I have NOT voted for Labor in the last two elections, simply because I considered that the difference between Left and Right had become virtually indistinguishable!

I have been following the actions of Kevin Rudd very closely since he became Prime Minister and I have been listening and watching very carefully the media discussions and interviews concerning his performance.

It is distressing to say the least, that there is an element out there that is already condemning Mr Rudd`s performance ( one interviewee referring to him as the new "Elmer Fudd") before he has even had a chance to prove himself!

Most thinking people would agree that it is certainly time for change in Australia today. We have a spiralling economy drowning in borrowed money. Young people do NOT want to start with a simple First home, (at a much cheaper price), but seem to demand the best available as they claw their way up the home-ownership ladder. The money lenders are all too eager to secure their business whether they can afford it or not, realising that when the mortgage collapses by default, they the mortgager will inevitably win as a result!....This is unethical business practice, but has been lauded and applauded in the past by Howard and his coharts who judged this class of people as shrewd businessmen!

Let us give Mr Rudd a fair go and give him the chance to try to correct some of the problems (which are many) before condemning him and his Party to the ballot box rubbish bin!

Cuphandle, open your eyes mate. This bloke has already displayed two fatal, [for us] flaws.

1; He is a cupboard academic.

2; He craves applause.

This has led to his three decisions, so far being very bad for the bulk of the community.

He has ratified Kyoto.
Not only has this protocol has proved a total failure in its stated objective, it has already cost the UK 6 billion in fines, & poor little NZ one billion. This money to go to Russia to help their efforts.
I wonder how many Kiwis like the idea of donating a billion dollars to Russian corruption.

It must have been a great idea, the academics applauded.

Then we have the apology.
The same idea that has cost the Cadanian tax payer billions.

Applause from the same academics, plus the aboriginal industry. The same lot who have already made a fortune out of those poor bl@@dy people.

Now we have a talkfest, into health.

Guess what? We can have a stuffed shirt academic chair the thing, & gain even more applause. They'll all be lining up for their own "chair" now.

Then there is just the forcast so far, of carbon trading.
This is another total stuff up, in the UK, & other european countries, that have tried it. Not only is it corrupted by governments giving free credits to chosen players, it has done nothing to reduce, or even limit, CO2 output, but is making a few traders very much richer. At least we now know where the current UK, & German pollys will be getting jobs, once they are chucked out.

The traders will appluad this one, & the acdemics will join in, as it apears to be doing SOMETHING

Why oh why did this bloke not become an actor. With his smug false smile, & the desperate craving for appluse, he'd be a natural.

As a PM, he's going to be a very costly castastrophe.

Oh come on HasBeen. Provide a some backing.

First point: we were going to meet our Kyoto targets even if we didn't sign - largely due to land clearing legislation foisted on landholders, but we were going to meet it anyway.
Thus, this economic damage you speak of it rot - and I'm extremely skeptical about this Russian conspiracy of which you speak. Some reliable links there would be appreciated.

I agree Kyoto is quite flawed, but at least it's action on climate change. Unless you've got better suggestions, then it's just hot air, and frankly, we've got plenty of that.

As for the 'craves applause' accusation, it all depends on perspective.

It looks more to me, like you're twisting a simple concept like 'public support' to be a sign of arrogance - it's just you don't like the sectors of the public that support him on that one, and if you said something like 'he craves public support" well hell, people would quite rightly tell you that so he should.

As for a 'cupboard academic' again, you're picking definitions.

'Learned' or 'well educated' just doesn't sound harsh enough to you, so you've picked a new definition. When did it become wrong to have an education?

I can only assume your insinuation is, that Rudd's got no real world experience.

a) contrast Rudd's experience to Howard. Urban solicitor and political hack. That's all Howard had.

At least Rudd's known the life of the poor, been a diplomat in Scandinavia and more importantly, China, and has extensive experience in GOVERNMENT! which funnily enough, is what he's running!

I'm not actually a big fan of Rudd, I just prefer him to Howard. I think Rudd indulges in a bit much spin, and yes, I think this 1000-odd people thingie is just a talkfest.

But it's a pretty minor cost, and the assertion in this thread, that it's too early to judge Rudd, is accurate. Plus, I detest blinkered political spin, and your post reeks of it Hasbeen.

You're already judging him because your conservative views dictate that you want him to fail.

Thanks Cuphandle, you are quite right, some thing good is happening here.
He is indeed rebuilding the Labor brand name, how quick some forget how divided this country was.
A lady yesterday and in fact her family lined up to say the interest rate today would be a Rudd failure?
Fact is we are in very big trouble last year we spent 160% of what this country made.
Pain and belt tightening is a must Rudd has shifted the ALP to the right but what other place would see us govern in truth?
Just after they win the next election we will see interest rates fall.

