It seems the the Kevin Rudd’s political career has ended as dramatically as it started exactly 2 years 6 months and 21 days after becoming he Prime Minister of Australia. He would have had to have been the most popular PM we’ve had for a long time and his Labor colleagues couldn’t praise him highly enough.
Yet those same colleagues, especially the power brokers from the right faction, planned his demise. Almost Judas style they delivered the coupe in 24 hours not seven days after Kevin said, after asked about rumors of dissent from within the party, that he would lead the party to the next election. To say he was shocked about the whole thing would be an understatement.
- Image via Wikipedia
And so we have two historical moments in Australia history. The first being that Kevin Rudd was kicked out by his own party before completing his first term and while still holding the lead. The second being that Julia Gillard is Australia’s first ever female Prime Minister. After listening to Mr Rudd’s very emotional final speech I must say it is Rudd at his best, probably because it was from the heart and not something put together for him.
Those of you who have been following this blog know that I haven’t been all that positive about the way Labor has lead this country over the last couple of years and most of that blame has fallen on Rudd, but that’s only because he’s the leader.
The real culprit is the Labor Party itself, and the only reason they ousted Rudd is because they’re hoping the Australian people will be fooled into thinking that having a female PM will make everything OK. It won’t because it’s still the same party, and let’s not forget that Miss Gillard didn’t handle her portfolio all that well, pretty dismally in fact, and a lot of the mistakes must be shared by her and the rest of her cohorts.
There is no doubt that Julia Gillard will have a honeymoon period, especially being the first ever female Prime Minister, but whether this is enough to win the next election remains to be seen.
What I find really amusing is how the Labor party in the last election said a vote for Howard would be a vote for Costello and here we are not three years later having a PM we didn’t vote for. Considering how the right faction has put someone from the left faction into power one has to wonder what it would take for them to knife her in the back, just as they did to Kevin Rudd, if she doesn’t act according to their wishes. And here I was thinking that as an Australian citizen I could choose who I want as a leader only to find out that I really have no saying the matter at all.
We had an unelected PM up until recently and he became somewhat of a hate figure. Every time an unpopular decision was made, the papers trotted out the “unelected PM” paragraph.
Of course, in the UK we don’t elect any PM, we vote for local MPs and the party with the most MPs (over a limit) get to make their leader the PM.
After the honeymoon period, stand by for a shit load of sniping.
Yep, that’s the way we do it, being part of the Commonwealth and all, and I’m sure there will a lot of mud slinging anytime soon too.
I’ve got just two words for you Sire: Margaret Thatcher :blush_tb:
Actually, I’ve got a few more now I come to think of it … I know nothing about politics in general and Aussie politics even less. So having found this place of yours via Twitter, I shall follow with interest. Who knows … I might even learn a thing or two :lol_wp:
Damn it Eleanor, does that mean I have to watch my P’s and Q’s, being in the presence of a lady and all? :help_tb: :flush_tb:
Seriously I’m honored to have you visit and comment where you will. :drunk_tb: :thumbup_tb:
She’s a hard piece of skirt thats for sure. I doubt she has the nous of our former PM Helen Clark who immediately stood down after three terms as prime minister. Helen did her fighting in opposition. Jenny Shipley, a Tory type of MP did the same to Jim Bloger in the 90’s but after two terms at least. Helen chewed her up for three years and then led Labour to victory. Helen is now No3 in the United Nations.
I don’t trust her Pete, She stabbed Kevin in the back so one wonders what she’ll do or say to get her own ends. What she fails to realize is the guys that put her there can take her down as well. Does that make her somewhat of a puppet?