Is the ALP fit to govern?

[Knobby22]

Oh come on Julia, I'm sure they will be having a BBQ together soon and they will all be sharing a joke and calling each other mate (for the cameras)

[basilio]

Actually Julia I do believe in the points I made. (Although whether it comes to pass is another question)

Pure self interest will drive Labour to attempt to improve their collective game. They will either hang together or hang separately.

With regard to Rudd stopping his run for PM. Todays result was an exceptionally strong rebuff. He didn't get close to thinking about winning. His only practical solution is to look as if he is back in the fold and doing all he came to support Julia. ( But I agree that privately he will still keep his options open.) And as per my first point everyone has to at least look as if they are reading off the same hymn sheet.

In the bigger picture I think its essential for the Labour party to become more effective. Parliamentary democracies need effective governments and viable oppositions to work well. Otherwise we may as well have a one party state.

[Calliope]

Mr Rudd will not rest until he has his revenge. Whether this is in the form of toppling Gillard for the leadership or, if that fails, pulling the pin and causing a by-election. he will not just slide into obscurity.

He will never stop planning and scheming a return to power, any more than Napoleon did on Elba.

I see his next move as hurrying back to Queensland where he will be welcomed as a "Brissie" hero. He will take up the fight to help the "underdog" Bligh to bask in his popularity. He will show the Caucus what a great election winner he is by turning Bligh's popularity around. If he pulls this off, and I think it will go close, another challenge can't be rejected by Caucus. There is a sizeable number of people in Qld (including the Courier Mail) ready to dump on Newman

Election winners are grinners.

[sptrawler]

There is one thing for sure, as 'our Julia' says, there is no way Rudd will sit quietly on the back bench twidling his thumbs for 18months.
He will have withdrawl symptoms from the travel perks, not to mention the wining and dining with heads of state.

[moXJO]

The QLD election will be the make or break of labor harmony. All this BS of labor moving forward together is a laugh. It's a nervous wait to see how the results pan out and then expect more angst from the labor hit squad.

[drsmith]

Today's result has effectively finished Kevin Rudd's leadership aspirations.

Should they replace Julia Gillard as leader in the future, it will be with someone else.

[Julia]

Oh come on Julia, I'm sure they will be having a BBQ together soon and they will all be sharing a joke and calling each other mate (for the cameras)

Of course they will. Silly me to be so cynical.

Today's result has effectively finished Kevin Rudd's leadership aspirations.

Should they replace Julia Gillard as leader in the future, it will be with someone else.

That's a view expressed by Paul Bongiorno and another journalist in a radio interview last night or today.
Why do you think he is not still planning a comeback?
He has even said, apparently, that his plan includes a two-stage attempt, i.e. that he expected to fail initially viz today, but that he believes down the track his opportunity will come again.

[drsmith]

He can plan all he likes.

With all the bile from last week, how can they ever resurrect him as party leader ?

The good Lord couldn't be resurrected from under that ocean.

If they do replace Julia, I suspect it will be anything but Kev.

[Calliope]

He can plan all he likes.

With all the bile from last week, how can they ever resurrect him as party leader ?

The good Lord couldn't be resurrected from under that ocean.

If they do replace Julia, I suspect it will be anything but Kev.

Rudd and his family and Bruce Hawker are driven and determined that he will be again PM. It is just a matter of time The polls will always determine the outcomes. He has the ability to completely pull the wool over the eyes of his opponents, and he plays them off a break, and he can manipulate the public at will.

Poor silly Julia said today that she accepts his honesty and his candour. Pathetic.

[noco]

Rudd and his family and Bruce Hawker are driven and determined that he will be again PM. It is just a matter of time The polls will always determine the outcomes. He has the ability to completely pull the wool over the eyes of his opponents, and he plays them off a break, and he can manipulate the public at will.

Poor silly Julia said today that she accepts his honesty and his candour. Pathetic.

Both K.Rudd and J.Gillard have more spin than Shane Warne.

Warne could have taken some lessons from them but it's too late now unless he decides to go into parliament.

[joea]

Hi.
Well the ballot is over, the dust is not settled and a storm is brewing!!.
I watched a couple of media conferences, including one on Mark Arbid.
Following this I had a squiz at Q & A.
The only suggestions I have come up with are as follows:

1 Talk is very, very, very cheap in Australian Politics.
2 The problem with Australian politics and policy, is nobody is on the same page.

Finally I have concluded that the Australian Voters will "clear the air" with a Federal Election. And a preview of a Federal election will be seen by 10pm on the 24th March.
Then we will know conclusively the answer to this thread from the voter.

Why do I say this? Because from June 2010 the "BIG" bit missing from the equation of Australian government is the "voter".

joea

[drsmith]

Allready, there is fighting over the ashes.

One of Mr Rudd's key backers, Left faction senator Doug Cameron, has accused Ms Gillard's camp of engineering yesterday's spill to "kill off" Mr Rudd politically.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-2...8?WT.svl=news0

[sails]

I believe there will be a marked improvement in Labours behaviour and governance after the failed spill. Why ?

1) Rudd seems to have been well and truly ticked off and won't come back again. That should temporarily silence the dissenters. He also seems to have been gracious in defeat - a good start to a new beginning

hahaha - he doesn't look like a "ticked off" man. You are deluded if you think he won't be back with unfinished business. He has the smile of a victor. My guess is he will wait until after the Qld elections before continuing on with his plan.

