http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/labor-leadership/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/everyone-is-wrong-gillard-will-lead-labor-to-the-election/ Here’s a novel thought. Julia Gillard might be right when she says she’ll lead Labor to the next election. It’s hard to believe, given all the chatter about a leadership change in the corridors of Parliament House. “One more cock-up and that’s it. She won’t survive.” “The NSW Right is moving. Joel Fitzgibbon (chief government whip) has dropped her, no matter what he says publicly.” penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/everyone-is-wrong-gillard-will-lead-labor-to-the-election/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/everyone-is-wrong-gillard-will-lead-labor-to-the-election/#item8412 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 There is only one minister with the trust and clout to tap Julia Gillard on the shoulder and with regret advise that it’s time to move on. That minister is Wayne Swan. This is the critical “pull out digger, the dogs are pissing on your swag” moment, recalling Gareth Evans’ imperishable words to Bob Hawke. And Swan is in no mindset to deliver them, certainly not before the implementation of the Budget he will produce next week, probably not before the next scheduled election. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-unlikely-to-be-forced-into-a-swan-dive/ There is only one minister with the trust and clout to tap Julia Gillard on the shoulder and with regret advise that it’s time to move on. That minister is Wayne Swan. This is the critical “pull out digger, the dogs are pissing on your swag” moment, recalling Gareth Evans’ imperishable words to Bob Hawke. And Swan is in no mindset to deliver them, certainly not before the implementation of the Budget he will produce next week, probably not before the next scheduled election. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-unlikely-to-be-forced-into-a-swan-dive/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-unlikely-to-be-forced-into-a-swan-dive/#item8390 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 There is only one minister with the trust and clout to tap Julia Gillard on the shoulder and with regret advise that it’s time to move on. That minister is Wayne Swan. This is the critical “pull out digger, the dogs are pissing on your swag” moment, recalling Gareth Evans’ imperishable words to Bob Hawke. And Swan is in no mindset to deliver them, certainly not before the implementation of the Budget he will produce next week, probably not before the next scheduled election. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/iceberg-or-life-raft-clives-bid-not-enough-to-rescue-gillard/ It says a lot about the current climate that a mining magnate can simultaneously announce he’s commissioned a replica of the Titanic and that he’s going to run against the Treasurer at the next election and it seems like just another day in the circus that is Australian politics. Clive Palmer’s press conference this morning might shift the focus from Julia Gillard’s diabolical situation for, oh, about seven minutes. But as much as the ALP might want to jump all over it like a life-raft, anyone who thinks mocking Clive Palmer is going to clear the “dark cloud” hanging over parliament is deluded. While it might be great fun, it’s not going to work. But you can almost hear the list of talking points pinging around the ALP front-bench this morning, as the people running the Government’s dysfunctional communications cling to the idea that at least going after Clive is better than the “what she said” strategy. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/iceberg-or-life-raft-clives-bid-not-enough-to-rescue-gillard/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/iceberg-or-life-raft-clives-bid-not-enough-to-rescue-gillard/#item8362 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 There is only one minister with the trust and clout to tap Julia Gillard on the shoulder and with regret advise that it’s time to move on. That minister is Wayne Swan. This is the critical “pull out digger, the dogs are pissing on your swag” moment, recalling Gareth Evans’ imperishable words to Bob Hawke. And Swan is in no mindset to deliver them, certainly not before the implementation of the Budget he will produce next week, probably not before the next scheduled election. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Cold-war-warrior-ascends-into-hell/ It might be one of those urban myths which take hold in politics and follow their subjects to the grave. Legend has it that, during the Sydney Olympics, Bob Carr was caught reading Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment at the beach volleyball finals. Or it might have been Tolstoy at an NRL match. He certainly did predict, during a motivational pep-talk to the NSW Blues at Origin Camp where he quoted from Marcus Aurelius, that they would triumph over Victoria in their Origin clash. Carr was also busted teaching himself German during Question Time, mouthing verbs to himself from a textbook called Die Stufen as an indignant Opposition demanded answers about the neglect of Sydney’s trains. That episode was held up as an example of Carr’s disengagement in the job of premier and his indifference to the parlous state of Sydney’s infrastructure. Conversely, it was hailed as an indictment of the hapless NSW Liberals that the Premier was under such little pressure that he could use the peak forum for executive accountability as a chance for quiet self-improvement. