Deane is right. Who would trust Ghoullia? She is not only politically inexperienced, clearly out of touch with the real world, as her comments about 'horrible' foreign backpackers that Deane pointed out rightly showed, but she is completely divorced from the values that mainstream Australian society holds dear. Her decision to live in a de facto relationship with her hair products 'partner' is evidence of this.

One must remember that if a Labor Government were in power in Canberra, Julia Gillard would be second in charge. If Kevin were to kick the bucket or resign (maybe by becoming involved in some torid tax-payer funded strip club jaunt), she would be PM. Australians thinking of voting labor really need to ask themselves, do they want Ghoulia as PM?

I think the reason why the labor party is side-lining her is because they know she is unpopular. She is only there to placate the socialist and left-leaning interests that keep the Labor Party in the game. We all know that the Labor party would happily ditch its socialist roots if it could. If it had some balls, it would ditch Ghoulia too. And it wouldn't be too soon.

What the hell does her marital status have to do with anything? I think you'll find that defacto relationships are growing in numbers, so I don't know how you got the "out of touch with community standards" on that one.

Pick at her policies, attack her ideas, play the ball not the woman people.

I wouldn't have thought a weekly appearance on the Today Show as deputy leader was being off the campaign trail. This morning she revealed why she hadn't commented on Rudd's visit to the New York strip club. Like most of the electorate she thought it was both ridiculously funny and incongruous, given Rudd's character, w3hich I'd say she knew pretty well.
As for the ALP and socialism - the ALP is socialist because it has a heart, which is not something you can say about Howard's bunch of cruel, callous Conservatives by any stretch of the inmagination.

It appears that Ms Gillard represents feminist not women in general. You often see this when silence takes place when women are portrayed as sex objects and yet the feminist scream if they perceive some bias towards men. Feminist are not interested in human rights just power. They have more double standards than most.

Here's a question:

How loud would Julia have screeched and how much media attention would she have been given if it was John or Alexander who had had a sordid little adventure in a NY lap-dancing joint?

It would appear that Julia Gillard does have what it takes, to be the next deputy Prime Minister. This being shown by the attempts of rightwing bloggers on here, to demean her.

Alexander Deane? is he another Alex D's lovechild? The both have very similar smiles.

Asking hard questions about Gillard’s wall-flower effort, thus far, in the election is a legitimate enterprise, but all this self-congratulatory carry on about catching out all feminists is total nonsense. It’s never actually explained why feminists are expected to put their jackboots on a punish Rudd in locked step. Instead, a kind of crude South Park caricature of them is used to assume their evident hypocrisy. But why is it expected that relatively minor indiscretion such as merely attending such a venue disqualifies him from all progressive bona fides?

Why do conservatives think feminists are required to exhibit the same borg-like prudishness as religious cultural warriors on the right do? It is true that certain schools of feminism are actively opposed to much of what they see as exploitative in the sex industry, but it is another thing to say that even that small contingent of hardcore feminists would view attending a strip club as their principal concern. Are not feminists allowed to prioritise their issues, like anyone else, and choose the least offensive candidate?

It's not he was unapologetic in his behaviour, spoke disparagingly about women, interfered with their reproductive rights, or used policy to entrench socially defined roles, as is common amongst some of Liberal/Nat troglodytes.

Julia Gillard has an unfortunate rasping voice and a rasping personality. She sets people's nerves on edge with what appears to be sheer vindictiveness toward anyone who is not left wing.Her marital status is no one's business,I doubt if anyone cares.
But as an alternative PM....never!
It is bad enough to have to contemplate Kevin Rudd who uses fifty words where ten will do and his constant lip licking and eye flicking. Where does the ALP get them from?

Gillard is hiding due to the fact that the unions and labor were not on the bandwagon about the 400 people given the boot from workdirections.

The unions jump up and down for 250 people but 400.

Thats right its owned by Rudds wife.

Thats right they had to go due to incompetence with management.

Stuart Ulrich
Independent Candidate for Charlton

Mr Rudd obviously thinks Ms Gillard is a liability otherwise we would see a lot of her. It will be interesting to see what he eventually does with her.

