I think root of the problem is Australian politics has become so presidential. The PM is no longer the captain of the footy team they are the CEO of the Government.
Most pople would know who the leader of each party was and thats about it. This I think has ben cuased by both the parties themselves and the media who expect the party leader to know everything.

An excellent article Bruce.As you have observed,why a 40% increase in tax? Take small amount of blood at a time to make sure the patient survives.

The other issue is that giving this Govt more taxes, we may well have to use the rest of the stimulus package to build more urinals for Labor to relieve themselves of our taxes.

I bet Costello is kicking himself right now,he would have been a shoo in.

Rudd has certainly been a disapointment and Labor seems to promise little but more of the same in the future. Whether the next government is Liberal or Labor, it seems likely that they will be facing a Senate where they will need to be negotiating with the Greens to pass their legislation. Hopefully this time they will do that and pick up the phone instead of digging in and blaming the Greens for lack of progress.

this article has already been run on the ABC's Drum. It was rubbish then and nothing has changed since last week. It is still an angry rant, it is not good political analysis or good writing, and it is better presented as a comment on a forum rather than an article. Giving genuinely good articles a second run on the internet is perhaps warranted but I can't see the point in this. Mr Haigh may have some insights on some subjects but political commentary is not his strength. This article dumbs down the political debate. Please OLO don't give us this...

Bruce seems to have picked up on what a drop kick Rudd is, It would be hard not to.

He then looses any credibility when he talks of the Wong girl. Has anyone else wondered if she was on sedatives. When ever I've seen her interviewed she has given the impression that she was just woken up, for the interview, & can't wait to get back to sleep.

If this is what passes for talented in our labor party, god help us.

...or ignoring the Greens completely.

Bruce your article rings true although I don't agree wholly with the assessment of Tanner and Gillard. Tanner is much less into the S&S than most politicians. They all get tainted with it to some extent under our current party-focussed system of government.

I believe Combet will eventually take the reins, but probably not before Gillard/Tanner carry the baton for a while. Faulkner and Shorten also appear to be less enamoured of the S&S, including Faulkner's hard work when he was in the CabSec portfolio and his work on FOI.

People are sick of S&S but this message has not been fully absorbed into the political psyche for real. Old habits die hard. Hockey is making the same mistake, Abbott less so but he should not be painted as a Saint by any stretch of the imagination.

Abbott's rise in popularity is more a direct response to the fall in Rudd's and constrasting personalities.

Articles on OLO or anywhere else always contain comment. No "facts" stand by themselves.

It would be a poor reflection on some commenters if they decide to nail the messenger (Bruce) rather than concentrate on his message.

While I often don't agree with Bruce, I've seen comment threads on OLO descend into vicious character assassination.

OLO IS about comment - and it takes more guts to write articles than to snipe anonymously from the galleries.

Regarding the message - I think its a good article. Rudd has gotten himself in trouble, but he may be wise enough to mend some ways. The alternative of an Abbott in the Chair is risky.

Much of what Abbott has stood for before is vigourous High Church intervention into our secular society. The current airbrushed Ironman Abbott appears a facade to win over swinging female voters who up to now have rightly been suspicious.

If we're worried about internet filtering just imagine what Abbott's moral filtering/censorship policies might be.

Then there's Abbott's touted reintroduction of fault/blame divorce http://www.theage.com.au/national/no-fault-of-abbotts-but-big-marriage-idea-gets-little-support-20090712-dhe7.html sitting, waiting.

Many aspects of the Coalition policy are appealing, but not from the gospels of Abbott.

Come election time careful what you wish for.

Pete

A “sour grapes” diatribe.

I agree Rudd has been a disappointment, but he served his purpose weaning people off the mendacious and nasty Howard-led government by not scaring the horses.

People voted for change at the last election. The country had tired of Howard's divisivness, his targeting of minorities and his deceit. The cosying up to the Bush adminsitration over Iraq, the denial of climate change (until the last moment, thanks to Turnbull) and the refusal to apologise to the aborigines were all black marks against Howard.

