Kevin time perhaps?

[dibo]

Just resigned as Foreign Minister. Coming home to consult with families and colleagues. Declared that he will never be part of a stealth campaign against a sitting Prime Minister. Removed any opportunity for Gillard to sack him for disloyalty. Ensures that if he challenges, he'll do it from front on.

 

[scottmac]

f**k Kevin. He is a tard of the highest order.

Labour better pull their finger out and sort this pathetic mess out cause the alternative is a scary thought.

 

[true believer]

i think gillard is a great leader but.she's being targeted as the fat arsed middle aged woman with "she Lied (and she left me) " .forget the outstanding amount of legisation that has been pasted.or that she single handedly kicked the liberal party front bench teeth in last week in parliment.
for back benchers .it's how can i save my arse? kev can promise carbon trading "ie our policy anyway" tony lied about carbon trading. tony is lying about boat people "as are both sides"
every body hates tony .you start every question with "has the leader of the opposition run that past his masters clive palmer and gina riheart yet?

this is not an easy question . what say you

 

[midfielder]

Both are damaged goods... Bill Shorten should get a tap on the shoulder ... [PS Dibbo if Bill gets elected I have a nick name for him as well but he has not earn the right to a Midfielder nick name yet.]

 

[Muppet]

For the life of me I don't get what people see in Kevin. The guy is a sycophant and megalomaniac.

When he was PM it seemed that Kevin was always ready to make what seemed positive announcements (BER, Pink Batts, Green Loans etc) but the moment the crap went down some bureaucrat or minister would be rolled out to take the fall. Kevin only serves Kevin and no one else. If anything remotely looks like being slated home to him he runs a mile.

 

[dibo]

...and yet it seems reasonably clear that he is far more electable than Gillard.

Gillard gets shit done, no question. But the Government under her can't seem to make it to the mailbox in the morning without having some sort of issue that takes the shine off.

That's important, because at the moment we've got a good (given the scale of achievements in such a short time, maybe even great) government that will lose power to a man who promises to govern in accord with whatever the talkback radio goons want and with economic policies from the same mixing bowl as the magic pudding - spending increases, tax cuts and an improved bottom line all at once!

 

[hasbeen]

They are all self-serving clowns who cannot see further than the next election & will do anything to get / stay in power. A pox on the lot of 'em.

 

[dibo]

They are all self-serving clowns who cannot see further than the next election & will do anything to get / stay in power. A pox on the lot of 'em.

I honestly don't think that's true. I think there is a program of things they want to do, and want to see continue, and that is the key motivation. To be able to see them through, they've got to stay in power, but power isn't its own reward, the reward is getting to do good stuff.

Carbon pricing
Paid parental leave
Mining tax (feeding across to boost to superannuation and a cut to company tax)
NBN
Common national school curriculum
Higher education reform

These things are important and the Government will want to see them through. You'll probably see some banking reform coming before the next election, as well as broad scale school reforms and further health reform, especially on mental health and dental health. I'd be very surprised if we didn't see some movement on asylum seeker policy too, though I'm not sure whether it'll be good movement.

These are things that the government will want to do and see through regardless of who wins on Monday (and right or wrong, that'll be Gillard).

The indies know this as well, and support the broad thrust. That's why they supported Gillard over Abbott. That's the Westminster system for you, and the parliament itself is absolutely belting along.

It's the Government's communication with the people that is failing, that's why the polls are shit, that's why Rudd's able to even consider a move like this.

 

[Muppet]

Whoever is elected is going to be damaged goods. With so many ministers coming out publicly supporting one side or the other in the media it is clear that the party is not united and that this latest bout of leadership crisis will not solve the problem.

The moment Rudd was shunted aside he was already making moves to get back into office. The same will happen again and again until Rudd leaves politics behind.

 

[dibo]

Whoever is elected is going to be damaged goods. With so many ministers coming out publicly supporting one side or the other in the media it is clear that the party is not united and that this latest bout of leadership crisis will not solve the problem.

The moment Rudd was shunted aside he was already making moves to get back into office. The same will happen again and again until Rudd leaves politics behind.

I find it interesting that you leave Gillard herself with no blame here.

We had an elected PM. We had majority government. We had very resilient support in the polls, even in difficult times (he was behind in the polls *once* in April 2010). Gillard and company tore him down in one night and never really explained why.

She's never been able to claim any real legitimacy, and that stems from her own actions.

She can complain about destabilisation all she wants, but at least Rudd is coming from square in front.

 

[hasbeen]

@Dibo
I honestly don't think that's true. I think there is a program of things they want to do, and want to see continue, and that is the key motivation. To be able to see them through, they've got to stay in power, but power isn't its own reward, the reward is getting to do good stuff My italics.

Carbon pricing - general public despise this - it will cost Labor at the next election
Paid parental leave - socialist feel-good vote winner
Mining tax (feeding across to boost to superannuation and a cut to company tax)- watered down
NBN - too early to call, however the take-up rate is not promising
Common national school curriculum - See the Gonski report
Higher education reform - See the Gonski report

For what it's worth here's my prediction of how things MAY pan out:

Kevin Rudd will not accept the spill on Monday because he doesn't have the numbers, but if he does he will be thrashed.
He will not accept a seat on the backbench.
He will resign from the Labor party.
He will leave politics or become an independent - either way forcing a by-election.

One thing is puzzling me though, how come the majority of caucus didn't know about how dodgy Rudd was (or did know but hoped for the best) yet voted him in as PM in the first place?

 

[Muppet]

I find it interesting that you leave Gillard herself with no blame here.

We had an elected PM. We had majority government. We had very resilient support in the polls, even in difficult times (he was behind in the polls *once* in April 2010). Gillard and company tore him down in one night and never really explained why.

She's never been able to claim any real legitimacy, and that stems from her own actions.

She can complain about destabilisation all she wants, but at least Rudd is coming from square in front.

I'm not saying that Gillard is not to blame either. She deserves everything she gets as well. If you see the things that are coming out in the press how about Rudd's ineffectual leadership you will understand why Gillard did what she did.

I get down Canberra fairly regularly and deal with a hell of a lot of bureaucrats and other folk. Let me tell you there is an absolute loathing of Rudd. Prior to Gillard taking on Rudd there was a general consensus that Rudd had to go. It was a matter of when, not if. Most expected that it would take place after the next election. For whatever reason Labor decided that they had to do it before, to their detriment. It was a failure in NSW to change leaders and it is being shown to be a failure at the Federal level.

 

[midfielder]

K 07 has thrown his hat into the ring....

 

[hasbeen]

What are the odds of a Cabinet reshuffle after Rudd gets smashed today? Will Gillard stomp on the Rudd backers?

 

[dibo]

Doubt it. She's got enough rebuilding to do without snacking people around.

 

[dibo]

71-31 to Gillard.

 

[midfielder]

71-31 to Gillard.

Tho's will K 07 go quitely into the night .... or sit and watch looking for another time...

 

[offtheball]

I don't understand why he stood, even his staunchest backers admitted he couldn't win. Especially now that he has declared he will not stand again. Why would he not defer for 6 months. Six more months of gallop polls would have seen him well and truly in front of Gillard as preferred PM, adding pressure to the Gillard supporters to keep their jobs at the next election.

 

[hasbeen]

mmmmm Julia is in a bit of a pickle now. How to reshuffle the Cabinet and award the appropriate bouquets & brickbats without it looking too obvious. And what's with Arbib resigning? Convenient to say the least.

 

[dibo]

Or she can just pick the cabinet she wants and let the conspiracy theorists choke on it