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Cold-war-warrior-ascends-into-hell/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Cold-war-warrior-ascends-into-hell/#item7926 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 There is only one minister with the trust and clout to tap Julia Gillard on the shoulder and with regret advise that it’s time to move on. That minister is Wayne Swan. This is the critical “pull out digger, the dogs are pissing on your swag” moment, recalling Gareth Evans’ imperishable words to Bob Hawke. And Swan is in no mindset to deliver them, certainly not before the implementation of the Budget he will produce next week, probably not before the next scheduled election. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/alp-members-youve-got-3-hours-to-reclaim-your-dignity/ At 12.10pm last Friday Julia Gillard strode into the Blue Room in Parliament House with Bob Carr in tow and knocked everyone’s socks off. In the hubbub one of the journos even called Carr “Senator-elect Carr”. Then at 2pm on the same day NSW Labor emailed its members saying this: Due to the resignation of Senator Mark Arbib, a vacancy has arisen in the Australian Senate. Under Rule N.4, the NSW Labor Party Officers have called for nominations for this position to be determined by a ballot of the NSW ALP Administrative Committee, according to the following timetable: Nominations open:      1pm, Friday 2 March 2012 Nominations close:      5pm, Monday 5 March 2012 Nomination fee:        $750 The rest of Gillard’s Cabinet movers were sworn in this morning without Carr, who is waiting for this ALP process to pan out and then a joint sitting of the NSW Parliament before being sworn in as both a Senator and the Foreign Minister. It’s all a bit weird. Bob Carr, along with Steve Bracks and John Faulkner, authored an extensive review into the Labor Party last year, which had many, many recommendations including: “Community engagement with primaries, introducing primaries for preselections in nonheld and open seats so that Labor’s supporters have a say in their local representatives.” penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/alp-members-youve-got-3-hours-to-reclaim-your-dignity/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/alp-members-youve-got-3-hours-to-reclaim-your-dignity/#item7925 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 There is only one minister with the trust and clout to tap Julia Gillard on the shoulder and with regret advise that it’s time to move on. That minister is Wayne Swan. This is the critical “pull out digger, the dogs are pissing on your swag” moment, recalling Gareth Evans’ imperishable words to Bob Hawke. And Swan is in no mindset to deliver them, certainly not before the implementation of the Budget he will produce next week, probably not before the next scheduled election. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-needs-her-reshuffle-to-be-a-high-kicking-can-can/ Julia Gillard is preparing to unveil her new ministerial line-up today. It should be a triumph, the crowning moment when a newly empowered prime minister stamps her authority on the show. Yet suddenly and depressingly for Labor, expectations are not high. The PR debacle over the botched drafting of Bob Carr to be the new Foreign Affairs Minister has an all too familiar ring for a prematurely aged government which even before its fifth birthday is limping into a third year in the twilight zone. It is well recognised that even the best governments run out of steam. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-needs-her-reshuffle-to-be-a-high-kicking-can-can/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-needs-her-reshuffle-to-be-a-high-kicking-can-can/#item7906 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 There is only one minister with the trust and clout to tap Julia Gillard on the shoulder and with regret advise that it’s time to move on. That minister is Wayne Swan. This is the critical “pull out digger, the dogs are pissing on your swag” moment, recalling Gareth Evans’ imperishable words to Bob Hawke. And Swan is in no mindset to deliver them, certainly not before the implementation of the Budget he will produce next week, probably not before the next scheduled election. