Category: Politics

TONY Abbott has declared independents Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott are effectively Labor MPs as they refuse to contemplate supporting a no-confidence motion against the government. The Opposition Leader challenged Mr Windsor and Mr Oakeshott to state publicly whether they still supported Julia Gillard after the Labor Party’s week of leadership turmoil. Windsor replies;

“The question really is would I support a no-confidence motion on the basis of someone aspiring to leadership to a political party – the answer is no,” Mr Windsor said

It has nothing to do with Tony’s leadership. That is well and truly established but it has everything to do with the stability of the government. One of the reasons Windsor backed Gillard was to ensure “stable government” and that is definitely no longer the case – if it ever was. The fact that Windsor ignores the question indicates he is just looking after himself because he knows that if a no-confidence motion gets through he will lose his seat. Greed – the ultimate motivation.

Kevin being popular in Brisbane is a Kevin invention. Pulling a crowd in the Queen Street Mall is easily organized and if you look at the video, it’s all kids. Go in there anytime, after having alerted the media so they can get their TV cameras to record their favourite news item being mugged, and you have a crowd all eager to get on TV. Rudd strategist Bruce Hawker said dozens of Labor MPs would lose their seats under Julia Gillard’s leadership.

“Anyone that decides that they are not going to vote for him and they are on a margin of less then 10 per cent, kiss your seat goodbye; its all over, you’ll regret at leisure,” he told Network Ten

I’ve got bad news for you Bruce. Even if they do vote for Rudd they will lose their seat. Do you think the public are enjoying this shit. Do you really believe that Rudd has changed his spots? He hasn’t and is still as dysfunctional as he was before and it will only take a month or so for people to remember why they didn’t like him on his first sojourn into politics. Anyone who can string two words together and smile at the same time can out poll Gillard but that just makes him a winner in a two horse race with the other horse running lame. No big deal. I dislike Gillard but at least she functions and has points on the board even if I don’t like the outcomes but Rudd has simply never achieved anything. My preferred outcome? Rudd loses on Monday, goes to the backbench and snipes every other day until the election with the end result of these clowns being sent to the opposition seats until they remember what leading a country is all about. As part of the keep Gillard campaign, Kate Ellis has dobbed Kevin in for a politically incorrect spray at Gillard in South Australia. He is alleged to have referred to Ms Gillard as a “childless, atheist, ex-communist’. It might be unkind of Kev to say that but every word is true so I don’t quite get Kate’s point.

All I want to do is sit and watch the ALP house burn down but unfortunately I’ve got a BAS to do and a website to build. Still, until Monday it’s only words so maybe tomorrow I can buy some popcorn, pull up a chair and enjoy the show. I read where Newspoll are releasing their poll on Monday instead of the usual Tuesday so that will help with the drama. Gillard and Rudd are campaigning for the dubious honour of leading the ALP to a thrashing at the next election. I don’t care what Rudd says – he will never be a leader and Gillard will more than likely win the spill on Monday and continue on her inept way. Abbott is getting a well earned rest. Nothing for him to do really…just sit there and watch the ALP implode. He is redundant for the next few days and when it is all resolved he can attack what’s left. Whether Gillard or Rudd are in the chair next week – Abbott has plenty of targets..instability…recycled losers…can’t run their party – how can they run a country…Rudd spoke of Climate Change being the greatest moral decision of our time and then dropped the ETS- Gillard said she never would have a Carbon tax and then legislated for it…Rudd cancelled a working Boat people programme and Gillard thought she would try East Timor but forgot to talk to the relevant people in ET…the list goes on but you will get to hear it all over the next year odd. Win-win really.

Pickering at his best. Brought out of archives by daugter J How rediculous, how second rate must we appear to the world. Whitlam and Keating pale into insignificance when compared with these ego warriors. You can tell by watching Rudd that he truly believes that the people love him and all would agree unanimously that he was treated poorly. Well he was treated poorly but for a good reason – he was dysfunctional as a leader. I watched Gillard’s campaign address to caucus (some thought she was talking to the Australian electorate) and it is apparent that she simply doesn’t get it. Talking about moving forward and getting on with the job can only work for brief time if you don’t actually move forward or get on with the job. Emerson has been touted as Foreign Affairs. It might have worked when pillow talk would have resolved problems but now that Emerson’s marriage, and the worlds of his wife and kids have collapsed, it just seems like a pat on the head to soften the Dear John letter Smith, too has been touted but after his handling of the ADFA scandal where he was quick to insist on Commodore Bruce Kafer’s removal on incomplete evidence, but has been too slow to reinstate him on the complete evidence that has exonerated him, I have wiped him from my register of reasonable players Up until the ADFA scandal I actually thought Smith was one of the few competent players in the ALP but alas, his shallow understanding of his portfolio and lack of support for the ADF, has shown him for what he is. I watched Combet at the Press Club and was impressed with his delivery but little else. Whatever the ALP say about compensation to the people for their Carbon Tax is not to be believed. If it is moved by road or electricity is anywhere in the logistics train then the costs will be passed onto the consumer and these price increases will be driven by actual costs, not a computer model. The elephant in the room underlying all of his speech, was the fact that the ALP, the political arm of the unions, have been doing all it can to make industrial and commercial development as difficult as possible. The unions are looking for virtual seats on the boards where they can have a say on strategic development. Imagine CFMEU thugs being involved in management decisions! I will be waiting with bated breath next week to see the outcome. A Gillard victory for more of the same or a Rudd victory for more of the same. Either way the country loses and the hole we are in just keeps on getting deeper.

People with the retention of a lightning strike are thinking; The ALP need to get rid of Gillard, let’s try Rudd again. I wonder how long it will take them to remember just how bad Rudd was? He claims to have learnt his lesson and has changed. He is only saying what he wants people to believe and if caucus believe him then the ALP are looking at worse poll figures than they have now. If he does win a ballot the ALP will most probably get some bounce but it will recoil after a week or so of him being back in the public arena. People will remember. Simon Crean, one of the few adults in the ALP, has told Rudd to join the team or quit and I think that is the best solution. Let’s stay with Gillard and just hold our breath, hoping she doesn’t stuff the country any more that she already has, and wait until we can get the Coalition in to sort out all the decay. God, the country is suffering!

Shorten on Fair Work Australia taking three years to investigate Thomson “The best way to protect Fair Work Australia is to protect its independence,” he told Channel Ten today.

“The argument which says the government needs to intervene would undermine its independence.

What about the argument which says the government already has intervened to slow down the investigation. It might not be true of course but if not, then FWA and the government will need to clarify why it has taken nearly three years to investigate the allegations that Thomson used Union credit cards on prostitutes, lavish meals and cash withdrawals. Had I had done the same whilst employed I would’ve been stood down during an investigation that would have been concluded in weeks at the most. Bill, the problem is, rightly or wrongly, the punters don’t believe you.