It will be more interesting to see what the Labor Party does to Rudd and to itself when their current lead evaporates.

I am absolutely amazed at most of the subs on this subject. If that's all you can carry on about Julia Gillard, she is a hands down winner.

Why is it that women in power are always attacked for their appearance, raspy voice, msrried/unmarried, children/no children etc.

I think we owe the Julia's of this world a debt of gratitude -
Good on you Julia, my vote for Julia would be for Prime Minister.

Actually you see very little of anyone in the Opposition apart from Kevin. When you do see them they make brief and limited statements. Kevin is dead scared of letting them say too much - perhaps because they have nothing of substance to say.
That may sound right wing but the air time and column inches devoted to this mob would seem to prove my point, at least here in South Australia. Is it different elsewhere?
Come to that our Julia went to high school here, Unley High School no less. That's not too far from here and she still isn't getting much publicity locally - guess she is seen as a liability but Kevin knows he only get there with her support...wish KB was still around...a much nicer man all round.

Please note that my article did not touch on any of the personal criticisms under discussion.

My questions about Julia Gillard are PERFORMANCE based - that she's hiding (or being hidden) from the public debate. She has been venturing out less and less ever since she made a hash of Medicare Gold, but now it's just a joke. As I say, I see no reason for that absence from the front line, other than that there are real concerns about her performance in the ALP.

This is unabashed and unvarnished criticism - but it's not personal.

Alexander,

Its good to see an article that treats a female politician as just another politician. I get a little ticked when people insist on making bitchy (and there is really no other way to put it) comments rather than tackling the person and the ideas.

My My getting desperate are we,just another Liberal hack without anything intelligent to say,judging by the amount of articles this clod and his female counterpart have been putting out the gravy train must be running out of steam.
Go get a day job son one that you work at cause I think it will be a long while before you get a Govt job

I keep saying this, but if tou get rid of all the corrupt,bad hair day pollies, who is going to run this place?
I must admit it would take a thicker skin than mine to do it.
Hang on, how much did you say the pay was?

"So perhaps, for Labor, the reason for removing Gillard from the frontline is more troubling than personality problems or her own electorate, or presentation - perhaps it’s performance-based."

Or perhaps she's had the flu.
Or perhaps she's setting up a dirt unit based on the Ruddock model.
Or perhaps she had to wash her hair.
Or perhaps the new ads brought to us by Business Union Bosses are doing the job for her.
Or perhaps this election is about leaders more than parties.
Or perhaps articles like these are supposed to draw her out so that Liberals can say she's barren.
Or perhaps Labor have noticed the election hasn't been called yet and Gillard's saving her energy for that.
Or perhaps she's having surgery and elocution lessons so she sounds more like Alexander Downer.

The mentality of the voter is seriously worrisome when so many insist on personalising political debate. Critical analysis of policy and political standpoints of candidates is fair- criticism of personal traits such hair/clothing/partnerships is indicative of a voter who is swayed by media hype and petty enough to perhaps overlook political strengths and strategy for issues more aligned to popular culture. For heaven’s sake, the writer here was trying to debate the rights and wrongs of the ALP sidelining a major player in their proposed front bench - not asking if you liked her living arrangements. Personally I think the disappearance of Julia Gillard smells suspiciously of the kind of mistakes the Canberra party machine made in the 2004 election campaign by putting all focus on the leadership and not near enough on the strengths of the team. If Federal Labor are to win this election they need to think seriously about presenting a team that can deliver the goods, and more so at the careful and considered policy needed, hopefully not a repeat of the ridiculous one-liners we were subjected to in ’04 being parroted off by all and sundry with nothing to back them up. Kevin Rudd is smart, as are Gillard and Swan, but the Canberra party machine is bewildering as it seems to simply follow a recipe without tasting as it goes. That for me usually means the dish is lacking something.

It is obivious why Julia is not there.It is the boring mono-tones,dull personality and almost expresionless face.This coupled with her hate of free enterprise makes her a liability.

