Oz election thread #3 - Rudd's Labour

I think there should be a monetary limit on election advertising.

Speaking of the Libs .... so the new leaders are to be Brendan Nelson & Julie Bishop! A cracker, dynamite team, if ever I saw one! :wink:

Malcolm T missed out by just a couple of votes & The Mad Monk has indicated that a challenge, down the track, might not be out of the question! I think I might be a wee bit nervous in Brendan's shoes!

I watched the news tonight, followed by the 7:30 Report just now. Brendan & Julie still seemed not to grasp the enormity of the unpopularity of WorkChoices with the voters. He rabbited on about the ACTU campaign (conveniently over-looking the huge anti-union/pro WorkChoices campaign from the Libs' side) as if the voters were somehow hoodwinked into loathing WorkChoices .... & gave no guarantee that the Libs (for the next six months while they still control the Senate) will not oppose Labor's new IR legislation. While acknowledging, at the same time, that Labor now has a "mandate" on particular issues. Having a bob each way? She rabbited on about supporting policies (WorkChoices, I assume) that would not lead to unemployment & which supported small business.

They both appeared to be in complete denial of the obvious. The electorate thinks WorkChoices stinks & voted to get rid of it! I predict they'll be done like a dinner, & before too long, if they persist with this sort of thinking. Even business will be cooperating with Labor (which will make sure that any IR changes are not too startling!).

Also, Nelson's line on "saying sorry" the The Stolen Generation seemed SO like Howard's!

So it's looking like the Liberal Party has not fully grasped that this election was pretty much about the desire for change in the Australian Community. They'll be looking pretty silly & even more irrelevant (given their hugely reduced numbers, combined with the loss of control of the Senate in 6 months) unless they drag themselves into the 21st Century pretty smartly! Silly Sausages! :wink:

Rudd reveals new Cabinet
Dewi Cooke
November 29, 2007 - 2:04PM/the AGE

Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd has announced his new ministry, dropping six frontbenchers, opting for a raft of new faces and rewarding some trusted performers.

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard will be responsible for two major portfolios, taking on Industrial Relations and Education. As deputy, Ms Gillard was able to nominate any portfolio she wanted.

Mr Rudd, who this afternoon announced the full details of his new ministry in a press conference at Parliament House, said he planned to build a "first class education system'' and wanted Australia's to be the best in the world.

He said Ms Gillard was a "first class human being" who would be a great deputy and minister.

Mr Rudd has cut Laurie Ferguson, Kate Lundy, Jan McLucas, Kerry O'Brien, Arch Bevis and Bob McMullan from his front bench.

In their place, he has appointed ALP national president John Faulkner, former NSW minister Bob Debus, Kate Ellis, Justine Elliot, Warren Snowdon and Brendan O'Connor.

Former Labor Party leader Simon Crean has been made Trade Minister.

Labor's former education spokesman Stephen Smith, one of the spearheads of the party's 'education revolution', has been promoted to Foreign Minister.

South Australian Senator Penny Wong is one of the big movers and has been elevated to Minister for Climate Change and Water after stints as Opposition spokesperson for Workforce Participation and Accountability and Corporate Governance.

She will accompany Mr Rudd to a major conference in Bali next month.

Peter Garrett has been made Minister for Environment and Heritage and the Arts.

"I am proud of the first class credentials of my climate change and environment team,'' he said.

Chris Evans, Labor's leader in the Senate, will take on the portfolio of Immigration and Citizenship.

As well as his finance portfolio, Lindsay Tanner will be responsible for business deregulation and Kim Carr has been given the ministry of innovation, industry science and research.

Tony Bourke has responsibility for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Mr O'Connor will be responsible for Workforce Participation.

Mr Rudd has elevated Tourism to a Cabinet portfolio and placed Martin Ferguson in charge. Mr Ferguson will also be responsible for Resources and Energy.

Mr Faulkner will be cabinet secretary and Special Minister of State. He will also have responsibility for government integrity issues, including Freedom of Information.

Mr Rudd characterised Mr Faulkner as an "extraordinary individual with extraordinary talents''. "I value his experience, I value his safe hands,'' Mr Rudd said.

Mr Rudd said Robert McClelland, formerly Labor's foreign affairs spokesman, would be Attorney-General.

"Robert is a person of considerable experience in the law, a person who brings great dignity to that office and a person whose sobriety and judgement when it comes to matters pertaining to the Attorney-General's portfolio is, I think, commendation sufficient for him to become Attorney-General,'' he said.

Stephen Conroy, who Mr Rudd accidentally left out of the initial ministry announcement, will be the Minister for Communication, Broadband and Digital Economy.