I was very impressed with Kevin Rudd's performance prior to the last election. He answered all questions asked by the media. Which was such a change from the waffling that went on with Howard's team.

He also did not stoop to scare tactics or personal attacks. He stuck to policies and actually told us why we should vote for him.

He did not ask us to simply "trust him" as Howard did.

It's still early days but Rudd seems to be moving in the right direction. And when Parliament sits in mid February - we will all
be pleasantly surprised. I have no doubt the PM will deliver
everything he promised, and then some!

As for his critics. Well I'm going to be a bit blunt here ...

They're like a fart without a smell, nice to have passed silently in
a crowded lift, but causing no reaction whatsoever, except as a relief
to the farter that he got clean away.

Pre-Judged?

Judged Right would be more like it.

Boy Scout charm will only get you so far now our boy is playing with the big boys in the majors with Woody Woodpecker for company.

What a goose, he hasn't got a snow flakes of strutting the world stage without causing monumental damage by his feel good applause gluttony.

Just the same as the last three Labor prime ministers this will end up another disaster with intermittent self congratulatory moments when Kev and the tweed jacket set will pat each other on the back while "Working Families" struggle with mortgage payments and grocery bills because of carbon trading etc BS wil make every thing twice as dear.

I hope this country votes him in again because 4 years wont be near enough time for him to screw the joint up enough. I want Australia to remember for a long time the folly of voting labor.

Thought that may get the thread going.

TRTL, how long is it going to take you to see that AGW is a UN sting, perpetuated by my mates the academics, as a nice little con.

However, when it comes to Kevin Rudd, [Krud for short], I realy feel sorry for you, & people like Belly.

I honestly believe that he is well right of me, & is laughing, [behind thst smug smile], at all you lefties, who have such hopes for his leadership. The joke is, that you elected him, & are proud of him.

God knows where we go, now. The dems are dead; The greens are rat bags; The nationals are a rump; The libs are a joke, particularly with their new leader, which only leaves us with labor. God help us. Ironic, how rudd ended up leader of the wrong party. Life is strange.

Thanks for the last 2 posts truly thanks, see while the election results still fill me with triumph, I have stopped rolling in it.
Well seeing as you bought the subject up, every state, every territory, the federal government in a victory that delivered John Howard a far greater defeat than Mad Mark Lathams, extraordinary!
The early promise keeping, the confronting of issues we hid from just 3 months ago.
The idea that even before the house sits Brendan Nelson is in flight from the next leader of conservative Australia.
Gentlemen/Lady's thanks!
Now for the reality's of Australian Politics , it will take more than words used in pain, than shallow slurs to unseat a man who clearly cares, who is determined to bring real change and real accountability.
You could this morning with a little though remind us we now have the highest interest rates since the last ALP government was in power , but that too highlights a conservative problem.
regards and thanks.

HasBeen, Scotty....well said, couldn’t agree more, the Australian electorate has once again illustrated perfectly just how gullible they are. Mr Rudd, as you say, is a consummate actor, with absolutely no idea what he’s doing and his compadre Mr Wayne Swan is even worse.....not sure about “Elmer Fudd” but “Dumb & Dumber” are more appropriate pseudonyms for the pair of them.

I never said I was proud of him HasBeen, in fact I said quite the opposite.
My point was, anyone foolish enough to judge him at this point is clearly so absorbed in the grip of their ideology they're not making a reasoned judgement.
The terminology you used in your last post has been tendered as evidence, and I've explained why all your definitions of the PM are based on a pre-existing negative perspective.

With Howard on the other hand, we've had many years to judge, and we know he's a scoundrel. Kevin Rudd's unproven either way.

As for global warming, I think any chump on the street who thinks they know more than the vast international scientific establishment -either for or against - well perhaps they should reassess the chip on their shoulder.

I can honestly say that Kevin Rudd is certainly being pre-judged as demonstrated by some "know-it-alls" that have contributed to this thread. Please correct me if I am wrong but last time I looked Australia had a democratic political system. The majority rule, the minority complain.

Flash states “the Australian electorate has once again illustrated perfectly just how gullible they are.” Sounds like a case of sour grapes to me. Lets revisit this thread in 3 years time to fully and accurately assess this question.

Kevin Rudd was pre-judged before the election...and Australians elected him. Now they have to live with the decision - and it is going to be a very thorny bed.
Of course there are those who enjoy wearing hairshirts and lying on a bed of thorns.
Some of the problems are outside his control but others, such as the promised tax cuts, are within his control and he is not listening to the sage advice of the RBA. He is listening to the unions. Therefore inflation will rise more than it needs to - with all the associated problems.
Australians were greedy. They wanted to do it the easy way and (to misquote) the road to hell is paved with gold intentions.