If I was Kev '07 I'd hide her in the back room too.She will have a lot of influence if Labor forms Govt and be prepared for the same debacle that Labor in NSW has achieved.Labor have not clearly enunciated where they want to take us.We have a party that has it's foundations in the Public Service Unions.85% of Unions dwell in the PS.This means higher taxes for the private sector so they can reap better benefits and pay.It has happened in NSW and now it will happen nationally.

We can all recall the election where Kim Beazley decided that being a small target was the answer; OK he was derided and it was a disaster. Then it was Mr Latham, the bull in the China Shop; attack attack attack, threatening to break hands and heads etc and another disaster.

So, back to the drawing board. This time an even smaller target approach than under KB; hardly a policy and hardly any potential front-benchers in evidence either. Julia is just one of the missing. The others have been taunted, then mauled, so often in parliament (remember "the Roosters" jibes?) that they daren't risk running into their Govt opposite numbers IN PUBLIC. Their limited forays have made them look like fools; Peter Garrett opens his mouth to drop the absurd clanger about eliminating off-peak hot water systems, for example. And on it goes. So far the "no policy is Good Policy" appraoch has meant no scrutiny. Come on Julia or Wayne or Steven or Lindsay let's have more of the next "Medicare Gold" or the next raid on the "Future Fund"!

But, where will they hide when hostilities are formally declared? This is the phoney war and Labor is "winning" it by not fighting and being very careful to avoid casualties. But once the Govt starts beating the bushes I expect to see lots of would-be roost-rulers turned into Turkeys, followed by 3 more years to plan attempt #4 at unseating the Coalition. Cheers.

This whole debate about whether JG is openly in the public debating whatever is just a beat up. Like she'll come out just becaue this Liberal Party bell-hop wants her to? Yeah sure!

Communicat: You bring out the point that Mr Rudd seems to be a kind of front man for the Federal Labor. Interesting, actually, because that is what Mr Beattie does up here. At the pub he's known as the Minister for everything.
Perhaps it's hard to soar like an eagle etc.

More to the point - where the bloody hell are you Peter Garrett?
Tasmanian forests?
Tamar Valley Pulp Mill?

I guess he's burning the midnight oil

Strewth! The Howard Toadies have really got their knickers in a knot.
Wonder why they're in such a panic; is there an election on this year or what?

I would hate to have to rely on a barrister so sloppy as to confound the concept of 'race' with 'nationality' as Alexander Deane has.

Since when does being an immigrant disqualify one from criticising the practise of disempowering local labor by importing foreign labour?

If immigrants must be silent just because they have profited by luck from an unfair situation, then immigrants are dangerous to democracy.

So, I have to say that I would rather an honest immigrant than one who refused to speak out for fear of admitting functional hippocrisy any day. As long as immigrants don't come here with the conscious intention of competing against the natives they can continue to hold their heads up, albeit as exacerbators of democratic melt-down via "Workchoices" or whatever the current term is for the current legislation.

It would be better if the international worker showed international solidarity with Australian workers and thus stayed away until our laws were reformed, but at least we must be able to talk about the danger of one-sided legislation and labor importation.

JAMES ... her marital status ? why of course that doesn't matter.. just like the PM married to a dog doesn't matter.. or that he had 3 mistresses doesn't matter.. or that Kevin Rudd does such and such doesn't matter.. or union bosses beat their way into work sites doesn't matter... after all.. its 'how they can do their job' isn't it ? and of course if we have a hard drinking, wife abusing, animal beating, Prime Minister..how could that POSSIBLY have any impact on the community, or its perception of him, or the self image they have when they compare their own 'minor' sins with those of the BIG bloke?

All I'm doing is pointing out the social ramifications of your idea about 'Their sexual preference is irrelevant'....

LIKE HELL IT IS IRRELEVANT!

Julia Guillard, Rudd, Howard, Costello, Abbot..and ALLLL our politicians SHOULD be seeking to reflect and live by 'decent' values (Don't you love that bit) which the community can observe and be encouraged by.