Mr Rudd said he was proud of the number of women in the new cabinet.

Victorian MP Nicola Roxon retains her portfolios of Health and Ageing.

Fellow Victorian Jenny Macklin will be Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

Tanya Plibersek will have responsibilities for Housing outside of the Cabinet, as well as leading the Office for the Status of Women.

With Joe Ludwig, who will be Human Services Minister, the women will make up the Government's "social policy'' team.

Star recruits Maxine McKew, Bill Shorten, Mike Kelly and Greg Combet have been made parliamentary secretaries.

Ms McKew, who looks to have defeated former prime minister John Howard in his seat of Bennelong, will be Parliamentary Secretary to Mr Rudd.

Mr Combet will be Parliamentary Secretary for Defence with particular responsibilities for procurement.

He will be joined by Mike Kelly, the new member for the key election seat of Eden-Monaro.

Mr Shorten will be Parliamentary Secretary for Ms Macklin. His particular responsibilities will be in disability and children.

The Prime Minister-elect announced the portfolios during a closed meeting with Labor MPs - their first time since Saturday's emphatic election win over the Coalition - to announce which members of his caucus will be ministers in a Rudd government.


http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/29/1196037026866.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Something for everyone? :wink:

Looks like Julia will have a helluva lot on her plate!
And Stephen Smith as Foreign Minister? That's something of a surprise!

Lib leadership selection process #1:

#2:

I'll second that.

And a tightening up of the definition of government "information" material. So much of it was blatant Liberal self promotion - at our cost!

... Also fixed parliamentary terms (leading to fixed election dates!)

Nelson sees no need to 'say sorry'
Posted 24 minutes ago/ABC news online

Newly elected Liberal leader Brendan Nelson says he is not in favour of the Labor plan to say sorry to Aboriginal Australians.

Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd says there will be a formal apology to the stolen generation of Indigenous people.

Dr Nelson says he wants to discuss the issue with his Liberal colleagues, but he says he does not see the need for an apology.

"We in my view we have no responsibility to apologise or take ownership for what was done by earlier generations," he said.

The beaten Liberal leader candidate, Malcolm Turnbull, also supported the apology and said it was a mistake for the Howard Government to have refused to say sorry.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/29/2105652.htm?section=justin

Seems I was right about Nelson, though for the life of me, I can't think of any reason that I thought he would get the job.


I have no issue that the Liberals should understand fully the folly of what they have done, and from my perspective, the thrashing they received at the ballot box, and that they are likely to be out of power for the next decade...that will give them plenty of time to reflect.

They will be more sensitive to the public in the future (one would think), and to people who write to them or the newspaper with complaints.

Further, in his first term, I doubt that Rudd will do anything overly radical - that is usually left for re-elected PM's, especially 3rd & 4th term ones.

However, history shows that democracy weakens in the face of weak opposition, it shows that decisions that come out of government are poorer when there is a weak opposition, and the government is less accountable.

History also show that long serving heads of state become more arrogant and controlling, the longer they stay in power. Beattie and Howard are prime recent examples of this.

Having already put up with this sort of thing for the better part of the last 3 terms, I have no desire for history to repeat itself with the Labor govt.

For now Labor will behave, and I have high hopes that they will make positive changes to this country... but the future without a strong opposition....

Sounds like he probably wouldn't have, without some last minute help from certain Liberal power-brokers who seemed more interested in keeping Turnbull out than getting Brendan in! :wink: :

.... A group who wanted to deny multimillionaire Sydneysider Malcolm Turnbull, it turns out. According to reliable sources, right-wing Senate leader Nick Minchin was crucial to brokering a last-minute deal that swung six crucial West Australian votes from Mr Turnbull to Dr Nelson.

The reasons were complex, but one stood out. Mr Minchin and those who switched could not abide Mr Turnbull's declaration early this week that John Howard should have said sorry to indigenous Australia.

The arrangement guaranteed not only that the leadership went to Dr Nelson, but the deputy leadership to West Australian Julie Bishop. Essentially, Ms Bishop was offered strong support for her tilt at the deputy leadership on the understanding that she would swing her vote, and that of five West Australian colleagues, to Dr Nelson. It would not only mean defeat for Mr Turnbull, but for Victorian deputy leader candidate and former federal Liberal Party director Andrew Robb. .....

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/backroom-deal-takes-nelson-to-the-top/2007/11/29/1196037074766.html

The long battle begins


Michelle Grattan
November 30, 2007

THE Liberals have opted for caution over risk in installing Brendan Nelson rather than the flamboyant Malcolm Turnbull. But this doesn't ensure stability. Indeed, barring a miracle involving a change in some of the players' characters, the years ahead are likely to be difficult and tumultuous for a federal party that has so recently enjoyed such success.