People bend to the power of money! Money is the new god, and now we are trapped.

Have a nice day.

Hi Communicat welcome back, missed you the debates we had in the 12 months before the election charged me up.
Nothing new here, you got it very wrong in those months and you again overlook just how much Rudd has already done to fix interest rates.
And just how little Howard did to control them ,in fact how he forced them higher with mad spending.
Have a look at our balance of payments on the day he entered the Prime Ministers office, then on the day he left.
Quick duck back to a thread are you concerned about credit card debt and the sub prime mortgage crisis.
You ME our country needs to know just how bad it is and will be.
And just how lucky we are Kevin Rudd is in power.
Just under three years to his next election win , conservatives must do more than cry wolf it never works.

Belly if Rudd does not backtrack on his promise of tax cuts inflation will go up. Interest rates have only one way to go if tax cuts kick in and that is UP. The last thing we need is tax cuts.
It's a sad rule of economics...if people have money they tend to spend it, especially when advertising tells them they must have this or that and there are expectations beyond means in almost every home.
The union movement is already agitating for higher wages - not intended as a dig at the union movement just stating a fact. That is another inflationary pressure.
Rudd faces internal as well as external pressures and all the RBA will be able to do is continue to increase interest rates - faster than before.

As I said during the campaign Communicat I do not agree with the tax cuts, so you and I think alike here.
I however think Rudd would agree but for one thing, having made a rash promise he intends to keep it.
I just think it nearly had to be a non core promise from Howard, we may never have got it.
I admire Rudd for it but if he spent it on say health education, water, or similar I would be happy.
I would have thought a tax break placed in superannuation accounts might have been less inflationary.
And of long term benefit.
While my earlier reference to another thread miss named it, we , this country, must confront things are not as good as we would like them to be , and may get worse.
I remain convinced Kevin Rudd will not let us down
regards

Belly:
I agree with you there!....If Kevin Rudd cannot or does not change things for the better, then we might as well all not bother voting anymore.

We have seen so many changes across the board since Menzies, but unfortunately not many have been changes for the better ( in the long run!)

Take for example INFLATION!....we are told that we have to have it (as it has always been that way!)....but who gets the benefits from inflation?....big business and the Governments! Who pays the largest slice of the cost?....the consumer!....the little guy at the bottom of the heap!

Another example: Tax Cuts!....again who benefits the most from tax cuts?......the guys with the highest incomes and correspondingly so, the value of the tax cut diminishes progressively down the pyramid
until we reach the base of the pyramid,....the little guy on a subsistance income (usually below the poverty line!) gets exactly zilch!.....How can so called Tax Cuts benefit a person who is not paying Income Tax, but still paying the direct tax (GST) on nearly everything that he has to purchase to survive!

We all need a long awaited boost to our National and moral pride and principles, to try to restore some element of ethics and relative honesty, instead of the current... "Dog eat dog" - "Me, me ,me" and "Money, money, money"!

Kevin Rudd

You owe another sorry for misleading the public pre elections. For lying to the public pre elections. For Sceaming to mislead the public pre elections.

As Shadow Minister for foreign affairs and Trade one may have thought you would have been all over the AWN Enquiry.

Well to be honest you were. Looking searching but not quite finding the real breaking issue to get public to listen to ALP.

At around the same time the public were more interested in the 60Minutes reports regarding the treatment of Australian Farm Animals involved in the barbaric trade of live animal’s exports.

So imagine our surprise when we contacted your office Kevin office to invite you to inform the public that the AWB wheat scandal wasn’t just wheat but the live animal trade and you did nothing.

THE RSPCA certainly had the answer for you Mr. Rudd but you refused to disclose this information to the public.

IMOP you had a duty to inform the public.

It seems Mr. Rudd you were aware of live exports however because your pre election pitch was delivered by Kerry O’Brien said he had more letters from the public about this than anything else.

Indeed the pale office received a call from your Advisor making the sort of noises we wanted to hear. Based on that many of our friends and members voted ALP for the first time.

Your Minister went on to say ALP would ban it if people opinion demanded it.

After the elections you dumped Kerry O’Brien and came out saying you supported live exports.

You have seen no the footage for years. You claim your A Christian. We can all ask this.

RSPCA are backed world wide. Lets all pre judge your next move because personally I have had enough of low life Politians that are too scared to stand up to the Industry.

Not that I am pre judging but - Hey Wouldn’t be ironic if the libs romped back over the live trade.

YES, Kevin Rudd is being pre judged.
Do not take the bait Cuphandle we will talk in other threads.

Yes Dont worry about the facts when you get caught out- Or ALP does I should say.
These ARE the facts and in case you have not noticed RSPCA are not goiung to put up with dfalse promises from ALP anymore
You cant change the facts So yes of course you run from the truth. How typical