We’re all lefties now
WHAT do left-wing ministers do in a government led by an economic conservative? Simple: they take some of the key jobs and join the club. This is Mike Steketee’s take on Rudd’s cabinet as he uses lots of calming words to say Left is cool but Left is Left, nothing is simple and the proof of the pudding is a long way down the track.
In the first Rudd cabinet, nine of the 20 ministers come from the Left: Julia Gillard, Chris Evans, John Faulkner, Jenny Macklin, Lindsay Tanner, Anthony Albanese, Kim Carr, Penny Wong and Martin Ferguson. That compares with one left-winger in the first Hawke cabinet in 1983, Stewart West.And Gillard is benign;
Sure, Gillard comes from the Victorian Socialist Left – as Howard government ministers kept reminding us during the election campaign – and Tanner used to wage war against Labor’s Right as the left-wing secretary of the Federated Clerks Union. But this history is about as relevant now as the Cold War is to international relations.Is it? If I’m a conservative now and have been since the early 60s why does Steketee presume someone who has beaten the drum for the left for decades will suddenly join the conservative club? Doesn’t compute…..keep an eye on ’em.
Facebook
Twitter
Kev
What has really happened is that Howard moved a long way to the right over 11 years – and Labor has camped in the middle ground. The Left ain’t the Left – same/same as oils ain’t oils. From my social justice perspective, that’s not necessarily a good thing – but I’ll have to learn to live with it.
“What has really happened is that Howard moved a long way to the right over 11 years – and Labor has camped in the middle ground.”
What utter rubbish!!
If Howard was a true economic conservative the ABC would have been sold years ago. Socially he hasn’t moved.
The Greens have made both parties shift to the left
Rose coloured glasses. Both the ALP and the Libs may have moved a bit to the right but all the players haven’t necessarily done so, or, have appeared to have done so to get elected.
I have Gillard on record as extolling the virtues of changing society al la the Jim Cairns proven method of taking to the streets and preaching civil disorder. She did so to a valedictory class at a Melbourne Girls school and as soon as she was elected deputy the article disappeared.
I’ll rethink it a little after she takes on the unions.
I’ll still be keeping an eye on ’em.
I’ve just gone to her ALP website and found the link to her personal site defaults to the ALP main page. The minions must be sanitizing the site again.
I knew Kim Carr back in the late 80’s, went fishing with him once. He is not a bad bloke but is as left wing as you could ever find. I remember his study was lined with books on socialism. He really is a true believer in socialism and now he is the industry minister (I think). Anyway the point is that the Rudd cabinet is stacked with loonies who want to change Australia and forge it into a socialist country. I doubt they will succeed but they sure will make a mess trying.
The rot will start with soft changes at a social level, look for arts grants, appointments to tribunals etc. How long before Rudd brings back the list of national living treasures?
Kev – Why is it that so many with a military background gravitate to labor?
Kev – Why is it that so many with a military background gravitate to labor?
Short answer – they don’t!. We are aware of some at the moment because of the election but I don’t see any sort of majority gravitating to Labour. Military are trained to maintain the status quo, not change it and because of this, generally gravitate to the Libs. I have known only a couple of Labour or Left wing supporters from the Officer corps in my time in the Army
Do you have contrary evidence? I don’t have stats thus you could say my ipinion is anecdotal but I think it’s close to the truth
No stats Kev, I have not met many servicemen but those I have generally lean towards Labor. I suppose it’s just a feeling I am sure that you would have a better idea. However it seems that the officer ranks have many Labor backers there seems to be plenty willing to bag the previous government or stand for Labor.
Kev
Good top see that you finally realised that labor won the election as predicted.
It was nice to see Shifty shafted.
Hope to see the arse end of Bush next year – worst President in the history of that country.
Regards
Your favourite commie
The soft left alleged within the rank and file of the ADF is crap. The vast majority of the members I serve with liked Howard’s government, appreciated what his policies had done for the ADF, and agreed with the majority of his policy positions. There are a couple of rusted-on ALP nuts around, but ironically, they ALL come from a trades background. Must be something in the spanner curriculum to turn them all into little unionised change agents. Never found a bigger pack of twits willing to undermine the system because the world was against them than RAEME. Like the Army breaks things just to spite them.