Labor’s love rats can’t save this campaign
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Labor strategists apparently want Kevin Rudd — failed leader; potential rat — back on the campaign trail. The vanquished prime minister’s journalist-of-choice Peter Hartcher writes today of the ALP’s “desperate plea”. That’s how bad this election campaign has become. Even Rudd looks like a positively colourful intervention. And then there’s Bob Hawke, on the hustings in red-blooded Lindsay yesterday, stealing all the thunder from Labor candidate David Bradbury. As Bernard Keane writes from Sydney today: “Perhaps it’s nostalgia for a simpler age, a time when politicians were real leaders.” Certainly none of those in this campaign. How did we get here? Gillard’s smart and sassy, as good a parliamentary speaker as any, presumably with more complexity to her belief in the ‘fair go’ than she’s letting on. Abbott is engaged and genuinely engaging — with a book-full of personal narrative and political belief. There’s enough different about Tony and Julia, and enough common ground, to inspire a worthy debate of ideas. Yet Labor reaches for its yesterday’s heroes. And the Liberals talk about knife-crime. Keane reports the good people of Penrith have tuned out — if in fact they were ever tuned in. Both sides have nobody to blame but themselves. |
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27 Comments
It’s funny that Labor released a policy on knife-crime without expecting to be ridiculed by the media for being the perpetrators of knifing Rudd.
That (party machines) and a media of prima donnas itching to play “whack-a-mole”, for their own blind amusement - reckon Howard would have received this sort of disrespect, or an Abbott well ahead in the polls?
I am persuaded by Kim Sawyer’s comments in today’s The Age/SMH to the effect that:
“Elections tend to converge rather than change policy. Both parties converge to the position of certainty. They converge to the marginal voter. Substantive policy discussion is relegated until after the election, when it is safer, and to the parliamentary committees, where real policy is debated. Elections have become nearly policy irrelevant”, and that, “… principally, elections are not determined by policy. Rather they are contests as to who we expect to be the best manager for the risks ahead.”
(http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/campaign-trail-no-time-to-test-policies-that-matter-20100729-10x69.html)
Is this knife thing the start of a trend towards the Commonwealth taking over the state police, i.e. all the armed services in the country? Just dumb political expedience now, but if it results in state policing going the same way that taxation, industrial relations, transport, education, and hospitals are going, some future prime minister may end up with control of every armed service in the country.
Meantime, The Ruddster has again stolen the limelight from the two lacklustre party leaders. He’s just been admitted to The Mater Private Hospital in Brisbane for an emergency gall-bladder operation. Now he has the perfect excuse not to campaign for Gillard - despite his latest press release saying he’s willing to do so.
Kevin is going under the knife.
They’re going to remove the bile.
Then, Labor can move forward.
@ZUT A - Well aren’t you all heart? If Kevin Rudd has gall stones, which it sounds like he does, he has my sympathy. My sister had her gall bladder removed some years ago - a very painful condition. If it’s gall stones, they can be removed without ‘the big cut’? Which is good!
Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott are poles apart as people and both have the ability to make this campaign much more interesting if left alone to slug it out as they have done in past times. However, the appear to be mired in a sea of paranoid and risk averse minders who are unwilling to let them off the leash. Their debate was a joke and worms aside left most people wondering what the difference between them was.
The future of this country is too important to leave up to political flaks and journalists who see politics as a game. It is a serious business and what we should be focusing on is policies and the vision each leader has for the future of Australia.
Tony Abbott so far has proven to be a policy free zone. His vision of the future is also non existent. He spends so much time trying to appeal to people who don’t trust him due to his past misdemeanors that he has forgotten to talk about what he will do in a positive way if he were to win. We know he will cut spending, deny the nation an efficient broadband system and a lot of other useful things like medical clinics and trades skills training centres. We also know that he will do nothing about climate change and leave the big miners to keep digging up our minerals and selling them off without paying back a fair return to the country.
Julia Gillard has also made a lot of statements about moving forward, and has at least put up a lot more policies, but we still don’t know how she intends to implement her strategies. Kevin Rudd’s problem wasn’t coming up with big ideas, he churned one of those out every day, it was implementing them. He failed to successfully deliver on most of his big agenda issues. The ETS, the Education Revolution and even a useful follow up over the Sorry Speech to help the stolen generation in a practical way, were all left undone. Julia should show how she can do things, and who ever advised her to hang the future of climate change strategy on a glorified focus group of 150 people needs their head examined.
