Senator Steve Fielding - Leader of Family First
Gillard IN - Rudd OUT
Posted by Senator Steve Fielding on June 25 2010 | 2 Comments
Well it’s been a heck of a week in Parliament with Julia Gillard taking over as Prime Minister from Kevin Rudd.
As I said in the media this week I think Kevin Rudd was a victim of his own leadership style. He was somewhat of an arrogant man who essentially did not consult with anyone during his time as Prime Minister. In the end it was this that bought him undone. Not only had senior ministers become sick of it but so had the back bench. In the end though, it was the super profits mining tax that was the straw that broke the camels back. It left too many MPs feeling like their seats were under threat and that the Labor Party was losing the war of words over the proposed mining tax. And to be honest they were probably right. Kevin Rudd had lost the ability to sell his message leaving the power brokers in the Labor Party feeling like they had to do something. And that something was dramatic to say the least.
The shafting of Kevin Rudd showed what a cruel business politics can be and how friends and work colleagues can turn their back on you in an instant. Some would say that’s the business but to me that doesn’t make it right. Some would argue that Rudd had it coming to him as he ruled the roost in a way that left many not feeling included. And while that is a strong argument, people are very quick to forget that Rudd was the most popular Prime Minster this country has ever had according to the polls. In addition, he won an election against John Howard.
I must say I was impressed with Rudd’s determination to turn up to question time and sit on the back bench on what would have probably been one of the hardest days he’s ever faced. His final press conference as PM was the first time that I had seen any real humility from a man who gave away nothing in his time in the top job.
But that’s all in the past. Julia Gillard is now Prime Minister and the ball game has totally changed. There is no doubt Gillard brings a totally different dynamic as the leader. She is a person who in my mind is prepared to sit down and do the hard yards. She consults and then makes decisions, a complete opposite to the Rudd style of leadership. Already we have seen her front bench play a greater role. In her first question time as leader we saw a lot more Dorothy Dixer questions to the ministry so they could have their say on where things were up to in their portfolio. This is something which was lacking under the Rudd leadership in question time.
However, its only day one and only time will tell just how good a leader Julia Gillard can be.
“that Rudd was the most popular Prime Minster this country has ever had according to the polls” Perhaps because votes are so easy to buy in this country, even with money your children have to pay back.
It’s convenient how quickly it is forgotten what Rudd did to Beasley and Latham to get the job in the first place. The public didn’t vote Rudd in: They voted Howard out. When you only have a choice of two people you choose the (apparently) lesser evil. This election will be the same.
The only issue that will determine my vote is the internet filter plan which I vehemently oppose. I support family first on many other issues but this is an abomination.
When you suggest banning all pornography you should remember February 1933: One of the first laws enacted by Adolf Hitler was to ban pornography.
Hence the saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. Think about where it will lead: A secret unaccountable unelected body deciding what material should be available to the public. I am suprised that having the wit to see through the ETS tax scam that you cannot see the true control agenda behind this legislation.
But then again as Hitler said “tell the people their children are in danger and they will agree to anything”.
Comment by hankscorpio on 09 July 2010 at 08:15:33 PM
This sort of behaviour from the ALP leaves any thinking voter with a dilemma.
Our system is supposedly one of representative democracy. We are meant to be able to choose, from the electioneering presentations of the various parties and candidates, who we feel is best able to achieve our personal outcomes for Australia and its citizens. The dilemma is that the ALP has just demonstrated that while its candidates front the public, various backroom powerbrokers plot out what really happens if the ALP wins an election. So the ALP is not really who we see when we look at ALP candidates.
So thanks to the ALP we don’t have a genuine representative democracy.
As far as Rudd in particular is concerned , he was always dismissive of the role of the ALP factions. Clearly that was his undoing.
Is it possible that Rudd was given Gillard as a deputy on the understanding of the big boys in the back room that if he lost the support of the Newspoll (Rudd’s only support) faction then they would arrange for him to be rolled by Gillard? These faceless wonders were happy to see Rudd get the ALP out of the doldrums. However as soon as he started to tackle a major dilemma for Australia ...what sort of desolate empty quarry the country is going to be in 100 years from now if we throw all our minerals at the first boom that comes along, the back room boys started to panic. Rather than risk Rudd facing down the miners they opted for the the short term easy way out.
So now not only do we have a flawed version of representative democracy but also one that takes its directions from powerful unelected (foreign-owned?) interests.
It may not matter how good a leader Ms Gillard can be!
Comment by John Watt on 25 June 2010 at 10:19:15 PM