"Julia tried to turn me to the dark side" - Wilkie

[Todman]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-12/wilkie-says-gillard-tried-to-recruit-him-to-labor/5314976

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says former prime minister Julia Gillard tried to recruit him to the Labor Party and have him run as an ALP candidate in the last election.
Mr Wilkie says Ms Gillard made the advance during one of their regular meetings in 2011, telling the Member for Denison he needed to think about his future.
Mr Wilkie has told ABC News 24's Capital Hill program Ms Gillard also raised the prospect of the Labor Party not running a candidate against him in Denison at all.
He says he found the offer "remarkable" and "surprising" but not "improper".
"It was about mid-2011, so while I still had an agreement to support prime minister Julia Gillard," Mr Wilkie said.
"At one of our weekly meetings she started the meeting by saying we needed to talk about my future.


Julia knew she would betray the agreement between them, if she could get him to join the party then he would be forced to vote on party lines.

 

[lennon]

mr wilkie has always been on the dark side, he is a bully , a former army guy who bullied recruits at Duntroon, who now wants to put this in his past and forget , but your past shows your true character

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Would probably be the only party he hasn't tried his hand at.

 

[AM]

Thank God she was unsuccessful

 

[Maggie5]

Missing the limelight?

 

[PottSie2]

Not un-expected from a woman of such low moral fibre.

 

[Gough]

Politics is a dirty game, doubley so when the parliament is a hung one, why would anyone be suprised by this? The Libs would have done anything to get into power after the 2010 election similairly the ALP did anything to hang on to it. Non story really and now part of history anyway.

 

[Maggie5]

Not un-expected from a woman of such low moral fibre.

I quite like the fabric of the woman. That is what you meant by fibre I presume.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Leader of centre-left political party tries to recruit popular local left leaning independent who holds a seat that in recent decades has been firmly Labor. Surely not! It would've assured them of his vote and meant they didn't have to campaign there saving them vital campaign resources. It can go down as one of those wildly optimistic moments but it's hardly surprising.

 

[Ratts of Tobruk]

Not sure why she even bothered trying. Wilkie hardly seems like the type of turning and left the Greens because he didn't like the party system, and Labor is far worse in terms of stifling debate, policy ideas, independence etc.

Gillard's famous tin ear at work I guess. Trying something highly unlikely to work but which has the potential to be embarrassing.

That must mean Abbott has a tinnier ear, seeing as he offered Wilkie a billion dollar hospital and Wilkie felt obliged to mention it at the time, rather than once the circus (and Gillard) had left town 2-3 years later.

 

[tandino]

Was this before or after she shafted him?

 

[Gough]

Was this before or after she shafted him?

In the negotiations post 2010 election IIRC.

 

[tandino]

In the negotiations post 2010 election IIRC.

In that case at least there is some logic in it.

 

[Docker Clint]

It's hardly news. Gillard should've put forward the pokie reform though, she would've kept the deal even though it would have fallen flat unfortunately.

 

[GuruJane]

It's hardly news. Gillard should've put forward the pokie reform though, she would've kept the deal even though it would have fallen flat unfortunately.

Truth is, Wilkie was a weasel himself, because he claimed the deal Julia had signed with him was that she would passthe legislation, when in fact the deal was only she would put it to the parliament. Wilkie upped the ante on her straight after the deal was signed and exaggerated it wildly to box her in.

I myself if Leader of :Labor party would have immediately called Wilkie on his distortions and lies in the first place, forced him to endorse what the deal really was. Then she wouldn't have had a problem with him down the track. But Gillard was no Leader, she was a factional deal maker, a short term opportunistic thinker like they all are these days, nothing much more than that, sadly.

 

[Docker Clint]

Truth is, Wilkie was a weasel himself, because he claimed the deal Julia had signed with him was that she would passthe legislation, when in fact the deal was only she would put it to the parliament. Wilkie upped the ante on her straight after the deal was signed and exaggerated it wildly to box her in.

I myself if Leader of :Labor party would have immediately called Wilkie on his distortions and lies in the first place, forced him to endorse what the deal really was. Then she wouldn't have had a problem with him down the track. But Gillard was no Leader, she was a factional deal maker, a short term opportunistic thinker like they all are these days, nothing much more than that, sadly.

Yep spot on about Gillard, she just couldn't play the game and think ahead. The Slipper debacle was a good example, on the surface it seemed almost too clever.

 

[Inferno]

That must mean Abbott has a tinnier ear, seeing as he offered Wilkie a billion dollar hospital and Wilkie felt obliged to mention it at the time, rather than once the circus (and Gillard) had left town 2-3 years later.

At least throwing a billion dollar hospital at Wilkie for confidence and supply actually had a realistic chance of working unlike getting Wilkie to join the ALP.

 

[Ratts of Tobruk]

At least throwing a billion dollar hospital at Wilkie for confidence and supply actually had a realistic chance of working unlike getting Wilkie to join the ALP.

I'm sure Wilkie saw the proposal as a bit of a joke, but beyond holding the balance of power in a minority parliament the power of an independent is very weak. Your electorate is basically hoping the other parties will make large promises to compete with the incumbent. I'm sure Labor reps would've asked people like Mal Washer or Malcolm Turnbull if they were interested in swapping into the ALP too, and there is less reason for them to do so. It's wishful thinking, it's a compliment to the target in the hope they will maintain a more leftist position. It did not cost Gillard the levers of power in 2010, like Abbott's proposal (and his suggestion he would 'sell his arse' to the other Independents) did.

 

[Todman]

At least throwing a billion dollar hospital at Wilkie for confidence and supply actually had a realistic chance of working unlike getting Wilkie to join the ALP.

What did Hhobart get instead of a $Billion hospital?

 

[Docker Clint]

What did Hhobart get instead of a $Billion hospital?

Chocolate.

 

[Pessimistic]

Will be insignificant compared to the double dealing the conservatives will go through to increase the GST