2) I think Julia Gilliard has won points for her strength over the issue as well as recognition of her capacity to manage Cabinet and government

Now that is totally delusional. She lied to the electorate and then had the gall to call her deception an achievement. Her personal polling is dropping.

Is delusional one of the traits of being labor?

3) All of Labour members and the Independents will be very keen to work effectively and attempt to prove their viability before the next election. Nothing like an imminent hanging to focus the mind.

I don't think they are capable of such effectiveness.

A think the public exposure of Rudds failings as well as his skills has been an education for the public. No ones perfect. All are fallible. Julia Gillard has been an effective PM despite the vicious criticism of political opponents. Lets see how well she can continue.

RUBBISH. Rudd is still streets ahead on polling over Gillard. If you think Rudd is bad, the public see Gillard as much, much worse.

Basilo, no wonder you have been taken for a ride with global warming and carbon tax. If you really believe your statements above, you are not thinking for yourself, imo.

[Knobby22]

RUBBISH. Rudd is still streets ahead on polling over Gillard. If you think Rudd is bad, the public see Gillard as much, much worse.

.

He is only streets ahead if you poll Liberal voters who are not going to vote for him anyway. Secondly, it appears you have been fooled by parts of the right wing media who were making out that Rudd could walk on water in an attempt to try to get him votes.

The pollys were getting most of their constituents asking them to vote Gillard. They did get some (often abusive) emails from people who did not name themesleves saying vote for Rudd but the reality is these were unnamed and were probably other political parties hacks trying to influence the result. That is one of the reasons why most of the marginal seats went with Gillard. The reality doesn't match your thinking so stop being so rude to Basilio.

I believe that was the biggest loss in a challenge in Labor history.

[Calliope]

He is only streets ahead if you poll Liberal voters who are not going to vote for him anyway. Secondly, it appears you have been fooled by parts of the right wing media who were making out that Rudd could walk on water in an attempt to try to get him votes.

He was also ahead with Labor voters. The left wing Fairfax press were his biggest supporters.

They did get some (often abusive) emails from people who did not name themesleves saying vote for Rudd but the reality is these were unnamed and were probably other political parties hacks trying to influence the result.

I heard on the ABC that the massive email assault on marginal Caucas members was engineered by sweet Jessica Rudd.

The reality doesn't match your thinking so stop being so rude to Basilio.

I don't think she needs Sir Galahad to ride to her rescue.

[Knobby22]

He was also ahead with Labor voters. The left wing Fairfax press were his biggest supporters.
.

That is so not true. Did you see the Herald Sun. 4 pages full of how great Rudd is with people in pubs all saying they would vote for Rudd. Biggest beat up I've ever seen. Though Jesus had returned.

[sptrawler]

Today's result has effectively finished Kevin Rudd's leadership aspirations.

Should they replace Julia Gillard as leader in the future, it will be with someone else.

Going on with your train of thought drsmith, maybe that was why Swan had such a prolonger, vicious attack of Rudd.
Maybe trying to show the public he has some b@lls and isn't just whimpy Mr Biege.
Now with the new P.M pay rise and commensurate pension, maybe he fancies a piece of the action.
Nothing would suprise me with this lot.

[Julia]

Rudd and his family and Bruce Hawker are driven and determined that he will be again PM. It is just a matter of time The polls will always determine the outcomes. He has the ability to completely pull the wool over the eyes of his opponents, and he plays them off a break, and he can manipulate the public at will.

Poor silly Julia said today that she accepts his honesty and his candour. Pathetic.

I don't think she's under any illusions about him at all. She would have said all that unrealistic stuff in the same way Rudd said everything he said about being 100% behind her etc. Complete rubbish on both their parts and they both know it.
Ditto all the other caucus members, e.g. Shorten who have said it's all OK now, folks, nothing to see here, we all love one another, and everyone will have a great big group hug.

Gillard, imo, will be entirely aware that Rudd will be now ready to move to stage two of his plan. His very ebullience demonstrates that he has such a plan.

One thing that I think was amply demonstrated in the vote yesterday was the truth of what the anti-Rudd camp had been saying about how diabolical he was to work with. If so many of them could ignore the popular electorate vote shown in the polls, and still vote against him, they must indeed be horrified at the thought of ever again working with him.

[Calliope]

That is so not true. Did you see the Herald Sun. 4 pages full of how great Rudd is with people in pubs all saying they would vote for Rudd. Biggest beat up I've ever seen. Though Jesus had returned.

Wrong on both counts;

Crucially, Mr Rudd has a 17-point lead over Ms Gillard as preferred prime minister among Labor voters and an almost two-to-one lead among Coalition voters.

Newspoll

Peter Hartcher, the political editor of the SMH has always championed Rudd. He was always the main recipient of Rudd's leaks and there were many.The impression I got was that The Australian favoured Gillard.

I, of course was impartial. I enjoyed seeing two bare-faced liars tearing themselves apart. Call it schadenfreude.

[sails]

...I believe that was the biggest loss in a challenge in Labor history.

lol - I don't think it's over by a long shot yet. Rudd has the grin of a winner. He has time on his side.