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-alp-still-so-tender-the-lightest-touch-causes-agony/ The Gillard prime ministership is like a badly scalded arm. The mildest touch can cause pain way out of proportion to the force behind the blow. Even when she does nothing unusual, remarkable or even particularly clumsy, the Government ends up screaming in agony. So when Julia Gillard followed standard procedure by canvassing possible candidates for a Senate vacancy and for the post of Foreign Minister, there was an outcry over what was actually a light brush. In broad terms, the suggestion is that Julia Gillard had decided former NSW Premier Bob Carr would fill the Senate slot and become Foreign Minister replacing Kevin Rudd, but was rolled by furious ministers led by Defence Minister Stephen Smith who wanted the job for himself. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-alp-still-so-tender-the-lightest-touch-causes-agony/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-alp-still-so-tender-the-lightest-touch-causes-agony/#item7900 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 There is only one minister with the trust and clout to tap Julia Gillard on the shoulder and with regret advise that it’s time to move on. That minister is Wayne Swan. This is the critical “pull out digger, the dogs are pissing on your swag” moment, recalling Gareth Evans’ imperishable words to Bob Hawke. And Swan is in no mindset to deliver them, certainly not before the implementation of the Budget he will produce next week, probably not before the next scheduled election. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-isnt-the-first-time-labor-has-blown-up/ Over its 122-year history, the Labor party has suffered three major internal cataclysms. In 1917, the issue of conscription saw leader Billy Hughes take many Labor members with him across to the Liberal party. It took years for Labor to recover. In 1930, the depression saw Jack Lang leave the party, form his own, and wreak havoc with Labor support for a decade. In 1955, the issue of communism saw many Catholic members of the Labor party defect to the DLP. This kept Labor out of office for a generation. The Gillard versus Rudd affair reached a preliminary climax on Monday. The 71-31 vote appears conclusive. But the word “preliminary” is necessary, as some fundamental issues are left hanging. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-isnt-the-first-time-labor-has-blown-up/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-isnt-the-first-time-labor-has-blown-up/#item7881 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 There is only one minister with the trust and clout to tap Julia Gillard on the shoulder and with regret advise that it’s time to move on. That minister is Wayne Swan. This is the critical “pull out digger, the dogs are pissing on your swag” moment, recalling Gareth Evans’ imperishable words to Bob Hawke. And Swan is in no mindset to deliver them, certainly not before the implementation of the Budget he will produce next week, probably not before the next scheduled election. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/What-really-happened-in-the-caucus-room-yesterday/ Everyone knows the result of the ALP leadership ballot but speculation has been rife as to what really went on inside the caucus room. Now, in yet another extraordinary exclusive, The Punch can reveal the full transcript of what took place… JULIA: Well thanks for coming everybody. I trust you all know why you’re here? TONY: Sussex Street. PETER: Sussex Street. MATT: To get me out of Sussex Street. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/What-really-happened-in-the-caucus-room-yesterday/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/What-really-happened-in-the-caucus-room-yesterday/#item7879 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 There is only one minister with the trust and clout to tap Julia Gillard on the shoulder and with regret advise that it’s time to move on. That minister is Wayne Swan. This is the critical “pull out digger, the dogs are pissing on your swag” moment, recalling Gareth Evans’ imperishable words to Bob Hawke. And Swan is in no mindset to deliver them, certainly not before the implementation of the Budget he will produce next week, probably not before the next scheduled election. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/question-time-live-27-02-2012/ Now the real fun starts. Julia Gillard might have trounced Kevin Rudd in the Caucus room this morning, but she lost some skin in the battle. Expect Tony Abbott and his team to pounce like a pack of hyenas in Question Time. Join us here from 2pm for live coverage. Question Time Live: 27/02/2012 penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/question-time-live-27-02-2012/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/question-time-live-27-02-2012/#item7869 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 There is only one minister with the trust and clout to tap Julia Gillard on the shoulder and with regret advise that it’s time to move on. That minister is Wayne Swan. This is the critical “pull out digger, the dogs are pissing on your swag” moment, recalling Gareth Evans’ imperishable words to Bob Hawke. And Swan is in no mindset to deliver them, certainly not before the implementation of the Budget he will produce next week, probably not before the next scheduled election.