After the cynical treatment of the Australian people by Howard for much of the past decade, we no longer have much tolerance of politicians making vague promises. Howard had his core and non-core promises, and he held his inquiries and “Republican Summit” knowing well in advance that the outcome would be what he wanted. We found ourselves invading Iraq and fighting in Afghanistan despite public opinion largely being against both activities. Once Howard had control in the Senate he put Work Choices in place and did his best to screw the unions. The blatant social engineering with charities and churches becoming the distribution points for welfare, and the stacking of key boards such as the ABC Board with conservative commentators were all part of the Howard legacy.
We deserve better than Howard, we should not have to see a repeat of it under Tony’s crew, yet we need a Labor Party that is more concerned over the future of Australia and the fairness of society, than they are about keeping power and scoring points off each other.
Liz45
As painful as an errant gall bladder may be it won’t match the lifelong hurt which Gillard & Co delivered. I wrote Rudd a very sympathetic and supportive letter at that time - so, yes, I am all heart…
@ZUT ALORS - What’s your mate Abbott going to do about pensions? Keep the same process as started by Rudd? Or is this the case of a commitment that’s not written down? Can’t be treated seriously! I wouldn’t trust him out of sight in a blackout! I don’t have a problem with many of the things that the Rudd govt did, just that they didn’t do enough - yet, and don’t agree with demonising asylum seekers or Afghanistan or the ABCC! I think that they achieved quite a lot in just over 2 years, and I applaud him/them for that!
I’m very sorry for anyone with a gall bladder problem, judging on how my sister suffered with hers. I feel for him and have sent him an email to that effect!
@ Liz45
Are you paying attention or perhaps speed reading the posts on this thread?
When did Tony Abbott suddenly become my “mate”? Please don’t jump to conclusions, you’ve demonstrated a talent for getting them wrong.
People of Penrith are probably just tired from the traffic to and from Parra or sydney
cbd. Or fat on a stupid diet. Or both.
… speaking as a near local.
“Gillard’s smart and sassy, as good a parliamentary speaker as any, presumably with more complexity to her belief in the ‘fair go’ than she’s letting on.”
No. What you see is all there is. Just another factional hack devoid of experience- except political bum-sniffing and parliamentary point-scoring.
In week one, pundits enthused about Gillard’s “great intellect”, competence etc etc. These fools are now silent. Her command of English is lamentable. Her speeches vacuous litanies of cliches . Her politics incoherent Right-wing: the default position of political opportunism. Her ideology is petty-bourgeois aspiration reduced to the banality of “hard work” and “education”.
The Gilludd govt. squirted billions at the most corrupt “industry” in the country, construction. Gilludd’s lack of elementary practical knowledge was culpable naivete.
As I predicted 10 months ago on Crikey, while Crikey’s taxi-full of self-referential fundits faffed on about the imminent collapse of the Liberals, the mixture of practical ignorance and messianic fantasy that marked the Ruddard govt. would empower the Mad Monk and his entourage of political corpses.
That’s “how we got here” , Sophie.
” Both sides have nobody to blame but themselves.”
No, Bernard, both sides can blame your cynicism and the even worse sensationalism of the MSM in general which has reduced politics in this country and elections in particular to sound bites and story lines. You once seemed to have some objectivity about this, but you’ve thrown your lot in with the rest of your so called ‘journalist’ mates. ‘Too many journalists in this country with too little news’ I heard one overseas commentator say recently about the Australian media. Even more true is that there are too many undertakers after too few funerals, so you have to assassinate a few too many pollies in order to stay in business.
@ZUT - So, what’s your line then?
The worst part of the media is not the Bolts, Akermans, Devines, Albrechtsens: it’s actually the extremely mediocre ‘quality press’. The best thing that happened last year was hte Age losing 35 million: it will hopefully send Fairfax broke. We can then start on Newscrap.
Dr Harvey M Tarvydas
TIM MAZZAROL
I share your concerns.
MARGO
Interesting, and taking that concept ……. are ‘contests as to who we expect to be the best manager for the risks ahead’ a little further philosophically ……..we flash a Kevin into place before anyone even suspects a GFC could destroy our happiness to fix the GFC and while he’s doing it he is popularly loved to death like no-other AND the moment we are confident the GFC can go and get f—ked as its not for us to worry about, we’ve been saved, we fixed it, Kevin’s popularity and public affection deserts him.
Yes you may have something there as to how it all really works beyond the common delusions.
