ALP Leadership Speculation

[DeanoT]

Abbott's going to do nothing.

He's a do nothing kind of person.

It will be a mediocre and unremarkable term as Prime Minister.

I reckon you are right, and, if that is the case, he will be a roaring success.

It would be a nice change to have a government which announces a modest set of policies prior to an election, fulfils them, adds no special surprises without a mandate, and repeats this process term after term.

 

[Theseventhhamster]

It's a credit to Abbott, that he has NEVER (and will never) divide Australia. Neither did Howard.

This would have to be the dumbest thing on this board since Pazza said that Conroy was good at his job.

 

[GuruJane]

I agree with Dan to the extent that the ALP will lose whether Rudd or the PM are leading the party in September.

Some general questions for anyone who wants to answer.

Is there any policy or ideological difference between Rudd and the PM or is it solely a personality issue?

Neither. The difference is that the former was pathologically dysfunctional at boring old governance; the latter is not.

Is it important to be able to distill the essence of a political party into a one line description of 'what they stand for'?

Helps.

Is it important that a party's policies are consistent with what they stand for?

Yes.

What did the ALP stand for from 83-96?

Major economic reform and social wage. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prices_and_Incomes_Accord

What do the other parties stand for?

Coalition - boring old prudent governance, strong border security and strong economy.

And are their policies consistent with what people think they stand for?

Yes.

Or to put it all into one question, is what a party 'stands for' determined by what they say or what they do?

In government, by what they do. In opposition by what they say in context of what they did last time in government.

 

[skipper kelly]

Do you really believe that drivel?

Sadly, he/she does.

 

[The_Reaper]

I reckon you are right, and, if that is the case, he will be a roaring success.

It would be a nice change to have a government which announces a modest set of policies prior to an election, fulfils them, adds no special surprises without a mandate, and repeats this process term after term.

Yep.
At the moment I'll be delighted to have that type of government.

 

[Docker Clint]

It's hard to know anymore if it's the media itself just feeding it.

 

[Keys]

It's hard to know anymore if it's the media itself just feeding it.

It's almost as if the media want it but I think Rudd and his supporters are feeding it. Certainly Rudd doesn't do anything to quell the speculation

How anyone can have respect for someone like Rudd who has deliberately undermined a government because of his own bruised ego is incomprehensible. I don't particularly like Gillard but her job as been made far more difficult than it should have been and the country has suffered as a result.

 

[Todman]

When peppered with questions about the leadership, Ms Gillard repeatedly said "that was settled in March", referring to the last stoush with Mr Rudd in which he failed to challenge.
"The focus for me this week is on our schools reforms which are in the Senate," Ms Gillard said, in her first comments in several days on the leadership question.

 

[Andre]

It all comes down to whether Rudd thinks he can win the election. If he does he'll have a crack, if not then putting the biggest defeat in ALP history onto Gillard and her backers shoulders is something he'll dine out on for the next 40 years (if Gough and the dismissal is anything to go by). Post loss if he doesn't challenge those trying to spin it as all his fault will be pushing shit up hill (even more than now) and without being in government the (minimal) niceties of pretending to mostly like each other will be gone. The only thing Rudd won't want to do is go to the election to minimise losses to save Gillard's and the ALP's reputation, as he knows they'll just ditch him before 2016 in those circumstances anyway.

 

[Docker Clint]

It's almost as if the media want it but I think Rudd and his supporters are feeding it. Certainly Rudd doesn't do anything to quell the speculation

How anyone can have respect for someone like Rudd who has deliberately undermined a government because of his own bruised ego is incomprehensible. I don't particularly like Gillard but her job as been made far more difficult than it should have been and the country has suffered as a result.

It's a bit of column A and a bit from column B. Rudd's egotism is being fed by the media so he may think it's on. If he's got any sensibility he'll stay out of it.

 

[pjcrows]

Rudd is going to challenge, according to Sky.

Well there you have it.

Will love it if he gets rolled.

*Now Channel Ten saying he isn't going to challenge. Come on media hacks. Sort it out.

 

[noddy]

The only way the creep will challenge is if Julia puts it on the table like in March & even then that is very debatable, the Caucus en mass bending over to bare all would probably do it though.

What i can't fathom is that after the last time he had the chance to dispose of Gillard is how the media as one crucified Rudd & vowed never again to fall for Rudd's antics & here we are hey presto the pack has fallen for it all over again.

 

[Keys]

What i can't fathom is that after the last time he had the chance to dispose of Gillard is how the media as one crucified Rudd & vowed never again to fall for Rudd's antics & here we are hey presto the pack has fallen for it all over again.

