Get over it, Rudd was a joke. Should not have been a leader in first place, but that is also easier to say in hindsight.

Labor would have been smashed if Rudd stayed in power. Even Michael Kroger, Liberals, states this.

Life is cruel, even for the great intellect, Mr Rude, as Bill Clinton called him.

To think, many thought Rudd (and Obama) was going to save the world. Fact is Rudd could not even run a government properly. Only got away with it for so long because of favorable public opinion. But they woke up eventually.

Yes get over the Rudd being deposed syndrome.

The ruling party can change its leader every 6 months if it wants to. There is nothing in the Constitution that says otherwise.

The very title of the book Battlelines is about the applied politics of exclusion.

Howard was the master of such politics. You know the un-Australian chardonnay swilling "elites".

The ETS was also a crock. A cumbersome unworkable mess which would not have made any real difference to anything. Just business as usual, sweeping the mess under the carpet.

I believe that it is time for the people to get over everything, all the rubbish they have had stacked into their heads by the parties. To start with, to join a politicial party, you have to sign a "pledge" that you promise to agree with the decisions of the majority. To sign that, you would have to be devoid of integrity, and not have much intelligence. So that is what you get in your political parties, along with those fanatical - believe anything their political party tells them. There may be democracy in the party, but I think there are those who won't allow any say against their own pet subject, and there is definitely no democracy in parliament, people have been thrown out of their party for trying it. I am inclined to believe that the most people at the election, selected the party they considered "not the worst", and if a better one was available, would have voted for it.The minor parties don't have enough policies to cover the prospect of them being a powerful and successful government.

I believe that you can tell by the posts, those people who are just fanatics of a particular political party, and can't accept any criticism of their chosen party. When you get fanatics obscessed with the party and they have power as well, we are in real trouble, any thing is likely to happen, even to destroying its economy and its security, is this what is happening?

“the validity of the coup in the first instance is still very questionable.”

That,from a “Lecturer with the School of Law” - heaven help Australia’s advance in legal matters.

Rudd's inadequacies in a leadership position are so glaring that one has to wonder why the UN wants him to head a climate change committee. Is it their way of ensuring that the process fails without having to acknowledge that their AGW 'science' is mere nonsense?

Easy answer JonJ.

The big talkfests are scams for unemployable people. What grandplan has been delivered so far that lifts us from poverty across the globe?

No, and none will be whilst ever these talkfests are riddled with the supporters of the status quo.

The best anconym to demonstrate the true value of these organisations is our very own CHOGM, which, when translated, stands for:

Chaps Holidaying On Goverment Money.

And so it goes with World Banks, UNs, and so on.

No Joke.

Without adding to the carry on here and especially with all that is outdated beat-up in the story... including "Governor-General has thrown up another constitutional issue"...

It all proves one thing.

Predominantly.

We are all human.

This is a story about humanity.

Our humanity.

An Australian story that will go down in our national history.

A record in history seen as a population struggling. Struggling to contrast itself.

There is the greed. The comfort zone. The indifference that contributes if not generates to the wild jokes and apathy.

Forgotten in this story is a fair go.

May our humanity win.

http://www.miacat.com/

So,here we have an Indian pontificating on Australian politics.From my experience of them Indians are known for being arrogant and intrusive.

I suggest to you,sir, that you return to your country of origin and pontifcate on politics there to your heart's content.And I'm sure that your law qualifications,such as they are,would be more use in your country than here.We already have a gross over supply of parasites in that field.

Manorina,

While I respect your right to express an opinion, I do not think the author's racial background has anything to do with his right to an opinion. I would hope that all author's opinions are judged on their merit.

Australians come from all backgrounds

Manorina, I think Dilan has returned to his country .... he's an Australian.

Maybe you should return to your planet?

You cannot find democracy, integrity or intelligence in any party, to join a party, you have to sign a promise that you will agree with the decisions of the majority. Those people who have pride in their integrity and are intelligent, will not join, so those who join, can be regarded as unreliable and not very honest. It is remarkable and interesting that apart from that pig farmer in the 1980's, who had " the recession we had to have", the rest of the PM's and treasurers since 1970's - the end of a great economic period, have been all lawyers, and - without looking, I don't doubt that the group making up the parliamentarly ministery, are all of that type, lawyers, solicitors, and such, with no person even representing the wage or small business section and if there is, they have to obey the dictates of the pledge they make on joining. Forget the idea that our politicians are the idol of integrity, intelligence, decency or even common sence, they obviously don't have it, if they did, the economy would not still be sitting at the bottom of the dunny.

Rudd was a party boy, and not the political type. He will be no loss at the top. Can you imagine Tony as a high level diplomat, I recon we would get laughed at from every corner of the world, and that includes NZ.

I suggest that as a lecturer in law the writer read the Constitution Act,(Cth) 1901 and it might surprise him to find that nowhere is there a reference to a prime minister, let alone how that person is chosen.

Its an issue of constitutional convention Seneca. Maybe you should read the article again.

The Labor Party were very quick to appoint Kevin Rudd and then just as quick to get rid of him when the tide turned. The decision by Julia Gillard to go to the polls so quickly was a huge mistake given that apart from Victoria she wasn't all that well known. The clumsy handling of the BER, Pink batts, Boat refugees, dumping of the ETS and messy handling of the mining tax plus the growing displeasure with both the Queensland and NSW State governments were major factors in the poor showing by Labor. The campaign conducted by Tony Abbott moved the Coalition from a certain defeat to a winnable one demonstrated by his strong leadership.

Ray of sunshine

You have expressed the very sentiments of most middle-class, educated Aussies who voted Labour in the 2007 election. I am a swinging voter, having voted Liberals/Labour/Greens at various times in our election history. I (& my friends) was furious that the Australian PM was dumped in such an undignified manner. My earlier regard for Gillard vanished at the very moment of treachery. Never thought well of Swan from day one and so his part in the 'assassination' of Rudd was not a surprise. You are absolutely right when you say “Labor should be very grateful that neither Turnbull nor Costello was the opposition leader in the 2010 election". Costello is the great PM that Australia missed, no thanks to old Howard. Turnbull would have decimated Labour in this election after the treachery. Labour still is reluctant to freely acknowledge the cost they paid due to Rudd's dismissal. They are in denial or simply unable to face reality. People will remember this for a loooong time. I will certainly not vote Labour as long as Gillard and Swan remain in leadership. Democracy within the current Labour is dead. In its place we have the 'strong-arm' tactics of Arbib, Shorten, Bitar and their cronies. This Labour no more!!

“The ruling party can change its leader every 6 months if it wants to. There is nothing in the Constitution that says otherwise.”

Ho Hum you may be right BUT you are forgetting something important ... people's sense of 'fair-play' and their furry at the thought that their votes were disregarded by self-seeking individuals. You are forgetting the fact that voting is also about people's 'sentiments'and thus an emotive exercise. It is also true that PMs do not get elected but that we elect Parties to power. If this is the only truth, why did Labour have to dispose Rudd? Why the fuss about Gillard and her 'moving forward' theme? The truth is we elect the party knowing who its leader is. Rudd won the election for Labour in 2007. I voted for Labour because Rudd stood for Labour. The absence of Rudd in leadership cost Labour dearly. Now the Rudd-absent Labour (ie Judas Gillard leadership)is in a begging position for the vote of the Independents. Shame on Gillard and her co-assassins. Shame Labour, shame!