Oz Election Thread #4 - Gillard's Labor

First day of the new parliament yesterday.
(They're now having a wee break before business resumes in earnest.)

http://images.theage.com.au/2010/09/09/1917298/moir_fri10Sept-600x400.jpg

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Fair enough.
He'll be in a much better position to push for what he wants by remaining an independent than as a ministry insider, bound by ministry constraints .:

Quote:

Oakeshott rejects ministry offer
Updated 1 hour 22 minutes ago

Rob Oakeshott won't be a minister in a Labor minority government. (AAP: Alan Porritt)

Federal independent MP Rob Oakeshott has rejected an offer to become regional affairs minister, saying it would compromise the package he negotiated with Julia Gillard.

This afternoon Mr Oakeshott told the Prime Minister he would not join her frontbench.

Mr Oakeshott says there is still a lot of political heat around his position and there would have been problems for the regional package he negotiated if he was also the relevant minister.

He says the package can be better delivered by someone with potentially less thorns on them than he has at the moment.

"The main consideration was the regional Australia package and making sure it survives the next three years of parliamentary life and it not being killed along the way by political games that might get played," he told reporters this afternoon. ...<cont>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/10/3008678.htm

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Finally, last night's Clarke & Dawe, from the 7:30 Report:

Quote:

Video: Clarke and Dawe talk politics
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast: 09/09/2010

Reporter: John Clarke and Bryan Dawe

John Clarke and Bryan Dawe with their take on a historic week in Australian

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2010/s3007633.htm

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Quote:

Rudd returns to the front line
Michelle Grattan and Katharine Murphy
September 11, 2010

FORMER prime minister Kevin Rudd has clinched the consolation prize he has sought since being deposed, with Julia Gillard making him Foreign Minister in the reshuffle she is set to announce today.

Current Foreign Minister Stephen Smith will shift to Defence, overseeing Australia's Afghanistan commitment, while Small Business Minister Craig Emerson moves to Trade and is promoted to cabinet.

Mr Rudd's appointment recognises not just his claim to the job but the brutal political reality that the government could not afford to have him quit in frustration, prompting a byelection. But some in Labor blame him for leaks during the campaign and are against having him at the cabinet table.

In other changes, Greg Combet moves to cabinet and takes Climate Change, while Parliamentary secretaries Mark Butler from the left and Bill Shorten from the right are tipped to become ministers.

Prime Minister Gillard said yesterday: ''Kevin's status as a former party leader and his undoubted capacity meant he is deserving of a senior portfolio where the government can best use his skills. His experience and intense interest in foreign affairs makes this the obvious choice.'' ...<cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/rudd-returns-to-the-front-line-20100910-1550z.html

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Quote:

Oakeshott rejects ministry offer

URL: http://able2know.org/topic/153465-47

While I was impressed with Mr Oakeshott's speech, and with the package he negotiated, it would have been nice to see him put his money where his mouth was and accept the ministry. He still could have been an independent front bencher and been able to implement his wish list.
Just my tuppence worth.

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@Deckland,

I'm pretty happy with his decision Deckland. At least it kills speculation about a pay off.

And Barnaby Choice is already mouthing off about Oakeshott being a labor polly. Consequences, future, changing circumstances Barnaby, have a think mate.

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Gerard Henderson on Insiders yesterday was particularly scathing of Windsor and particularly Oakeshott. Did Oakeshott tell him to go f*** himself somewhere along the line? Invective about immaturity, naivete, cluelessness and accusing him of running the country around when he'd already made up his mind. Not based in truth as far as I could tell but clearly Henderson has **** on his liver about the indies choice.
http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/content/2010/s3009343.htm

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@hingehead,

Just listening again to Henderson in that link I just posted.

Is he losing it? He's claiming that certain parts of the media were targetting Abbott as a catholic, and that the 'mad monk' label is a direct attack on his catholicism. Hello? Earth to Henderson. How many Australian's would even understand that monks are catholic as opposed to just 'religious' and that nickname has been around for ever (Latham days at least). Clearly there were stripey flying insects in his archaic headware. Maybe his corporate pay masters are unhappy with the election outcome?

