I have no quarrel with K.Rudd agreeing with Howard policies. Clearly these are sensible opinions over a wide field. Many in the labour party believe that K.Rudd is just sprouting “white lies “to get elected. They will be disappointed K.Rudd is not in the category of anti-nuclear nutters, greenhouse fanatics or trade union boss. K.Rudd is not of the loony left.

Greg Sheridan in to-days Australian paints a gloomy picture. The Federal coalition is likely to imploding as a consequence of a labour victory. In every State there is a corrupt and incompetent Labour Government in office. Nowhere is their State Liberal leader capable of winning government.

It has been variously reported in the media that K.Rudd is a control freak. On winning the election he will have almost unprecedented political power and a weak opposition. He will have ample power and authority to get his own people into the higher ranks of government and administration.

Thus will we experience the beginning of the Rudd dictatorship?

I am sure this is non sequitur but I can not help recalling that the Mussolini in his youth was a socialist

>>>This will require Rudd (unless he only wants to serve the one >>term) to continue to cater to existing prejudices and misjudged >>community values instead of making unpopular but fair decisions >which will enhance social justice outcomes in Australia and even >beyond our shores.

So, let's see. Dump the "community values" the majority of Australians believe in and which are validated at the ballot box and replace them with a minority view held by the wealthy, out-of-touch lawyer class who regard the majority of their fellow Australians, almost all of whom they've never met, as cultural cretins.

Now, there's an idea! Why didn't I think of that. Such a hymn to democracy!

It seems to me that the choices, at least as far as Prime Minister goes, in the coming election is between two right-wing liars - one of whom is a member of the Liberal Party and one of whom is a member of the ALP. On balance I think that the greater lie is for a right-winger to be a member of the ALP, and to be using the talent vacuum therein as the easier route to the Lodge.

In Kevin Rudd the ALP has chosen a leader who does not espouse the values of the party simply because it thinks that leader will get it into power. I'm almost a dyed-in-the-wool Labour voter, with only the occasional dalliance with the Australia Party and the Democrats, however this time I will be voting against the ALP.

I suspect that Queensland public servants who were around in the Doctor Death era (no - not Patel) are unlikely to support the man who did so much for morale. The politicisation of the Queensland public service is appalling, and this can largely be traced back to Wayne Goss' Chief of Staff!

Let me see, it is OK to 'pretend' to support the Howard Government's policies because if he wins, Rudd will drop all the bull and take Australia down a far different path to the one he promised the electorate.
Well forwarned is forarmed. And they call Howard a liar!

anti-green

You concede that it's a non sequitur but you point out that Mussolini was a socialist in his youth. Is that a very subtle but telling shot at Peter Costello and Brendan Nelson? As former socialists they would be most upset by the comparison with Mussolini.

What's more, you'll remember that Mussolini was a puppet in the hands of the dictator Hitler. What are you trying to tell us about Cossie's and Nello's relationship with the Great Man?

In the end it's the voters who have to live with the decision they make every thousand days or so, and they always seem to go for self-interest.

When either party sees that votes are for sale then they start bidding.

Morality and principle get thrown overboard (like refugee kids) very early on.

Considering that people are happy to not ony forgive but also to forget past lies and misrepresentations by their political leaders, maybe it's really the voters who have sold out.