So how is campaigning with PM’s of the past looking forward? Just more smoke and mirrors from our Joolia.
And yet, we are told by Paul Keating that he was the REAL leader of the ALP in that period of time.
Bob was the show and Paul was the dough.
Perhaps Labor should be wheeling out Paul Keating? I say: Yes, please.
Lot’s of Keating appearences. The more the merrier.
See the Doctor has told Rudd to stay in hospital. I wonder if its medical or whether Rudd is holding out on Gillard and making her beg for help.
Games are being played
I see even Downer has put the boots into Rudd regarding leaks. Wasn,t it Downer who leaked top secret papers to Bolt ? Still the libs have form with kicking people when their down. We all remember Abbott and his comments regarding Bernie Banton.
@ROBERTSON - He had his damned gall bladder removed for god’s sake. Ever had an operation? It takes several days to get over the anaesthetic. These days they use a keyhole opening rather than the big ‘cut’ of yesteryear, but the gall bladder is still removed. I think you have to modify your diet after - the gall bladder is there for a reason -not decoration! He didn’t have ‘a nose job’?If he overdoes it, he’s in big trouble?Not to mention being in pain. I hope he listens to the surgeon, and Therese!I wish him a speedy recovery! (I’ve heard that the pain of a ‘sick’ gall bladder or gall stones is awful.)
@GEOMAC - I remember what Abbott said about Bernie Banton - I’l never forgive him for being such an arsehole - that poor man had asbestosis, and the rarest form of mesothelioma -in his abdomen -what agony! If Abbott had 3 lifetimes, he’d never have the strength and courage of that man, nor would he have the love and respect of so many. No wonder his wife and son loved and admired him so dearly -he fought for others when he had good reason to stay at home with his loved ones and rest. Maybe he could’ve lived longer???
I remember Downer as you do. I also remember the ‘leaked’ story that he tried to pin on Andrew Wilke! (the bloke who resigned in protest over Howard’s ntended invasion of Iraq.)There was only one place where that story came from? Foreign Affairs! I’ve met Andrew, and believe him to be an honourable and truthful man. Another person with courage!!Unlike Abbott and DOWNER!
@Liz
Yes understand completely, he needs to have a week off or more.
I saw someone posted an interesting notion on another site, something like this:
1. He is angry at how he was lied to then executed.
2. He has other jobs lined up.
3. He wants to de-stablise Gillard & Co
4. Hopes they loose, so history will say, he was executed and they lost cause of what they did to him.
5. The post mortem of the election has Labor blaming the leaker(s). He gets re-elected with increased percent of votes as his elecorate feels sorry for him.
6. He denies it, and then resigns.
7 . Walks into new job.
@ROBERTSON - I’m becoming completely disgusted with the media in this country - it’s just so one-eyed that it has no credibility left! The story via Downer where he uses the ‘f’ word,but no reference to how disgraceful he is, only accusations against Rudd! Last night ABC’s TV news referred to The Greens as “the gang of 5”? How about that for gutter journalism? I’m ready to turn them all off!
Then there’s the reference to the preference deal between Labor & The Greens? Nobody has asked Abbott who the Libs are preferencing, in the Senate at least. Political parties must inform the AEC prior to the election who they’re giving preferences to in the Senate - it’s the Law, but no journalist to date has said that! Pehaps they don’t know! Perhaps they’re just pig ignorant! Of course, in the House of Reps voters have to number every square, so when the main parties are discussing the Senate preferences, they also discuss the House of Reps!
The above instances are just 2 areas where the bias sticks out! There’s heaps more!
@ Liz.
The draw of candidates only took place on Friday afternoon, so parties would not start to think about who they would preference in either house until after that happened.
Even Friday threw in new candiates, like Cheryl Kernot.
I saw a grab this morning of the Labor member for Lindsay behind Julia Gillard at a press conference. He looked a very worried man, with a lot on his shoulders.
Should be an interesting next 2 1/2 weeks
@ROBERTSON - Well the Greens announced their allocation of preferences last week? My point was, that the main parties don’t just do their own thing re the Senate - it’s the law -they must notify the AEC! Independents don’t make a difference re preferences - it’s for people who just vote (1) above the line - then the AEC distribues the preferences? That’s the whole point! The way the media is reporting this is misleading - probably deliberately!!!Who have the Libs allocated their preferences to?
The bloke from Lindsay would be better off if he stopped his fear campaign about asylum seekers, and told the truth - and gave the media a serve for their racist lies!