Also pleasing to see Dennis Atkins from the Courier Mail not get offended by Gillard's appraisal of 'editorialising on the frontpage' a barely masked dig at The Australian, and offer that it was clear that his fellow Murdoch news outlet had done itself no favours by making the 'one day in three' 2PP count favouring the LNP a news story but ignoring the 'two days in three' the count favoured labor.

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@hingehead,

Morning, hinge.

Thanks for posting that link. The Insiders is a terrific program. (I'd watch it live on a regular basis, for the enlightened analysis, but big chunks of television on a Sunday morning (or anytime during the day, even) kind of goes against my grain.)

Quote:

Just listening again to Henderson in that link I just posted.

Is he losing it? He's claiming that certain parts of the media were targetting Abbott as a catholic, and that the 'mad monk' label is a direct attack on his catholicism. Hello? Earth to Henderson. How many Australian's would even understand that monks are catholic as opposed to just 'religious' and that nickname has been around for ever (Latham days at least). Clearly there were stripey flying insects in his archaic headware. Maybe his corporate pay masters are unhappy with the election outcome?

Agreed. Henderson is being rather touchy about this supposed religious targeting of Abbott, isn't he? He's only just discovered "the Mad Monk" ? Where has he been, on which planet? Or more to the point, perhaps, he hasn't been following any political commentary other than that from the Australian & the conservative propaganda supplied to the Sydney Institute by its masters? Wink

"The Mad Monk" has been playful fodder for our cartoonists & our political commentators for years now. And for excellent reasons: Abbott has consistently followed the (conservative) Catholic line in his political decisions .. like his opposition to abortion, stem cell research, the "morning after pill" ... It is well known that he's consulted Cardinal Pell for "guidance" in the past. (About as conservative a Catholic "leader" as you can find in Oz!) The trouble for Abbott is that he's now (as Lib leader) needing to present a kinder, warmer, more inclusive image. We're supposed to conveniently forget all about his past (religiously motivated) words & actions. The problem is, many women (especially) have very good memories! Wink

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@hingehead,

The interesting thing for me (from your Insiders link) was the discussion about the Coalition's line about Labor not have the "legitimacy" to form government, which is being obligingly parroted by so many of our so-called political reporters. The assertion being that the Coalition actually "won" the vote & was robbed of government.

Confused

I mean, how much clearer an outcome can you get than this?:

76 needed to form government:
//www.abc.net.au/news/events/australia-votes-2010/img/alp-win-light.png

//www.abc.net.au/news/events/australia-votes-2010/img/alp-win-light.png

End of story. Labor won the election, the Libs lost.

To Henderson's credit, he agreed. Quote: "It's a legitimate government." Labor has a mandate to form government. He went onto to say something to the effect that he wasn't surprised that Abbott & co were using the illegitimacy argument as a tactic, to destabilize Labor. He seemed quite approving of that.

What disappoints & really concerns me is that so many of our political commentators are running with this Liberal Party bulldust. Are they really so stupid? As one of the participants of this discussion said (echoing Gillard), it's time they got on with reporting the news & refrained from this non-stop commentary & speculation masquerading as the news. Hear, hear!

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@msolga,

Agreed Olga. It depresses me that a large percentage of the population will believe it just if conservative forces say it loud and simplistically. I can't tell if they are stupid or just want to hear stuff they already believe. Are we turning into America? Makes the opposition front benches' whinges about Kevin Spin sound really pot/kettle.

Fact is the Australian electorate (that could be bothered or goaded into it) voted for their individual electorate's representative and their state representatives in the senate. All our rules say that the representatives determine the form of government. This election is no different.

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Still bothered by Boswell's 'but he's a labor man really, in national's clothing'. Get off the geritol Ron. If people voted for him because they thought he was a national, why wouldn't they just vote national?

The voters of Lyne voted for the man, not for any other reason. And they weren't tricked into voting for him as a National and then he left the party. He ran as a non party member and was elected as such.

