For all their differences, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott have arrived at a very similar destination politically as they head towards the 2010 election.
Paul Keating
Hawke reveals the shocking truth — the ’80s were all about the B1/B2 affair
Once you could work out the plot, the Hawke telemovie was a revelation — the Hawke-Keating years were really about Bob and Blanche. Bernard Keane tried unsuccessfully to follow the drama.
When old men fall out: Hawke and Keating can both feel proud
There’s something awfully sad about old men like Bob Hawke and Paul Keating fall out in a public fashion. Especially when both have so much to be proud of, writes former Labor operative Richard Farmer.
Keating: Hawke was lucky to have me
Former PM Paul Keating gives his predecessor a serve ahead of the release of Blanche D’Alpuget’s new biography, likening Hawke to Narcissus and claiming that he “carried” the PM through his troubled years. Ouch!
Poll Bludger’s Election 2010 preview, Part 1: WA — the state of excitement!
Will history prove again that Western Australia is a problem for the ALP? Get your wonk on in this, the first in a preview series from Poll Bludger’s William Bowe on the upcoming Federal election…
Crabb: My political oral fixation
There’s a suspicion of elegant language in politics. Instead, we’re stuck with Extruders, Bunglers and Meat and Three Veg style orators, who just use language to confuse, says Annabel Crabb.
In a long history of invertebrate PMs, Rudd still looks like a slug
Rudd is a big wuss, says Peter Brent, but take the rose-tinted glasses off: Hawke, Keating and Howard were often pretty spineless, too.
The Henry Review, reviewed
Daily media wrap: The Henry Tax Review, and the government’s long-awaited response to it, are in. Does it live up to the hype or did Rudd and Swan wimp out at the finish line?
Penberthy: Next stop, Kevin Rudd the musical
Kevin Rudd’s personal style is making his health reform plans terminal. Rudd’s setting himself to be the next Paul Keating: the popular PM who couldn’t convince voters of challenging ideas, says David Penberthy.
Savva: Our sexually repressed PM
Tony Abbott may be constantly running around half naked talking about his sex life to anyone who will listen, but at least he’s better at dealing with women than the awkward Kevin Rudd, writes former political insider Nikka Savva.
We need to exploit our energy superpowers
There is vast global demand for Australia’s natural resources and we need reforms to get worker productivity moving and let this boom happen again. The old Labor union bosses need to set their PM straight, writes former Keating minister Gary Johns.
Paul Keating: Why Sydney needs another Circular Quay
Bangaroo, the most contentious site in Sydney Harbour, needs to have serve more for the civic good than just an apartment block to walk past. We can’t stuff it up, writes Paul Keating
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: In defence of Hawke and Keating over Tin Tin
Crikey readers weigh in on a bit of Aussie political history, a possible way of dealing with an ageing population’s health care and the anger at angry dads.
Government ads: a case of self-promotion because they can
Outrage over government-funded political advertising has been going on for years, yet all governments — state and federal, Labor and Coalition alike — keep doing it, and voters rarely make them pay any price for it.
Hartcher: Is Swan the anti-Keating?
Wayne Swan is acting a lot more modest over the Australian economy’s GFC rebound than Paul “the recession we had to have” Keating, writes Peter Hartcher. But it’s thanks to Keating and Peter Costello that we avoided further trouble
Crikey Says: Rudd leads the nation, not the ALP
The Coalition should give up — its best and brightest have left politics and now work for Kevin Rudd. And Rudd’s power as national leader now looks unassailable.
Keating on the stairs: beating or beat up?
Insiders say a Sunday Telegraph alleging Paul Keating’s daughter kicked and threatened to kill one of its photographers was at best a beat-up, and at-worst a total fabrication.
Keating, a rusted-on luvvie, leaves a legacy
Guy Rundle’s recent assault on Paul Keating’s cultural cred was irritating and thrilling by turns, writes arts reporter Stephen Feneley — it shouldn’t be so surprising arts folk have such fond memories of Keating given what came after him.
The death of Tozer and Keating’s romancing of genius
The death of pianist Geoffrey Tozer raises questions about Paul Keating and the attitudes about art and civilisation that he projected — and continues to project — onto this country.
Kerr: More Pat Boone than Paul Keating
Kevin Rudd and rock ‘n roll? Christian Kerr can’t quite see it. Now Paul Keating, there was a punk rock Prime Minister…
Hartcher: Howard animates the dead corpse of the Coalition
The ghost of John Howard remains the leader of the Liberal Party in spirit, with the Coalition mimicking his ambiguity on climate change and immigration, writes Peter Hartcher. Can Turnbull come up with new ideas?
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Disaster and the media
Crikey readers weigh in on how the media copes with the natural disasters besetting our Pacific and Asian neighbours and the messy climate change debate continues.
Telstra decision is just good policy
There’s an element of politics in Communications Minister Stephen Conroy’s decision to break Telstra up. But it’s also good policy that finally corrects the huge mistake Bob Hawke and Kim Beazley made.
Political snippets: Libs need to start playing the blame game
If the Libs want to get Kevin Rudd, what is needed are lots of horrid pictures of suffering people all caused by Federal Labor’s inability to carry out the commitments made so blithely by Mr All Talk — No Action man.
Mungo MacCallum: We deserve better than legacy wars
Here we are, nearly two years out of the Howard years and happily consigning them to well-deserved oblivion. Then Paul Kelly released his book, and they all came lurching out of the political cemetery.