OR.. we can always take the other approach "Aah.. what the hell, Rudd goes into a strip club and is pissed out of his brain, Costello wants to 'destroy' Howard, Abbot beats his dog.. what does it matter if I do the same?"

Bottom line, it always boils down to what kind of society we want, and what values underpin us. If our primary value is "We have lots of values..and they are different for every person and often in conflict" then..... you can imagine what kind of society we will end up with.

Nope.. we need politicians who represent the BEST in human relations, not the worst. Are you one ? :)

"Why is it that women in power are always attacked for their appearance, ..."
(Posted by MARVAL, Friday, 24 August 2007 3:55:47 PM)
"Alexander Deane? is he another Alex D's lovechild? The both have very similar smiles."
(Posted by ruawake, Friday, 24 August 2007 1:26:45 PM)

I did but see her passing by -
- yet I will love her 'till I die.

--

Half of what I say is meaningless
But I say it just to reach you,
Julia

Julia, Julia, oceanchild, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Julia, seashell eyes, breezy smile, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia

Her hair of floating sky is shimmering, glimmering,
In the sun

Julia, Julia, morning moon, touch me
So I sing a song of love, Julia

When I cannot sing my heart
I can only speak my mind, Julia

Julia, sleeping sand, silent cloud, touch me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Hum hum hum...calls me
So I sing a song of love for Jooooooooooooliiaaaaa...!

--

She'll be a hit!

Ginx, Rainier and others. You do the ALP no good at all with this arrogance. I've voted Labor many times and might do so again if they would show their faces and tell ME what they intend to do which is markedly different to Howard and co.

So far there's been very little to go on, except that there've been assurances that devious sleaziness will be OUT. OK, so now we're getting plenty of THAT from Mr Rudd and I'm back to wondering what the ALP has in mind across all the portfolios of the missing front-benchers. What will they do. Where is the front-bench?

Rainier and Ginx etc see this as ME having my knickers in a knot and ME being a Howard toady. So much for getting the voters back who have turned against the ALP. You and your ilk have lost your perspective to rabid partisanship. You have turned yourselves into gullible unquestioning sheep.

You were making some fair points Punter, then you turned into a complete twOt!

"...gullible unquestioning sheep! TWADDLE! How the hell do you know me to know that? It is the last thing I am. Trust me on this one thing. IT IS THE LAST THING I AM!

Don't you understand? I have no bloody faith in EITHER Party. And I'm getting fed-up with the Right/Left thing. I really thought that was just a bimbo obsession. Obviously not. 'Left'= ALP. Like hell it does!

The thing for me is this; I don't give a monkey's testicles that many of you support this character, and think he and his Regime (yes, Regime)can walk on water. He has made life VERY difficult for those who could least afford for things to be tougher. And he has done it for eleven years.

ANYTHING; ANYTHING will be better than that. ANY bloody thing!!

You have your view; I have mine. I dislike intensely the moronic perception that if I don't support Howard; and I damn well don't; well, then I have to be Rudd's man. TOSH!

(NB:I did not aim Howard's Toadies at any one individual. But dish it out;....take it.)

Punter57, I'm not a Labor voter, never have been, never will. Sorry to confuse you even more.

Gosh Alex. Will you please piss-off back home to England. There's nothing for you here. Howard is a carcus swinging in the breeze, waiting for the election to cut him down.

This article is just pathetic. I don't know if you were part of the dirt unit that thought Rudd going to a strip club would end his career (apparently some of the Libs thought it would) but when you are reduced to taking cheap and nasty shots at Julia Gillard, using the sisterhood of Janet Albrechtsen to justify it, then really Alex, you have nothing to say here.

Australians are not Englishmen. Your sort of contemptible politics of personal destruction may go down a treat back in ol' blighty, but here we just laugh at you. It's time for you to pack your bags and go. Your party, if not your country, needs you.

Alexander Deane,
Julia Gillard may not have been seen by the paid media for a week, going by what I found on the web. Still, it alarms me that she should be under attack by a well educated Pomm as yourself!

