Yeah Corny - and as usual you're all snark and no substance.

Well one thing's for sure - politics
has suddenly become interesting again.
Perhaps we will now have some real debate
on issues for a change instead of just
condemnation and finger-pointing from
the opposition. Julia Gillard may be
the street fighter that can match Tony
Abbott.

I would have preferred that Kevin Rudd
was given the chance to see out his term
in office. He did achieve a great deal in his two
and a half years. However, it seems that he did
not play by the rules set down by the Labor factions.
Julia G. it seems is more of a "team player."
At least I guess from all this she's surely learned
what not to do. Kevin Rudd simply believed in getting
the job done - not playing party politics, which
ultimately was his undoing.

"Kevin Rudd - The
Biggest Loser?" Let's wait and see - it may just
be Australia who will lose the most in the end,
especially if Tony Abbott and Co. take over.

Foxy,

Julia earned a position as a partner in a law firm, which is no small feat and she has performed well in negotiations with business and unions. She is intelligent, crisp in her communication and has risen above the personal attacks on her up to now. Her speech was measured and spot on.

Although I don't always share her politics I wish her all of the best and don't doubt for a minute that her skills and aptitude for the job are well beyond those of any of the likely contenders on opposition benches.

Kevin Rudd is gracious in defeat and Julia Gillard speaks well of him. No such decency from some and already the rogue elephants are having a go at her as a woman (the 'skirt', having 'balls' and so on), what sad sacks they are.

Dear Cornflower,

I must confess that I'm totally gutted
at present. I truly liked Kevin Rudd,
and actually thought he was doing a good
job. I thought he was an excellent PM.
And a worthy Representative of Australia
on the global stage.

To me Julia Gillard is an unknown
entity - and all I can hope is that
she is indeed her own person, and not just
someone who's going to be dictated to by
the Labor factions. I realise the enormity
of her becoming Australia's first female
Prime Minister, and I do wish her well.

I totally abhor the thought of Tony Abbott
and Co taking over.

My thanks and regards to those conservatives who have placed their pain on display in this thread.
The dismay, the failure to understand politics is of huge enjoyment to me.
Poor Kev let his failures out number his achievements, he refused to be inclusive within the party room.
ALP has snatched victory from a close call with defeat and while not yet at Julia's feet I know she will re spark us and its the ETS and mining tax along with a growing fear about[ not endorsing it]boat people that pushed us near to defeat nothing else.
Again great thanks and regards conservative pain is a tonic.

Well I think this is undoing the error made originally, when the Labor Party were too gutless to put a woman up, after the miserable Beazley years.

I debated this at length on the following thread back in March 2006

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=4259&page=0#36257

That thread was a really interesting one and worth looking back on if you have the time.

Due to Labors lack of intestinal fortitude, we ended up with Rudd rather than Gillard as PM. To many it looked like Gillard was the wrong gender for the job, in the minds of the Labor elite, and so they took the soft option. Big men until they have to be brave.

The problem with this measure is that Gillard comes to the job in the shadow of Rudd's plummeting popularity and has only a very short time to turn things around.

I am thrilled that finally we have a female Prime Minister... the process wasn't the method I would have chosen but the result is excellent.

Rudd's speech last night was the best I have ever heard him speak...Tis a pity that it was his dying breath and that he hasn't shown more spunk throughout.

Swan is a mistake as deputy...Trust Labor to get it wrong again! He is not an impressive performer.

It will be interesting to see if women get behind Gillard, because in my experience, when push comes to shove, the first person generally to let down a woman is generally another woman.

How many women were against feminism, thus undermining females, because they didn't understand the purpose of it and absolute need for it?

So many women, (and the occasional forward thinking male) have fought so hard, worked so tirelessly, copped so much crap, to finally achieve this result. They have been rewarded!

I congratulate those women (and men) on this historical event.

Lastly I hope she never uses those stupid Howard words often mimicked by Rudd ...I don't apologise to anyone for........

Those words don't make you strong, they make you irrelevant.