Rudd was ahead in the national polls when he was rolled.

It is highly possible the ALP would have won this coming election either way. With Rudd however we might have made a greater statement on the non-renewable mining tax, given it was the key issue that created the fear, the most. Media say there was a signing of some kind to happen Friday... whose knows what it all means?

I worry now that we may not get the edge on policies because the 'watered-down' rule will become norm again because polls, mining bosses and unions are back in swing with more power then they ought to have.

Secondly, as a woman I am not happy with the signal this coup sends to others. Women already find it difficult to be assertive and this kind of endorsement is not one I respect, given the backlash it will have between genders, in daily life and on culture.

Thanks Graham, for the website and the opportunity to respond.

http://www.miacat.com/

Interesting Graham. My thoughts are the biggest negative against Labor is the taint of waste - via the stimulus. Howard also had similar grants - solar, water and other environmental rebates but the difference was in delivery, and the fact that it was not highly publicised as part of a greater nation building package or as a response to a GFC.

Gillard will only do well if she is not Rudd-lite and if her leadership style both internally and externally is an improvement on the former PM.

Time will tell if she is all talk on a Big Australia and how this will be reflected in policy.

One thing is certain, Gillard will have to be more than just a populist replacement leader, she will have to perform and prove herself to a cynical electorate. The high of the honeymoon period won't last long if she is perceived as all talk and no action.

King Hazza,

I think that you are correct on Tony Abbott; he has too many rough edges.

That means, unfortunately, that we are probably the worst off we have been in regard to the quality of our politicians on both sides of the spectrum. A vote for either side is probably a waste, and there is no where else to turn.

The Polly/Ticks on these articles is amazing.

Both Major Mistakes have a vested interest in lying about each other & jointly about any new parties. Look no further than what they did to Pauline Hanson.

An excellent article Graham. Pity we could not have some more reasonable comments on it.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=10616#175098

paul walter, get real mate, the conservatives are not perfect, but the Red/green/getup/labour coalition are abominable. Look carefully at this little expose of "Lenin's useful idiots" & their Anti Social opposition to everything.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8630135369495797236#

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=10616#175099

Jennifer, Did you not see the http://ninemsn.com.au/ poll on the weekend? Over 300,000 votes, 2 to 1, against Gillard winning the next election.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=10616#175109

Hasbeen, she is an old CARS, Communist, Anarchist, Radical, Socialist from way back. She will be worse than Krudd, just like, Goanna B Liar is even worse than Beattie was & the NSW blond isn't any better either.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=10616#175113

ocm, we have had "leaders" that stand for nothing, on both sides now, for 5 decades.

Between 1945 & 1965 Australia was the land of milk, honey & opportunities. We have been falling apart at the seems ever since then, because of this.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8630135369495797236#

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=10616#175117

Aime, Agreed. Seek & ye shall find, ask & ye shall receive.

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

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=10616#175119

King Hazza, i move comfortably in a wide variety of social circles both Left & Right. I can assure you TA is popular with almost everybody who isn't from the 1% of the population that is in, the Red/green/getup/labour coalition or the "Wet, small l, liberals".

I don't like the Catholic Church, as an institution, either, but that does not automatically mean that all of them are evil.

BTW, the AFP above, has CIR on its policy list.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=10616#175129

CO2, if you think that article was scary look at this one.

http://onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10589

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=10616#175135

rexw, yes dear & we all know that you are not a rusted on supporter of the Red/green/getup/labour coalition, who will say anything negative about the Conservatives, deserved or not.

I don't like them that much either but i will be voting http://www.australiafirstparty.com.au/cms/ & directing my preferences to them.

Dumping 'Big Australia' and putting sustainability first is a significant change in policy direction for Australia. It was a decision that took courage and it was one that the LNP and the Greens fled from while making the odd politic, but always safe comment about population. Although who could ever believe the Greens on anything after the trickery on the ETS?

There is nothing wrong with changing a minister or in this case a PM who was not performing and did not have the confidence of the electorate. How would it have served the parliament and Australia to have a lame duck PM drag on any longer - as happened for a considerable time in Britain out of false loyalty to the Labour PM?

The Greens have a leader Bob Brown who was not welcome in Tasmania during the last election because his old hat, divisive politics were at odds with the electorate. If the leader stinks, why rub the nose of voters in it by keeping him around? A leader should be endeavouring to represent all, not just the few sectional interests he favours himself.

The problem for the LNP is that its attack was always directed at the man, even affecting its choice of a knuckle-dragging, pugilist leader to focus on Rudd. Now the LNP is feeling wrong-footed and cheated. There is humour and poetic justice in that as the reward for the LNP's short-sighted, win-at-all-costs politics.

The LNP is ill-advised to continue with Abbott and the policies of the Howard days. They should really be getting rid of those old war horses in the shadow cabinet because they are impediments to new blood and new policies. Abbott is seen as a lurch to the right and worse still, to the Catholic right. He could have been a minister in a Fifties cabinet.

It is a mistake to see Julia Gillard as a passing phase or a female aberration because already in just a couple of days she has shown some of the qualities of a very good leader and very definitely a new broom in Australian politics.

Cornflower: << who could ever believe the Greens on anything after the trickery on the ETS? >>

What "trickery" was that exactly? The Rudd government refused point-blank to negotiate with the Greens on their abortion of an ETS. The Greens never supported the worse than useless CPRS, and stuck to their guns.

I suspect that the ALP won't be quite as arrogant if they retain government under Gillard and want to revisit an ETS.

As for your typical sniping at Bob Brown - who is probably the most honourable political leader in Australia's history - you are clueless as usual about the Greens' electoral strategies. The fact that you harp on about him so much just reflects how obviously frightened you are of the Greens.

Be afraid, be very afraid.