"A former chief of staff to David Cameron MP in the UK, he also works for the Liberal Party in Australia." Yes, this is just an UNFAIR ATTACK BY THE LIBERAL PARTY!

Yeh, go back home and sort out the mess there, those gun tooting murderous children. Why not research our gun laws & how our Police
handle the importation of illegal weapons..

It is easy to understand the ALP policy that only one man gets the microphone.

As pointed out by Graham Young in his Aug 6 Ambit Gambit, the ALP has taken on Vic Fingerhut (a US political consultant for the Democratic party). To quote Graham :

Vic Fingerhut "[a] pioneer among Democratic polling and media consultants [who] has been behind almost every major 'rally' for Democrats of the past three decades" boasts on his website that "in the past year" he produced "a dramatic shift in public opinion and attitudes in Australia"

Fingerhut would be advising Rudd to quell all ALP front benchers and run a campaign like the American presidential campaign. This means that there is only one person (the president) who quotes direction and policy. Only one person that faces the public to represent the party. This substantially reduces the risk of clangers from the various party factions and gives the impression that the whole party is behind the leader when in actuality they have all been gagged.

So folks - if you are inclined to vote for Rudd's ALP you will be validating his desire to pull us closer the American campaign strategies. Who knows where good ol' boy Vic might crop up next if the ALP wins. Fingerhut's web site already brags how he has dramatically changed Australia's public opinion in the last year.

So Ginx, you're fuming because you reckon your non-ALP (can't recall mentioning left/right; did you imagine this after your fifth glass?) vote won't end up with Labor. Good one; we'll soon be seeing a socialist alliance/greens/communist/Screaming Lord Sutch's raving loony Party PM, will we? Is that your claim? Or are you having yourself on, as well as us? Besides, we could take you a bit more seriously if instead of raving on about "anything" being better than the loathsome Howard Regime (straight out of undergraduate Polit-Speak 101) etc etc, you could stick to the topic of this thread; the tricky and evasive nature of the possible next PM's campaign. Are they deliberately hiding the Front-Bench or not? And why?

I suspect the reason that you won't condemn Mr Rudd is that you are not being truthful about not wanting the ALP to win. You know you do and are probably ashamed to admit it to yourself. To get rid of one perceived evil you are forced to break your own "moral" code and help the other one take control. Sad really, but always the case when painting oneself into such a dishonest corner. chers.

What is it with you people Plonker57? Do you all work from some sort Howard Toadie text? Using some very familiar phrases about me that have been recycled .........

I know it's tough for you; you all start with a real disadvantage, but can't you write something original?

Come on man!, make an effort; think for yourself.

...or do you need your little gang to help you?

This topic is really funny. I've seen Julia G on the telly and doesn't look like she's hiding to me. Just because the Media don't put her front and centre doesn't mean much. This Alexander Deane guy works for the Liberal Party so how much credibility does he have? I certainly don't mind criticism of either of the major parties but this sort of "where's Julia" stuff is just dribble. Let's discuss some real issues and not this sort of rubbish.

Health (Alma Ata - Prevention for ALL), Housing, Fair Work and Climate Change needs true focus. Stick to the issues and perhaps we might find a way through this pathetic hornets-nest.

Watch APEC. Dont't let APEC SMOTHER the above issues over the coming weeks. Do not confuse voters.

What about the Small Island States, and our Asian Pacific position.

What would you want to see concerning the displaced peoples sitting outside Iraq. Mothers, Children - Grandmothers... whole generations of families torn apart... FOR WHAT PURPOSE?

What about having a REAL Intergenerational development plan for Austalia. What is COMMUNITY?

Who are we as a Nation and what do we want to do with our future and WHY?

Mr Wayne Swan, saw you on Insiders. 'TA a STACK mate'! You speak for me too. Your focus is Brillant. Your arguements sharp and concise. You are critical with Austalia's interest at the core, for this reason.

It is a savage denial that our economy is rosey due the Liberal TEAM.

I THANK Paul Keating (former PM) for his work - for setting the switch leading to this current economic status. At best what this means is the Liberal Party has done well, having carried on from Keatings Labor strategies but now it is Rudds TURN.

