I wonder if Julia is a magacian? Last night I'm pretty sure I heard her promis to return the budget to surplus in the same 3 years, so it's unlikely she can compcompromise much with the miners. Of course the unions wouldn't like to see miners less able to pay huge wages.

On the point of view of Ruddy being a looser, it's just as well. We have allready lost enough due to a less than perceptive electorate, who took so long to see through him.

Now to upset the women on OLO?
I found the focus on Gillard's gender, being the first *Female* PM as nauseating rubbish.
All this would indicate surprise by her gender and her(in)competence to become PM. (I'm not sure that[male or female] becoming PM is necessarily a sign of arrival.
Then again Female governmental Leaders aren't new. Now that we have one I hardly think it wise for us as a nation to trumpet our backwardness in the area of irrelevant gender differentiation with regards to competence.
All the lame street media fuss going around rabbiting on about gender role models and interviewing pubescent girls is at best premature....let's see what she does with it first. If she screws up big time (seemingly unlikely so far) and/or gets politically annihilated in 3-4 months time it will set back 'the cause'.

Even Julia herself, showed clear perspective by saying she "didn't go out to bang her head on some glass ceiling". Tat statement and it's presentation gives me some hope for sanity/focus on government and not simply spoiling and gaining government by default.

What worries me it the media and the mass women who will trivialize her by focusing on hairdos and clothing choices as though this is important. Crumbs, I can't remember the last article on Rudd or Howard's haircuts and or suits. It seems to me that many women in Australia are their own worst enemies by verifying stereo types through what sells to them in the media.

Mind you, I have been equally critical of the 'Blonk' male

I can only echo the sentiments of CJ Morgan and Examinator. I knew Lindsay from the early days when I was involved in the CPSU. He was always approachable, intelligent and a man of great integrity.

He is one of the few politicians who can provide a straight answer to any question. He is a huge loss to Labor. However, am hoping that the Green's candidate for the seat of Melbourne will be at least near his calibre, and, therefore, add some much needed diversity in Federal Politics, if the Greens win the seat.

One thing I can be certain of Melbourne will not go to the Mad Monk party.

Dear Examinator,

Those that voted for Labor candidates in the last
election voted for the Labor Party led by Kevin
Rudd, who became the Prime Minister when the Party
came into power. Previously the Party was lead by
Latham, Beazley, and the voters did not want them
to be PM, so they chose Howard. What I'm trying to
say is that voters did want Kevin Rudd as PM (getting
rid of Howard) and now many feel that they've been
let down by recent events. Let down because the
man who was their preferred leader was dumped by
the party, for whom the people voted. And, many don't
understand why the current non-elected PM could not
pursue the policies of negotiation as Deputy Leader.
Instead of ousting a leader whose policies the Party
is going to continue to pursue.

If Liberals had the nouse they would get
rid of Tony Abbott and return Malcolm Turnbull as leader.
Thus winning many swinging voters. And that may lead
to success for the Liberal Party.

The great feeling amongst people at the moment seems to be
disappointment in the Labor Party which - appears to have
gone back to faction-control. Tony Abbott & Co are not
people that inspire voters. Malcolm Turnbull, seems to be
a better choice.

Dear Severin,

I certainly hope that you're right regarding Melbourne,
and Tony Abbott. However, I live in a safe Liberal
seat - so I'm not going to hold my breath

I think the fact that Julia Gillard has become our first woman PM is something not to be dismissed lightly. The women of my extended clan got together last night and cracked a bottle of champagne along with strawberries, hot chocolates, and a large chocolate cake to celebrate the occasion. There was a lot of sympathy expressed for Kevin but the significance of the the appointment was certainly centre stage.

This is why the polls showing such negativity toward her have surprised me.

In my small sample of working mums and teenagers, even among those I know have voted Liberal in the past and probably will do again there was celebratory mood.

From a country that lead the world in female enfranchisement this has taken far too long but an election victory is needed to really validate it.

I think people are kidding if they think this will not be something Australian men and women will be considering when they go to the polls.

Dear Belly,

You'll have to forgive me.
I truly liked Kevin Rudd and thought
that he achieved an amazing amount during
the two and a half years that he was PM.
I'm still reeling from yesterday and do
feel gutted as I said.

I wish that Julia Gillard would explain
exactly what happened, and why she did what
she did. I don't question her competency,
or her negotiation skills.
However, I can't understand why she couldn't
use her negotiating skills as Deputy, if she's
still going to pursue the same programmes and
policies that Kevin Rudd instigated. Could she
not have waited and allowed him to at least
finish his term? It seems that the Party has
simply panicked. All the polls showed that
Kevin Rudd was still the preferred PM.

I feel that the Party acted prematurely.

All I wish for now is that Kevin Rudd will be
given an appropriate overseas posting - which
is the least that he deserves.