Nothing seems to excite the political media like a leadership challenge, even if it means they have to be the ones driving it.

 

[GuruJane]

Rudd is going to challenge, according to Sky.

Well there you have it.

Will love it if he gets rolled.

*Now Channel Ten saying he isn't going to challenge. Come on media hacks. Sort it out.

Must say one of the most surprising things to me is there is not one poster here who comes out swinging passionately for Rudd. I would have thought hatred of Abbott among left luvvies and fellow travellers would trump all.

 

[pjcrows]

Must say one of the most surprising things to me is there is not one poster here who comes out swinging passionately for Rudd. I would have thought hatred of Abbott among left luvvies and fellow travellers would trump all.

If they reinstate Rudd, they've lost me completely.

 

[tazzietiger]

The ASU is asking its members who they support as leader of the ALP

THE Australian Services Union has asked its members if replacing Julia Gillard with Kevin Rudd will change their voting intentions, following a significant shift in support away from the ALP among its membership.

The union's NSW branch has taken the extraordinary step after its telephone polling of 2500 members last week found support for the ALP was down 10 per cent and a further 30 per cent said they were undecided about how they would vote on September 14.
Sally McManus, the union's NSW secretary, told The Australian that the union was concerned that large swings against the ALP would give Tony Abbott control of the Senate.
Ms McManus said members of her ALP-affiliated union were being asked if changing from Ms Gillard to Mr Rudd would influence their vote.
"I wanted to see what our members thought of the leadership issue," she said. "Was that a key issue in terms of them being undecided, or voting for the coalition or not?"
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...rs-on-leadership/story-fn59noo3-1226668805269

 

[Visions]

The only way the creep will challenge is if Julia puts it on the table like in March & even then that is very debatable, the Caucus en mass bending over to bare all would probably do it though.

What i can't fathom is that after the last time he had the chance to dispose of Gillard is how the media as one crucified Rudd & vowed never again to fall for Rudd's antics & here we are hey presto the pack has fallen for it all over again.

It's much the same as those within the Labor caucus. They seem to be always harping on about how the leadership speculation needs to come to an end. I thought it came to an end in Feb last year after the first vote, and then in March this year after the non challenge. Now Labor MP's are calling for it again.

It's as if the only time the speculation will come to an end is when Rudd gets the top job back.

 

[evo]

 

[The_Reaper]

It's almost as if the media want it but I think Rudd and his supporters are feeding it. Certainly Rudd doesn't do anything to quell the speculation

How anyone can have respect for someone like Rudd who has deliberately undermined a government because of his own bruised ego is incomprehensible. I don't particularly like Gillard but her job as been made far more difficult than it should have been and the country has suffered as a result.

It's pretty obvious that Fairfax want Rudd back to take down/minimise Abbotts win.

News Limited want Gillard to lead the election but want to keep the tensions going on as long as possible.

 

[GuruJane]

If they reinstate Rudd, they've lost me completely.

Says much for collective IQ on BF politics board

 

[Smiling Buddha]

It's pretty obvious that Fairfax want Rudd back...

Agree with this.

to take down/minimise Abbotts win.

Not so sure about this part though. I think the editors at The Age are smart enough to know that the ALP will be smashed just as hard if they revert to Rudd, once News and the Coalitioon go to town on how you can't vote for Rudd because he'll just be knifed again if he wins the election.

It strikes me that The Age might want Rudd back in because at least that way Rudd wears the blame, rather than Victoria's own Australia's First Female PM.

 

[The_Reaper]

Agree with this.



Not so sure about this part though. I think the editors at The Age are smart enough to know that the ALP will be smashed just as hard if they revert to Rudd, once News and the Coalitioon go to town on how you can't vote for Rudd because he'll just be knifed again if he wins the election.

It strikes me that The Age might want Rudd back in because at least that way Rudd wears the blame, rather than Victoria's own Australia's First Female PM.

Possibly for the Age.

The AFR want Rudd so that Labor can put up a fight though.

 

[pjcrows]

Says much for collective IQ on BF politics board

Gillard is the PM. They need to face the judgment of Australia with her leading.

 

[tandino]

Why would Rudd come back to be the fall guy?

Surely he must know he can't win.

 

[pazza]

Why would Rudd come back to be the fall guy?

Surely he must know he can't win.

He does have a rather unrestrained ego. If he has the balls, he must do it. If he doesn't, then he should never be leader ever again.