mackenna, Steve the pole vaulter guy, and Winston Churchill.  I could go on.

Shane From Melbourne says:

06:55pm | 25/06/10

“Today the Liberal and Labor parties everywhere in Australia are not even a faint shadow of then original ideals of the Liberal or Labor Parties, today they are infested with self inflated, corrupt, lazy power crazy low lifes that would sell their own granmothers soul if they thought there was even a hint of remaining in power or an advantage could be gained in to own souless self interest”

Fair Enough- when can I vote out the Liberal and Labor Parties?

Greg says:

10:29pm | 27/06/10

A good call that on BH Geo and interestingly as bad a name as BH had re unionism which began about the time they were locked out by the big Australian BHP that was there about the 1930s, in later years it was more mythical and I talk of the 70Ss when there myself as an engineer, kind of management you could say but also with plenty of mates in Unions and in about the six years I was there, there was only one [ yes, just one ] stop work day and that was a national stoppage over Medicare.
That was because there was mutual respect between the Unions/BIC and the Mine Managers association and every three years there would be a new agreement made we’d all adhere to.
Ironically, most decent tradespeople would want to keep as far from Union reps/organisers as they could and it was a general rule [ some exceptions ] that a union rep was never much of a worker as far as both skills or effort would go and interestingly enough in both BH and elsewhere I’ve seen many reps who have gone on to become Union organisers and organisers/officials given half the chance end up in parliaments for nothing much else other than self promotion or having a misguided view of life - Ferguson, Combet & Shorten to name a few and quite a few more in Canberra, so no wonder we have the management skills we do.
And a lot of them were ten pound poms, bringing their ill wind out here.
And now another ex Union associate also associated with the ten pound club as PM!
There are no doubt parallels with some Liberal MPs and a big problem of any government is ministers will always be so isolated from life reality with layers of advisors and bureaucracy to deal with.

BillG says:

05:50pm | 25/06/10

Spot on Steve

notsurprised says:

09:38am | 26/06/10

yg, the ALP would sell their own children to hold on to power. At least Costello had the minimals to disagree with his boss and the respect to stand behind him anyway.

xyz says:

11:40am | 26/06/10

notsurprised, you must be joking! John Howard tried to stay in power at all costs… what about that pathethic ‘vote-winning’ decision after over 10 years in power to send in the troops to the NT just before his final election? Peter Costello should have taken the leadership off Howard when he had the chance. Howard lied to Costello, and Costello was naive enough to believe him.

notsurprised says:

02:35am | 27/06/10

xyz, a PM is elected by the people. John Howard stayed on as long as it was his job until he was voted out, again, by the people. You talk of pathetic vote winning, then the recent coup by Joolia and her union mates should qualify easily for a vote winning gold medal. Maybe we might recall Howard lying to Costello, but everyone knows that Gillard lied to Rudd.

xyz says:

07:38pm | 27/06/10

notsurprised, they are all politicians… unfortunately lying is what they do best (including your beloved Mr Abbott)!

Rosie says:

02:12pm | 26/06/10

@ David McInnes

Totally agree she is hot but blonde maybe???

Complete opposites says:

03:26pm | 30/06/10

Now let’s see…
She’s female (I think) and I’m male
She isn’t married and shacked up with a boyfriend and I’ve been married for 35 years
She doesn’t believe in God and I do

What does she stand for ?
I can tell you it is mostly completely opposite to what I do