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The Forum > Article Comments > Kevin Rudd's failed UN Secretary General bid > Comments

Kevin Rudd's failed UN Secretary General bid : Comments

By Binoy Kampmark, published 29/7/2016

That Rudd would even think he had a chance offers an insight into a particular brand of megalomania.

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For once, and probably only once, I find myself in agreement with Binoy Kampmark - at least on his depiction of Kevin Rudd and his total unsuitability to be the next UNSG. It is something that 80% of people who are not Labor politicians would agree with.

Mind you, I believe there should be no UNSG nor a UN. Alternatively, no self-respecting democracy should be a member of any organisation that includes Saudi Arabia, China and several other dictatorships with absolutely no regard for human rights, but who join in telling Australia and other democracies what they should be doing
Posted by ttbn, Friday, 29 July 2016 5:07:34 PM
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Nothing to fault here?
Sorry, just here to help Kevin 07.
Alan B.
Posted by Alan B., Friday, 29 July 2016 5:18:50 PM
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I have always thought there was something odd with the way Kevin Rudd was treated, and the things said about him after he was disposed of.

At the time, he was extremely popular with the public, there were no resignations by members of his party, and no mention from the press that he was disliked within his party.

Then Australians woke one morning to find we had a new Prime Minister.

I thinks Kevin Rudd was disposed of so the Labor party could install a female Prime Minister, who went on to get the lowest opinion poll ratings for Prime Minister in the history of opinion polls for Prime Minister.

Kevin Rudd was stabbed in the back to make way for a female Prime Minister, and what a totally unpopular Prime Minister she was.

As for "dysfunctional", "vengeful", "unstable", and a "megalomaniac"

I would think this would be representative of most of our politicians.

And I am thinking of one particularly irksome politician who was thrown out of Parliament on 40 occasions for disrupting Parliament, and he was then made Speaker of the House, and he continues to be a Minister.

Our Parliament is actually "dysfunctional", "vengeful", "unstable", and "megalomaniac"
Posted by interactive, Friday, 29 July 2016 5:19:48 PM
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Hearty congratulations to Turnbull for making the enlightened decision on July 29, 2016 to say no to Rudd and no to Rudd's sheepish support group in the ALP.

ABC online records "Kevin Rudd: Malcolm Turnbull rules out nominating former PM for UN secretary-general job" http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-29/kevin-rudd-un-secretary-general-bid-endorsed-by-malcolm-turnbull/7671542

"...Speaking in Sydney today, Mr Turnbull said he had decided the former prime minister was not suitable for the role.

..."When the Australian Government nominates a person for a job, particularly an international job like this, the threshold question is, 'do we believe the person, the nominee, the would-be nominee is well suited for that position?'" he asked.

"My judgement is that Mr Rudd is not, and I've explained to him the reasons why.""

I thought Tanya Plibersek had the brains not to be a factional Rudd supporter but clearly she's one of the sheep.
Posted by plantagenet, Friday, 29 July 2016 6:43:33 PM
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On this celebratory day of Turnbull rightly sinking Rudd's UN pretentions we should remember what a senior Labor colleague reported about Rudd's unfitness to lead.

At http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/wayne-swans-new-book-dishes-the-dirt-on-kevin-rudd-20140815-3ds93.html :

"Mr Swan cites examples of what he calls Mr Rudd's ''unstable personality'', including the latter breaking a pen in a fit of anger in a hotel room, spraying ink everywhere and causing thousands of dollars of damage to the decor.

''Kevin's treatment of people was extraordinarily vindictive and juvenile, and it was frequently on display,'' Mr Swan writes.

''Too often his focus was on having something to announce, and the political upside of any decision … for all Kevin's reputation as a policy wonk, it's something that often took a back seat in his decision-making process. Too frequently it came a distant third, behind media and political considerations.''

There was a ''culture of fear and blame'' in the Rudd office, Mr Swan writes, and the former prime minister was quick to get angry and deliver retribution.

''In most instances, it would not be the senior minister or departmental official who bore the brunt of these outbursts (although this did sometimes happen); rather, a more junior staff member would be the recipient … he burnt through staff like a child flicking matches from a box.''"

Rumour has it that Rudd has shifted his goals - in order to pip Pell for the Pope job!
Posted by plantagenet, Friday, 29 July 2016 10:19:27 PM
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I didn't see any injuries, his make up artist must be very good. Surely there must be some injuries to Turnbull's head, after the majority of ministers sat on it to stop him endorsing Rudd.

Good to see the more sensible Libs have got on top of the dill. They must have, as it was obvious Turnbull wanted to do it.
Posted by Hasbeen, Saturday, 30 July 2016 12:20:41 AM
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