Game on

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.