The country wanted to move on to a better-spirited centrist politics that recognised climate change as a reality, moved away from the extremist neo-libertarian economics represented by Work Choices, recognised past injustices against our native people and used the one-off wealth injection of the commodities boom for long-term structural change in our federation.

Rudd promised much, but apart from symbolic gestures, has delivered little. The problem is Abbott merely represents a rearguard action by the defeated Howard forces to set the country back again.

The Liberal Party is terminally divided. Its moderate conservative and small-'l' liberals have been hounded out of the party by far-right xenophobes, fundamentalists and 'Tea Party' style populists. Gone altogether is the Liberal Party's heritage of moderation.

Rudd or no Rudd, Labor's centrist, progressive and global perspective still represents Australia's best chance for the future. Australia dodged a very big bullet in the GFC - thanks to the rapid fiscal stimulus by Swan and the legacy of both the ground-breaking reforms of the Hawke-Keating era and the surplus left by Costello.

Most people agree that our overall direction should be about using the proceeds of the commodities boom to invest in long-term needs in infrastructure, health and education. We need to skill ourselves for a much more competitive world and we need to maintain the good things about Australia - its tolerance, fair-mindedness and willingness to innovate.

Despite Rudd's failings, there are at least see some ideas from Labor on those fronts, but nothing from the Coalition except a return to divisive dog-whistling politics.

plantagenet, the whole article is a vicious character assasination from someone who hates Kevin Rudd and others in the government. Genuine criticism and analysis of political leaders is welcome but ranting is a waste of time and designed to mislead. There are too many good writers and analysts with some insight for OLO to indulge this rant. I know nothing of Mr Haigh other than the comments I read on ABC online when they ran the same article (just with a different heading) that he has written about 19 articles in the past year that basically say the same thing - ie I hate Kevin!

We all know that the polls show a decline in support for Rudd at the moment. Big deal. This article speculates, makes statements that are not backed by evidence, projects lamely into the future. Unless you want to latch on to this as Liberal party propaganda you can't take this stuff seriously.

I agree with your assessment of all the politicians Mr Denmore, but do not agree with you over the stimulus. I think it has been a waste of money and has only delayed the inevitable position of returning to square one.

It seems to be a world wide phenomenon that all governments have taken on private debt and it has now just become sovereign debt. The scenario unfolding now seems to justify this opinion as the debt is still there, it has just changed hands in many cases. No one has satisfactorily explained to me why increasing debt ultimately solves the problem. If it is to gain time before increased production kicks in, it will fail.

I wonder how Greece will can ever afford to pay back one billion dollars if it cannot even pay back half the interest on that amount.

There will be many more debt wrote-offs around the world and "quantitative easing" (firing up the printing presses) before all this plays out.

Although I have got off the subject a little, it was a good article

I agree, true for me. Not sure why someone who may represent the views of some us are not worthy. Make me sick people lke that exist and the type of person that feeds into Rudd's control freak machine.

I have never heardd of you echidna and certainly never voted for you. If you own the website and do not like an article then remove it. Otherwise what is your problem? Little Miss Political Censorship is it?

Perhaps another reason why I am disgusted in this government. The internet filter goes too far and is censorship. Now we have Conroy overstating what Google has done for political gain. They want to be bigger than business, they want more power than business. They will never get it but the damage their ego centric ways is doing is costing society big time. They use spin to moralise. I have never been so angry at a government in my life, never not even close.

Yet Abbot? All I can see see is divide and conqueor power trippers so maye it will be an election for Independants. Labor would need to re-organise NOW for me to even consider them.

I voted Labor at the last election.

