>>The message is, Rudd spins, he cares about his career in politics, he doesn’t care about people, he doesn’t care about productivity, it is all words.<<

After seeing Rudd on the 7.30 Report last night, I reckon you are spot on, Bruce. The interview was spin from start to finish. And even Kerry couldn't put a dent in him.

It looks like the insulation program is not going to be the last of it. Now there's a mooted $41 million program to audit the initial problems, but without detail. How do we know it's going to be done any better than the original installation program?

Then there's the fake concern when he's doing his set-piece meetings with victims in front of the media. There he was last night taking down people's names in his notebook for the cameras. The integrity of Federal politics has never been so low. His fanaticism for being in the limelight is distorting the political fabric in ways which I think are becoming very dangerous.

The word ‘spin’ is just a euphemism for ‘lies’. Our politicians are inveterate liars; nobody believes a word they say, so the word ‘spin’ should be dropped for the more accurate and down to earth word ‘lies’.

Rudd, chief liar, appears to be the epitome of the ‘political class’ commented on by corruption-buster Tony Fitzgerald’s in “The Australian” yesterday, 25 February.

Fitzgerald was reported as hitting out “…at what he sees in Australia as an amoral political culture run by a governing class preoccupied with amassing power for itself.”

While this phenomenon is becoming more apparent in all political shades as politicians adopt dictatorial roles and ignore the voices of the people they were elected to serve, our best example of it is with our current Rudd socialist government. Rudd is all about power; in true socialist mode, he interferes in things best left to ministers and professional public servants; he pushes himself as a global ‘leader’ to the detriment of Australia (most recently seen in the ETS fiasco), and his socialist belief that governments can interfere in the market and control private business without any expertise has culminated in the appalling waste and tragic loss of life with the insulation botch up. Four deaths, 90 house fires and a government still with the gall to stonewall criticism about an incompetent Minister and a federal department not equipped for this wild foray into the business world.

Fitzgerald is fair, being reported as saying that ‘“…small groups control the Labor and Liberal parties "and indirectly the national destiny"’. We currently have a ‘group’ of one in Rudd. But, anyone who believes that the Opposition (the last leader was Rudd-like, and the new leader has the right personality) would be any different from Rudd Labor, is kidding himself.

We, as electors, have to start taking more notice of politics and the people claiming to want to ‘represent’ us. “…the general public is becoming increasingly cynical, apathetic and disengaged." (Fitzgerald). We are enabling these dangerous politicians

Very good article. Bruce is quite right. It's spin but educated, thoughtful, waffle. He has a knack of looking considered when in fact the thought bubble is empty. The 'bloke on bloke' stuff is a shocker. He is not a bloke who you'd have a beer with at the pub. He's an autocrat who takes the role of First Minister to heart - so much so that he has co-opted Peter Garrett's job and anyone else in the Ministry who has been naughty.

There will be much more Rudd-speak in the future as he and his minders know they have done not nearly enough in their first term.

I am so angry with all the lies, spin, and incompetence of the Rudd government that I turn off the radio or TV whenever Rudd or one of his minions starts talking. Their spin and talking points are always the same, "look how good we are and here is how bad the opposition is". And they manage to do it without ever once addressing the main question.

The federal gov't is following the lead of the NSW Labor gov't by promising everything, following it up with studies that indicate the promises need more studies or were not the ideal solution but then promising more. Then using the next election as a plebiscite to determine if they should be doing more of the same nothing

I too find Rudd a big disappointment and he certainly lives by spin.
Regarding the title of the article: This applies more to the previous government I believe. Rudd is just carrying on the tradition.
-Howard used racism, class, and fear campaigns whilst playing the public.
-Howard assisted his own family, both overtly and covertly.
-Howard introduced the terrorism laws that undermined our reputation and empowered the not-so-competent ASIO.
-Howard lied to us and took part in illegal (and unethical and stupid) wars.
-Howard increased government expenditure to the wealthy and reduced assistance to the needy. (Small government: Ha!)
-Howard allowed the financial sector to become a massive parasitical profiteering entity. Non-productive yet raking in Billions, we have followed the US into economic insanity.
-Howard sidelined science and boosted religion. Schools are now free to teach the non-existent "controversy" of evolution and allowed to abuse children with obscene radical teachings. This is a serious policy change yet was introduced with no public consultation.

I agree Rudd is carrying a dangerous attitude and appears to be of the "ruling class". The sheer incompetence, coupled with the lack of any real ethical compass is dismaying.
However to this little black duck, the previous generation was much more radical and dangerous, and they have radically changed Australian society. No longer progressive, no longer transparent, no longer balanced, no longer professional nor aspirational. The very cultural factors that gave us success are being eroded and replaced by radical conservatism.
Australia is joining the US and Britain in the decline of the West. I chose to see this as the composting process in which the next civilisation can grow amongst the decay of the prior. Most likely it will be Asian as they treat engineers and scientists (and education generally) with respect and foster industry instead of banking. Amazing how little time it took for the US to be decimated by the Neo-cons, alas I see they have established themselves here on both sides of politics.

Tremendous article, Bruce - and I can see you are deadly serious here. If only our esteemed former Foreign Affairs colleague could recognise the integrity of this advice and take it to heart - because who wants the other lot back, especially with Abbott in charge?

Your suggestion about ASIO opening offices in every country town is on the money. There is no doubt that desperate people in the countryside are being radicalised as a result of ineffective and insincere government responses to the escalating climate change crisis. What Martin Ferguson might call Eco-terrorism (but he would probably call it something else, like interfering with coal power installations of national security importance) cannot be far away, unless the Rudd government comes up with real decarbonisation policies soon.