The Nationals really have lost the plot. They blame both the voters and the sitting member for the fact they don't hold the seat. Freakish. Choyce and Boswell just keep shooting their own party in the foot.

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@hingehead,

Quote:

Agreed Olga. It depresses me that a large percentage of the population will believe it just if conservative forces say it loud and simplistically.

Yes, I know.

They will only believe it if the political press give credence to such nonsense, & keep repeating it, hinge.
What on earth has happened to political reporting in this country? Neutral

Quote:

Are we turning into America?

Sigh. I hope not. (watching the media shenanigans from afar. Shame on you, Rupert, shame! Boo, hiss!)
I like it much better when we're being Australia. Smile

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@hingehead,

Quote:

Still bothered by Boswell's 'but he's a labor man really, in national's clothing'. Get off the geritol Ron. If people voted for him because they thought he was a national, why wouldn't they just vote national?

Exactly, exactly!
But, of course, it's all part of discrediting the independents who made this Labor government possible. The government is "illegitimate" because they're not legitimate ... Rolling Eyes

This reminds me a little (though it's not nearly so ferocious this time around) of the sort of illegitimacy claims that were employed by the conservative forces of this country during the period of Whitlam government. They chipped away & chipped away until they finally got their way. Not necessarily saying (fingers firmly crossed!) that the same will happen this time around, but the discrediting tactics were similar. The Australian played a big part in the discrediting campaign. Remember Rupert publicly declaring that he'd switched his support from Labor to the Libs?

It's interesting, isn't it, hinge. This is the new "kinder, fairer" Liberal Party which Abbott promised us. He doesn't throw all the dirt, though, his lackeys do.

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@msolga,

I'm wondering how the LNP will react to be able to put forward bills? That will be really interesting. For so long opposition has been about detracting proposals by the government - now they are in the same position as the government. They can't say 'if we were in power we would do this' now they have to at least try and do it. Because if it's good enough they'll get enough votes to get it through regardless of what labor wants.

Will they want to share their 'great ideas' though? Will they worry that the govt will get credit for their ideas? Oakeshott's idealism isn't dead, this could be a democracy of the people for the people...

PS Insiders explained that if the opposition (or private member) did get a bill passed it would still have to get the OK from the government should it affect the finances as set out in the appropriation bills.

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@hingehead,

Well they have the clear choice of being positive in opposition or playing the same ol' destructive "opposing everything" games they played with the Libs in the last government.

This is indeed a whole new ballgame. It could actually be a very good thing for the country, if they (& Labor, too) changed their narrow two party mindset & became less rigid about past concepts of government & governing ... This could actually be quite a progressive period in Oz politics, where voters & electorates are actually taken into account. Now wouldn't that be a refreshing change? ("You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"! Wink

)

But I suspect that's kind of a big leap, especially for the Coalition, hinge. I see it as a definite plus for Labor, in the current circumstances. For the Greens & the independents: their big opportunity to be a relevant force & not just "others" working around the fringes of the big issues, as defined by the big two.

One way or another, the National Party is going to demonstrate that there's actually some value for country Australians in electing them to parliament. Or they risk becoming even less relevant than they are now. Non-stop negativity may not be the best way to achieve that goal! Wink

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@msolga,

Quote:

This is indeed a whole new ballgame. It could actually be a very good thing for the country, if they (& Labor, too) changed their narrow two party mindset & became less rigid about past concepts of government & governing ... This could actually be quite a progressive period in Oz politics, where voters & electorates are actually taken into account. Now wouldn't that be a refreshing change? ("You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"! Wink )

Hear hear!

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@dadpad,

Yay!

Now wouldn't that be something, dadpad! Very Happy

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Any advance on what we have now will be tiny steps. but at least its something.

It was reported yesterday that Julia proclaimed, ministers MUST toe the party line.

Why can't all MP's labour, liberal, green, indies just vote for against any legislation introduced by whatever person or party on it's merits?

One reason would be financial budgeting.
any others?

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@dadpad,

Keeping your party in power (by maintaining the status quo), dp! Wink

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Oz Election Thread #4 - Gillard's Labor

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