Also if writers are required evidence then why not government? Have not seen any from them. Oh yes I did, that there was no evidence to suggest money should be spent wisely lol.

echidna,
>>the whole article is a vicious character assasination from someone who hates Kevin Rudd and others in the government. Genuine criticism and analysis of political leaders is welcome but ranting is a waste of time and designed to mislead.
Unless you want to latch on to this as Liberal party propaganda you can't take this stuff seriously.<<

You are correct of course. Kevin has done a sterling job, and it has been a long awaited joy for working families get some relief from escalating food and fuel prices, electricity costs, interest rates, hospital waiting lists, the school infrastructure pragramme that deliver $2500 per square meter buildings for $25000 per square meter, pink bats to keep us warm and cool, except for the kids who died during installation. Not to mention the ever growing influx of refugees that catch a plane to the place they catch the boat from, and the implementation the ETS and Broadband is something for us to look forward to, after they have fixed the carnage of what they have already delivered to us. Finally thanks Kev for bringing the word "billion" to my attention, I have heard it so often during your governance that it feels like an old friend, as opposed to a fantastic amount of money that I previously associated with top shelf corporate takeovers, Europe and America. Now Australia deals in billions like it is chicken feed.

Kevs Labor predecessors were lame in comparison, they only gave us the Commonwealth bank, transcontinental railway, workers comp, social security, Snowy Mountains scheme, medibank, free university, indigenous land rights, national super scheme, etc etc etc.

Give Kev and his talented band of ex lawyers a go, you know they care about us; it is plain to see by their works.

Kenny, the purpose of presidential politics is to fool you into thinking that the party itself is not the problem, the corrupt, incompetent, brand name that it is.

"The King is dead, long live the King"

The red/green/getup/labour coalition is rotten to the core, changing the leader is exactly the same as rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking "Titanic", no different at all, they have not changed their policy, principles, or style, for 5 decades, that i know of.

The Liberal/National coalition are not much better, but at the moment they are the least worst of the 2 "Major Mistakes".

Arjay, spot on, why can't they ever try to reduce spending instead of increasing taxes.

J L Deland, Hopefully the red/greens will be removed from the senate & replaced with real minor parties & independents. There are plenty to choose from.

http://www.democrats.org.au/

http://www.australiafirstparty.com.au/cms/

http://www.ldp.org.au/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night

http://www.heineraffair.info/

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/archivos_pdf/nonedarecallit_conspiracy.pdf

http://australianpolitics.com/parties/list.shtml

echidna, great points but you failed to say anything yourself, please do? Maybe we can all agree to disagree about some things, agree on others & maybe all learn something in the process of debate.

Hasbeen, accurate as usual.

pelican, come on, Gillard & Tanner are both from the Communist, Anarchist, Socialist factions, even worse than Krudd or Swan whose inertia is caused by being unable to satisfy both the loony, left or ordinary Aussies, like the rest of us, simultaneously.

what the left needs right now is for the red/greens to be dragged kicking & screaming into the ACCC for "False Advertising" as they always were Communist, Anarchist, Socialists, then they could be forced to rename themselves "the reds" & Gillard, Tanner, Wong, Bligh et al could join them.

There goes the neighbourhood. Sane discussion derailed by raving right-wing loonies, yet again.

A discussion being derailed by a right wing contributor is at least better than the country being derailed by a hairspary addicted dictator who must have all opposing views silenced. Seems he has sent censorship generals here to try and intimidate people from having a viewpoint. Maybe all the paid up Eastern European members of his twitter account lol.

formersnag, there is nothing here to debate. It has all been said and said again and again.

The missus, hard to see how you are being censored. The usual right wing winge, poor me, noone let's me speak, woe is me.

Good luck debating how awful and mean Kevin Rudd is, again and again, and sharing the suffering you have faced under the current government. I want something a bit deeper and I won't find it here!

plantagenet, i agree with you about the article & the "possibility" that the red/green/getup/labour coalition led by Krudd, could turn it around before the next election, but you are incorrect, to suggest there is anything wrong, or unpopular about Tony Abbott.

Haven't you ever heard of the DLP?