Well, with Dr Nelson's contradictory messages on WorkChoices (He kinda understands that the voters' whole-heartedly rejected it last Saturday, while kinda wanting to oppose any reforms to WorkChoices. ) it'd be no surprise if some employers might think it'll be July (& the new Senate line-up) before Labor can actually have the reforms put in place. So why not continue exploiting workers till then, if employers can get away with it?:

Warning on AWAs
December 2, 2007 - 11:55AM/the AGE

Workplace Ombudsman Nicholas Wilson has warned employers not to pressure workers into signing Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) ahead of their abolition by the incoming Labor government.

Telstra has been named among a host of employers seeking to get staff onto the controversial contracts before Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd introduces laws next year stopping the signing of new AWAs and phasing out existing ones.

"Placing undue pressure on a worker to sign an AWA is unfair, utterly unlawful and will not be tolerated," Mr Wilson said in a statement today.

"The community expects that workers will be treated fairly and employers are warned that the Workplace Ombudsman will not hesitate to prosecute those who apply or attempt to apply such pressure on workers."

The Workplace Ombudsman has successfully prosecuted two cases in which employers placed duress on their staff to sign AWAs.

Another nine cases involving alleged duress are currently in train.

Mr Wilson urged employees who felt they were being unduly pressured into signing an AWA to contact the Workplace Ombudsman's office.

AAP

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/warning-on-awas/2007/12/02/1196530462153.html

A bob each way again?
He's getting bad or conflicting advice, which is making him appear rather silly & wishy-washy. Bad script, anyway.
And he personally supports a constitutional monarchy? Aw, come on! Really?

I won't support republic: Nelson
December 2, 2007 - 10:10AM
Sunday AGE

Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson says he supports a constitutional monarchy, but expects Australia to revisit the republic question in the future.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/i-wont-support-republic-nelson/2007/12/02/1196530459106.html

Just a few days ago the Libs were united again & talking of being back in power in just 3 years! :wink:
But almost immediately following the instillation of the the new leadership, the damaging leaks to the press began. They're leaking like a sieve! :

#1 Nick Minchin & the WA factor:

Backroom deal takes Nelson to the top:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/backroom-deal-takes-nelson-to-the-top/2007/11/29/1196037074766.html

..& now this. Not an auspicious beginning!:

Nelson plays down report of Turnbull spat
December 2, 2007 - 10:51AM
Sunday AGE

Brendan Nelson has refused to deny reports his unsuccessful Liberal leadership rival Malcolm Turnbull stormed into his office on his first day in the job demanding he toughen up.

Dr Nelson defeated the high-profile Mr Turnbull 45 votes to 42 in a partyroom ballot to seize the Liberal leadership on Thursday.

It was reported yesterday that a furious Mr Turnbull walked into Dr Nelson's office within an hour of the vote and tore into his colleague for delivering a "funereal" leadership acceptance speech.

Dr Nelson would not be drawn on the issue today, but did not deny the conversation occurred. ... <etc, etc, etc ..>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/nelson-plays-down-report-of-turnbull-spat/2007/12/02/1196530460178.html

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

McKew finally makes Howard history

How sweet it is: Maxine McKew has taken Bennelong.
Photo: Lisa Wiltse

December 2, 2007/Sunday AGE

A WEEK after voters went to the polls, Labor star recruit Maxine McKew has officially claimed the Sydney seat of Bennelong, making history as the person who knocked off prime minister John Howard in his own electorate.

Despite leading Mr Howard from the outset, Ms McKew had been reluctant to claim Bennelong, saying it was too close to call.

Yesterday in Sydney, the former ABC journalist and now parliamentary secretary to the prime minister and cabinet finally said: "One week after the polls opened, I can now say that in Bennelong we are 2100 votes ahead, we have 51.25% of the two-party vote … Bennelong is now a Labor seat for the first time."

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/mckew-finally-makes-howard-history/2007/12/01/1196394689019.html

When will everything get settled so we know who is sitting where?

Joe(No one in the US has a clue what any of this is about.)Nation

The new PM and cabinet will be sworn in tomorrow. Parliament won't resume until the new year, so it will be a number of months before they can start to implement the policies that they took to the electorate during the election campaign.

The US legislative branch, the Senate and the House of Representatives use a system of Committees to formulate legislation, the House Arms Services Committee*, for example, oversees just about anything related to the US Military, making the heads of those committees some of the most powerful people in the government. The majority party (we really only have two.) gets to say who will head each committee. Party leaders also assign each seat to one of it's members. LINK

How's it work in Oz?

Joe(I know. I could look it up, but that's no fun.)Nation