Paul Keating you are so right, with issues you help clarify about Japan and China's relationship (last Friday's speech). As a communicator, you are highly stimulating concerning Australia's future. Economically, your arguments did well regarding the Asian Pacific vision as PM.

http://www.miacat.com/
.

This Liberal Party screed speaks volumes about their thinking: discretion means personal failure and incapacity. To the profusion of eager preeners in Cabinet JGs modesty is probably incomprehensible, but i know a get-on-with-the-job worker when i see one.

I am neither a Labor or Liberal Party Member, but I see Red when untoward behavior comes from our Government Members
& Public Servants. Yes they should know Better.

For those of you who do not get or read the Courier Mail, this may come as a surprise to read: THE Prime Minister's staff has been caught editing Wikipedia entries to remove details that might be damaging to the Government.

Bizarre, obscure, and poorly spelt contributions are among Wikipedia edits traced to the Prime Minister’s department – with one simply stating: “Poo bum dicky wee wee”.

I should not need to post a web reference seeing you are all such well educated persons, just enter "Courier Mail," in your web browser,
as I did check for Julia Gillard, and found she is a diligent worker and should have no trouble being deputy PM for the next term.

Alexander - perhaps I can throw a little light in the dilemma of 'where is Julia?' While researching for a degree I looked at whether women were presented in the media in equal proportions to men. They were not. In fact they were reported at less than 25%. I found a most surprising thing - even high profile women often don't rate a mention, even on quite important issues. Men are given preference, even if it means reporting on quite trivial matters. Even when women do rate a mention, often the mention is so trivialised as to be demeaning, by mentioning the colour of hair, lipstick, dress, etc. For confirmation I can refer you to some women in politics who can tell you some quite horrifying stories of their issues being ignored by the media. Perhaps Alexander, you should be approaching this from a different angle and ask why the media is not reporting on the factors Julia Gillard raises. Therein, perhaps, you will find the solution to your question.

Who?

All these comments confirm how difficult it is for women in Australian politics today. The macho men in both major parties attack women because they fear that one day a woman like Julia may even become PM.
Then we would see a change from all this waste and pork barrelling.

Women have learned over the years to budget well because they have always had less money than men to manage.
Stop this attack on Julia.
The unions are real macho as is business.
Julia has an uphill battle trying to work with these narrow thinking men. Why don't they all stop their winging
Good luck Julia we are with you
Mary J

Uncharacteristically, I bought the 'Courier-Mail' yesterday, and lo and behold! - its editorial parrotted parts of this article. Strangely, on the day this article appeared on OLO I heard Julia Gillard interviewed on Radio National, and again yesterday.

Could it be that the strategy is for Ms Gillard to talk to the intelligent media and for Rudd to deal with the rest?

Both my wife and myself adore Julia Gillard. We like her feisty response when interviewed. Even how, when interviewed by ABC Lateline Tony Jones she managed not to answer the question, despite being asked several times. And, I for one view she is a 100% politician. After all, regardless of my writings to her about WorkChoices, etc, she doesn’t respond. Not even acknowledge my correspondence. Now, that is a 100% politician conduct. Considering that her electorate is next to the electorate I reside, it might be too far for her to use public transport. Oops, she doesn’t, and obviously hasn’t even discovered the invention of the telephone. The problem with voting for John Howard is that he sees this as an approval of his evil deeds. In that regard Labour might be the better of two evils.
My blog at http://au.360.yahoo.com/profile-ijpxwMQ4dbXm0BMADq1lv8AYHknTV_QH has ample of information about what is constitutionally done wrong but I doubt either party will resolve those issues appropriately. Just consider this, if everyone vote for me to be Prime Minister, then all those votes will be deemed invalid and not counted. That way none of the political parties will get the $1.95 per primary vote. Now, that would save taxpayers about 40 million dollars!
Then again, I will again not vote, as after all I haven’t done so in the past 2 federal elections and won in Court (16-9-2006) that constitutionally they cannot force anyone to vote!