The Liberal/National coalition don't need to win over the type of "swinging female voter" you are talking about. Radical, Extreme, Loony, Left, Lesbian, Fauxmanistas are just as unpopular with "Real Women" as they are with "Real Men". They are Communist, Anarchist, Socialists who don't even vote getup/labour, but vote red/green & only grudgingly give their preferences to getup/labour.

They will never vote #1 or even preference the Conservatives.

Repealing the Anti Family Law act of 1975 would be extremely popular with Ex Labour voters, all of the men & many of the women as well. Ditto for outlawing "abortion on demand" without valid excuse.

Tony Abbott has already denounced "Comrade Conroy's" Internet censorship, because the previous "Howard" government had an extremely, popular & simple solution. Provide a free download, filter to any family that wants one. Funny that sensible, practical, solutions, are always derided as populist by the loony, left?

Haven't they ever heard of a quaint old fashioned thing called democracy, where the majority, as opposed to minorities, rule? There is a difference between being tolerant of minorities and bankrupting your nation financially, morally, ethically, to pander to every nutcase's whim.

diver dan, yes, a "sour grapes" diatribe, but please say something yourself dan? About anything we could debate.

Mr Denmore, Howard is a "clever politician" just like all the others, good at, "wedge politics" "dog whistling" but "2 wrongs don't make a right". Howard did not "target" minorities, he just did not "slobber all over them" like the red/green/getup/labour coalition does. Ask Noel Pearson how he feels about "Aboriginal Welfare" loony, left style?

What good is an apology for past abuse if you are still continuing it in the present, or some silly, "welcome to country" ceremony to a black fella with no home or job?

PM Rudd's government has done well to handle the global financial crisis. It is a pity that they don't have someone like the self-promoting human headline Peter Costello to sell that for them.

What is very interesting in recent times is the increasing effectiveness of powerful lobby groups in using the media to sway public opinion. It is very concerning too for democracy.

It is incredible that the resignation of Mr Malcolm Fraser, one of the Liberals' star Prime Ministers and hard men - because he firmly believes the Liberals have moved too far right and their policies are in chaos - has attracted so little publicity.

One would have thought that the resignation of a previously staunch hero from the party would have been taken as a bellwether that all was far from good in the Liberal Party, let alone the oft-changed leadership.

After years of inaction on infrastructure and other major issues by the Howard ministry - of which Tony Abbott and some of his shadow front bench were part - it is only to be expected that a reforming government would encounter problems.

However while the lobbyists and commentators might flog PM Rudd hoping to lead the (assumed) Lemming electorate by the nose, it is very unlikely that voters will fail to notice the similarities between the hubris and excesses of the failed Howard government in its last days and what they see before them in the shape of Mr Abbott and his colleagues.

The dead parrot is the Liberal Party and the resignation of Mr Fraser underlines the truth of that.

Here we go again,

Haigs line is Rudd's hopeless and his supporters who are to the fore are tainted and lack ability. Those supporters who aren't to the fore are great value being wasted.
And of course the Liberals no matter what talent are unelectable.

How many times have have we seen this line run in State politic's in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, West Australia and the NT... over the past 20 years?

It's tantamont to proclaimung a one party state is the only way to run Australia and it's states.

Hey boyo, take a look at the mess in state run Health, Education, Transport and infrustructure, and the State debt, don't forget the state debts, regardless of who the labor mob proclaim as the next best thing since Geoff.

And now we see the same biased people advocating the same toxic state of affairs at federal level.

When are you blokes going to wake up to yourselves?

Labor regardless of the talentless Union bakground 'talent' always result in big spending, big taxing, big debt, inefficent services, waste ... and higher interest rates.

Mr Denmore, how is "cozying up to the bush admin" different to "the diplomat" a%*# licking everybody from Obama to the Chinese premier in order to sell the farm, mine, house, rail, ports, everything whether nailed down or not, to the lowest bidder, or securing a UN job, like Senator Gareth Gareth Evans also used to do?

