The NEXT coming Oz election thread!

For those of you who could be visiting this thread from countries other than Oz, our prime minister appears to be the last of the "willing", invading coalition parties to admit that something has gone seriously wrong in Iraq. He is a politician who rarely ever admits a mistake & is famous for never saying "sorry" for anything. This is (apparently) seen as a sign of strength! Otherwise known as the "deputy sheriff" (to GWB) in this region he has constantly argued the US case (on just about any issue you can name!) No matter what damning evidence appears (almost daily!) that Iraq is now a disaster area, JH still looks on the positive side! I doubt he will change his tune until told to by Washington. Terribly, terribly sad & distressing, as you can imagine ... I guess we're still "staying the course"!

Rudd puts teachers on notice
December 09, 2006/the Australian

KEVIN Rudd will demand "quality control" from the nation's schools to guarantee the children of working families a good education.

Setting out his broad guide to beating John Howard at next year's election, the new Opposition Leader said yesterday he would not allow the commonwealth to shovel billions of dollars in education funding to the states without schools performing to adequate standards.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20896928-601,00.html

Uhoh, Kevin!

First the good news: A politician is actually paying attention to what is happening in public education in Oz & wants to fix it. This is absolutely refreshing & is to be welcomed!

Now for the bad news: This is not going to turn into another "teacher bash", is it? Surely he is more intelligent than to go down that (tried & true! ) road, isn't he? I'm hoping that the Australian article (above) is how the Australian writers are interpreting his motives. Same with Nicholson's cartoon: that view would have been much more appropriate when teacher unions actually had some real muscle in this country. ... um ... they sort of don't these days ... & you should see what's happening to working conditions in schools as a result. And, of course, public education in the poorer areas is copping it as a result. (Long story, don't get me started! :wink: )

Now, if I was Kevin's education adviser, I'd suggest he do some very heavy research into what happened to public education under Thatcher in the UK. That is precisely what is happening here. I think we copied Thatcher's blue-print exactly! The schools he is most concerned about are what became the "residual schools" in the UK & he has every reason to be worried about the sort of educational opportunities kids in those (poor) schools are getting. For heaven's sake, no other politician has identified this (very real) abysmal situation. Now he needs to do some serious work on finding real solutions that address those concerns (& they will involve greater government expenditure!) Simply bashing teachers (if in fact he did that) & telling them to lift their game won't solve anything. Go spend a week in one of those schools, Kevin. It'd be an eye-opener!

Second person quote from a died in the wool liberal voter:

"Thank god Rudd's in and I don't have to vote for that b*stard Howard again"

On the Rudd cartoon experimentation - I liked him as Tin Tin the most.

And what the heck is this crap in the media about Julia Gillard's fashion sense? Jiminy crickets - have they seen Howard in a track suit?

But it's different with women, hinge, when it comes to the Oz media. I'm certain you've noticed that? :wink:

Yep, Kev's something of a Tin Tin. And I think that perceived innocence is eminently marketable! Obvious he's struck some cord with your committed Lib voter.

I'll go out on a limb here: I think that the Howard "cleverness" will be on the nose BIG TIME before too long. I see the signs already ...

From your mouth to the ears of any supernatural beings with power over mortals.

But seriously, hinge ...

I know I'm so desperate for change that I sometimes grasp at straws, but I genuinely feel the winds of change are starting to happen. The changed US perceptions on Iraq, the way that JH/Ruddock's stance on David Hicks are being challenged (The Sunday AGE in Melbourne is running a campaign for his return here, for god's sake! Can you imagine that a year ago?) , the seriousness with which Australians are acknowledging climate change, the ease with which the need for leadership change was acknowledged within the ALP .....

Don't you feel that JH is starting to look like yesterday's man? That perceptions in the electorate are (finally!) changing?

Here's a poem written by Leunig & published in Saturday's AGE:

The Tao of John
(for David Hicks)

In order to be strong
Make somebody weak.
To be at the centre of the crowd,
Make somebody a lonely outcast.
To gain extraordinary privelege,
Deny somebody their rights.

Sacrifice a man in the outer world.
Keep a man alone and tormented in a cage.
He will mirror the inner man you have sacrificed.
Thus pain will balance pain and end all feeling.
As you have controlled yourself,
So you shall control the world.



"Bring David Hicks home ....":
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=87880&highlight=

Yes, please!

If Rudd has his head screwed on his main thrust against the libs will be "lies damned lies and everything Howard says. Also the public will follow Peter Garrett just about anywhere, this will get labour a heap of green votes. Julia will pull in women and the working poor.

I think this is close to a winning team.

I hope you're right!

It's certainly a big improvement on a couple of weeks ago, hey?

Speaking of Peter Garrett, dadpad, I was interested to hear a report (on the ABC this morning) quoting him as saying that he intended to strongly argue against any change to the the ALP's uranium policy. Interesting. There's going to be a lot of pressure to change it.

Any Midnight Oil fans out there in A2K land? This is what Mr Peter Garrett, former musician & newly appointed Environment spokesperson for the Australian Labor Party looks like these days. (Still no hair! :wink: )
The politician standing next to him is another fairly recently replaced leader of the ALP. (Another story. Don't ask!)

and this means what exactly?

Labor loses control of upper House
By Nick Lenaghan
December 12, 2006
MINORITY parties, including the Democratic Labor Party, have won the balance of power in Victoria's upper house following the counting of preferences from last month's state election.
The Australian

There's still a DLP?

Lil deputy John is coming down to tour fire ravaged areas.!

Why are politicians attracted to disaster areas?

I think the large groups of television cameras attract them. It is weird. Clearly a need to be seen to be caring - I'm sure the people actually managing the response hate having to divert resources to accomodate VIPs.

Maybe some people feel good if the PM comes and looks at the mess, and maybe they think they'll get some gov funds to rebuild?

Have any of you folk seen the latest federal (preferred party/leader )poll? :wink:

Of course JH fully expected this! Just a phase the voters are going through with a new ALP leadership!

So as quick as anything: Diversion #99!: A citizenship language & values test! That wiped Kev off the front page, no worries!