The so-called faceless men who ousted Kevin Rudd do of course have faces - but not a great deal of political nous. Their quick and nasty execution carries with it some valuable lessons about the party and our wider political landscape, writes Rodney Tiffen.
Kevin Rudd
Labor: still bearing the scars of the Howard years, needs defeat
This is not much short of a total disaster for Federal Labor, which less than a year ago was contemplating a 100-seat representation in the House of Representatives.
Bennelong despatch: yum cha and tears with Kevin Rudd
Losing the job of a lifetime is one thing, but following it up with an emergency gallbladder operation is bad luck, and Kevin Rudd looked like he had been through the wringer.
It’s still anyone’s game
Daily Media Wrap: After weeks of campaigning, the race between Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott is still fierce. Will it be a photo-finish for PM or will one leader streak ahead in the final stretch?
How to swear in politics
Deprived of the outrageous gaffes and old-fashioned biffo from this fizzer of an election season, we’re romanticising the days of feistier Hawke and Keating who often lashed their abusive tongues, writes Piers Kelly.
Guy Rundle: The topic is cancer — the 2010 election and the collapse of political legitimacy
A series of cave-ins, ducked battles, and soft options by the people who controlled parties, papers and powers, and a refusal to stand up to the genuinely malign, has brought us to this point.
Savva: Buon giorno to the Italy Down Under
Australian politics has become a “deliciously volatile” world and no voter knows who’ll be prime minister in a year, writes Niki Savva.
60 Minutes of morbid intrigue
This election crazy old Mark lambasting Latham is out in force, attacking Gillard, Rudd and others with the kind of vitriol bound to fuel ratings for the former Labor leader’s premiere as a journalist on this Sunday’s 60 Minutes.
Aarons: Too many factions, too many focus groups
Spinning deals and generating funds form the heart and soul or lack thereof of NSW Labor, and its role in making and breaking Kevin Rudd provides more evidence that the ALP place far too much emphasis on factions and focus groups, says Mark Aarons.
Lindsay Tanner: Why the press pack are doing a shoddy job
Retiring MP Lindsay Tanner comes out in anger at claims he was the Laurie Oakes leaker, saying the media should focus on policy issues and matters of importance, not gossip.
Bugger the ex-leaders, bring on the title fight
Daily Media Wrap: From footage of Gillard and Rudd pointing at maps of Queensland, to Mark Latham emerging in the press pack and Tony Abbott standing up at the Real Action at the Liberal launch, it was a bizarre weekend.
Labor’s panic — a disease acquired in NSW
Labor’s tendency to panic is what has got it into this mess. It’s a tendency acquired from NSW Labor, and it means the Liberals are poised to win.
Who said this campaign was boring?
Daily Media Wrap: The election spotlight is shining brightly on Kevin Rudd and his return to the campaign trail, keeping Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard in the shadows.
Super Rudd to the rescue
Labor’s flailing election campaign might just be revived by an odd choice of hero: Kevin ‘07 Rudd, the former leader who got unceremoniously booted out of the job a month and a half ago. He’s back to rescue Labor - all he needs is a cape, a pair of tights and a fair shake of the sauce bottle.
Who won the news cycle? Kevin helps Tony out
The emergence yesterday of Kevin Rudd again took Labor’s stuttering election campaign off the rails.
Crikey Says: Campaign Crikey morning edition — Day 19
“There’s no point pretending that it hasn’t been difficult for myself and Therese and the kids… But equally, you know, it’s a pretty basic point that what’s done can’t be undone. And there are bigger things at stake, bigger things than K. Rudd’s future, and that’s the country’s future.”
TRANSCRIPT: Rudd returns to radio, post gall bladder
Last night Kevin Rudd participated in his first media interview after undertaking hospital surgery to have his gall bladder removed. The former PM spoke to ABC Radio’s Phillip Adams.
Mungo: it’s time for a reality check
It’s time, in fact it’s well past time, it may even be too late, for a reality check. Seen from the point of view of the hip pocket, things could hardly be rosier. And yet the voters are preparing to vote the government that has presided over this happy state and is at least partly responsible for it out of office after one truncated term.
Political snippets: The nature of Prime Ministers
I wonder what John Howard thinks about Alexander Downer’s description of all Prime Ministers past and present?
‘Real’ Julia struggles to stay afloat
Daily Media Wrap: Two weeks in and it’s ex-PM Rudd who’s dominating the headlines, including new accusations he leaks more than a faulty tap. Plus, the “real Julia” emerges as the polls plunge.
Atkins: Was Kevin Rudd a chip thief?
Forget about pink batts, wasteful BER spending or shelving the ETS - the legacy of former PM Kevin Rudd may be irrevocably tarred by allegations that he is a chip thief. Dennis Atkins drops this deep fried bombshell.
Oakes: Labor are failing to sell their economic success story
Labor’s campaign is mired by talk of cabinet leaks, Kevin Rudd and earlobes. Wayne Swan is touting the government’s excellent economic credentials but nobody seems to be listening, even though the facts virtually speak for themselves, writes Laurie Oakes.
Liberal use of pollie speak labours too many points
Alas, in this campaign we’re seeing plenty of repetition, as well as many other insidious aspects of pollie speak. Andrew Dodd examines the rhetoric.
Crikey Says: Labor’s love rats can’t save this campaign
Labor strategists apparently want Kevin Rudd — failed leader; potential rat — back on the campaign trail.
Leaks drown Gillard
Daily Media Wrap: In the sewer of this week’s politics, much whispering continues over who is the rat in the Labor ranks. The leak has put Gillard in dog-paddle mode as she struggles to keep her head above water.
Historically Hung Over: The Crikey Guide To The 2010 Federal Election