I could not possibly agree with you more about the desire to move on to a more centrist politics. The Raving, Right are equally as repugnant as the Loony, Left, but recognising climate change does not automatically mean an ETS, Economic Treason Scam.

I do however disagree with your assessment of the politics of Howard's election loss. There were only 2 reasons the conservatives lost in 07.

1, "Work Choices".

2, Hanging around too long, there was a perception of people being tired of "Howard's" cleverness as a politician. If he had arranged an orderly hand over to Costello, or Abbott, Hockey, Barnaby, indeed any, of the other popular leadership hopefuls, without "Work Choices" the Conservatives could have, still won in 07 & almost certainly will in 2010, never again.

Krudd promised much but how could any allegedly, sensible, centrist in the red/green/getup/labour coalition ever achieve anything fair or reasonable when they are tied down by the Radical, Extreme, Loony, Left, Communist, Anarchist, Socialist, Factions?

The Conservatives have some divisions, but they are being moved back towards the middle now, by Tony Abbott. Expelling Fauxmanistas within their own ranks like Dr Ingrid Tall would be very popular indeed with swinging voters. Real, normal, women like Sophie Mirrabella, who love their Husbands & children will always go down better, in the electorate, than shrieking Extremists of the Fe"Man"Nazi type.

I think that this is the beginning of the end for Labor.As economic managers they have failed consistantly for the last 50 yrs to be fiscally disciplined and true to the voter base they profess to represent.

We need a new political party based on libertarian values where the individual is once again made responsible for their actions and rewarded accordingly.The socialist state creates more problems than it solves.We now see the results of generations of dysfunctional people incapable of personal discipline and expect the state compensate them for their lack of due diligence.

The nanny state is destroying the very fabric of innovation,creativity and responsiblity.

That said,the corporates also need to be put in their place.They have too much power over both the major parties.Free trade needs to be repalaced by fair trade and many of these large corporate cartels need to be broken up.

We have allowed fiat money distort the real wealth in our economies.People have been left out of the equation and now we have the false economy of derivatives,hedge funds,credit default swaps,sub-prime mortages etc,that sucks the life blood of real production and true happiness.

Cornfolower I find your statement a little odd to be honest "One would have thought that the resignation of a previously staunch hero from the party would have been taken as a bellwether that all was far from good in the Liberal Party, let alone the oft-changed leadership."

Malcolm has been sniping at the Liberal Party for over 15 years now, people are sick of it in the party and have been for ages - there is respect for a former PM, sure, but he has certainly changed his colors over the years.

His current concern for how history will treat him is well founded, as he did nothing with power, except preen and plot, much like Rudd.

His attempt to appear "progressive" now is interesting to those of us who remember when he was Minister for the Army before he was PM, and sent young Australian conscripts to die in Vietnam .. some of us remember this with much bitterness.

He has never apologised nor even talked about his role in this military debacle.

He deserves to be remembered for what he was, a calculating, do nothing, prissy dillitante, much like Rudd.

Sorry, Cornflower, but slapping Liberals with Malcolm's "legacy", is a wasted cause.

I too remember Malcolm with intense dislike. I would suggest his reign marked the beginning of the true corruption of Australia's political process; awarding so called 'representatives' more than generous salary rises when the rest of us were exhorted to 'tighten our belts', to the point where our reps can only be said to represent themselves.
Having said that, however, I tend to agree with Cornflower. It is both the majors who have been two stepping to the right over the past few decades, not Fraser who has changed.
Oz is indeed a funny place. Our 'Liberals' are conservative, and our Prime Minister (Mr Sheen) is a millionaire labour hire company beneficiary, who doesn't like unions yet still somehow claims to be 'Labor'.

Part of the problem is Labor is putting the hurt on many of its most loyal supporters. Smokers, the unemployed, indigenous people and those who support them, young people who want their own house, refugees, drinkers, unions etc etc.
While giving bonuses to banks, pensioners, business, builders and private schools. Hardly the types to vote Labor no matter how much rudd assists them.
The only saving grace they have is that the opposition seem to be morons to a man. And then theres the bishops!
This abbott has no control over his acolytes.

Rudd better wake up to himself soon and start acting like a Labor PM or he should be replaced. Let Julia have a go. The left wing Margaret Thatcher LOL The last straw for many would be wimping out on the fatcats miners tax. Dont do it ruddy.

Well folks,

To me, Kevin 07 is as much the breath of fresh air he always was. He

remains engaged in all the necessary corrections to society this

great country is/was in urgent need of, and continues to fulfill my

expectations with the addition of trust and honesty . He still has

my vote.

Come on diver dan, you can't leave it there, mate.

Some of us are likely to be awake all night, trying to figure out the punch line to your joke.

Yes Odo, Fraser must be challenging a couple of labor blokes, for the title of the worst ever PM. In the time, & position to do so much, & did stuff all.

I would think you would be more worried if you did not recieve brickbats from this dill.

Thanks Hasbeen.

Catchya.

Diver Dan,

I think it must be a joke because he has not actually delivered anything.

lol

How things change,

To all you leftie leaning Rudd mates, wasn't big Mal the 'do nothing' PM whose 8 years were wasted? Wasn't he the former PM who's reputation went the same way as Rudd's in the strippers bar in NY, when his pants went missing?

Oh and what about 'life wasn't mean't to be easy'?

Oh you are so naively inconsistant! But then again you all still cling to the notion Geoff was a great PM unfairly dismissed during our political crisis of the seventies when he couldn't get supply! And please note it was our Constitution that handled his arragonce. It wasn't at all in crisis!

'Mr Richardson described Mr Rudd as "the unluckiest prime minister ever elected. There are few politicians who've lost popularity as quickly as Rudd but he's had a shocking run of luck. You get elected and then the worst financial crisis in 80 years comes along. But he's tough; he's not a weakling.' - The Sunday Telegraph
http://www.news.com.au/national/kevin-rudd-unluckiest-pm-ever-says-alp-hardman-graham-richardson/story-e6frfkvr-1225872988655

Graham Richardson is right.

keith:

Gough!

:)

Malcolm Fraser was known to be a bit of a control freak in his time too, however I much preferred the Liberal Party of that time.

The Coalition don't know if they're Arthur or Martha at the moment and are suffering from the previous Labor opposition faux pas of no clear policies when Howard managed to scrape in despite falling popularity. And the Beazley habit of waiting to see which way the wind blows did not get him very far. We don't have politicians anymore, only meteorologists.

Echidna is very prickly about the author, and protests far too much for what the article is.

The author is correct, so I believe, and he raises a few interesting points about Gillard, too, the assumed 'next PM'.

Sadly, the journo's we suffer from are busy building her up as the 'commonsense' next choice.

I hope not, and I hope that she is not just being touted because she is a woman.

After all, she has never wavered from Rudd's plans, and so should not be split from them. Why be fed up with Rudd, yet seek salvation from Gillard?

I have no views on Combet, he may be OK, or he may revert to being a PM machine if he were to get the gig later.

But there is certainly a lack of obvious talent on the front bench of the ALP (and Coalition for that matter).

The election is a poor decider, with Rudd and Abbott being so similar in so many areas.

The best result can only be a return of the ALP, although only because the Coalition is abhorent, still, and should not get the prize at all, with a massive change in the Senate to favour Green votes...since 'independents' tend to be either Xtian fundies or total nutters (is there a difference?)....and rather than constrain Rudd, that would probably encourage him with his dream of being a god, and we would remain lumbered with him.

Rudd's inability to negotiate with the Senate will bring him undone, with any luck, and he will evaporate only when his drones get fed up and move to get rid of him themselves.

Like Howard, he will never understand why he is so loathed by so many, including those who do, or did, vote ALP.