My personal belief is that Kevin won't challenge Julia for the leadership prior to the election, as even he would know the writing is well and truly on the wall for federal labor.

After all, who would want the job of heading the party that may well cop the flogging of a life time.

My tip is he will win his seat, then take up the leadership after Julia does an Anna Bligh style it's all too hard, and run.

What do ya recon!

I reckon Rudd won't lead the party again , because he still has too many enemies.
He was apparently a bit of a dictator and I doubt he has changed.

Julia will surely lose the leadership if (when?) they lose the election.
I can't for the life of me imagine who they would elect instead of her though.

The only thing that keeps Creeping into my mind is how the hell will this country go under the 'leadership' of Abbott... : (

I don't think he will want to lead it is a fast sinking ship.

But I think he will sabotage it and try for a diplomatic post from liberals. He has already started by attacking the mining tax deal.

I have a different view.
So too has more Australians than the supporters of Gillard or Abbott.
I think he is going to try to regain his old spot.
Or leave Federal politics.
A truth is ignored, at our peril,in not seeing the full picture we let politicians pull the wool over our eyes.
Labor voters never saw his anger, never knew a problem existed.
And the given reason, from within the same faction of Labor that ignored the, well in fact owned the NSW FILTH was not the one they dumped him for.
In fact he never got to the lows in the polls, the reason given, Gillard did, or the one she lives in still.
I see, even taste the TRIUMPH in Rechtub , and the usual from Philip s.
Both understand only one side and little of that.
Suseonline has a view shared, fear of that strutting little man Tony trust me Abbott.
Few contemplate my view we may yet see two new leaders before the election, time will judge us all.
This country will be better for the departure one day oF both Gillard and Abbott.
My heart is broken to say it but my party has yet to end the power brokers reign, it will, and to openly confront the insulting war on democracy Rudd,s removal was and is and too, to link the departed NSW Senator will his stewardship of the NSW FILTH.
He has been rewarded! now working for Packer he Marshalled the Gift from NSW tax payers, by a LIBERAL government, to packer in the form of his new Casino.
A story yet to be told but worth waiting for.

The best thing Kevin Rudd could do if he had any integrity at all is to get out of our lives. He's already cost us socially & financially so much that we simply can no longer afford his stupid, ego-driven interferences. He always sprouts about his ability to speak Mandarin. I suggest he go & live in Hong Kong & exploit his expertise there rather than keep maggotting off us blue collar workers. We have enough expenses already to battle through.

What are you trying to do to me Rehctub?

If I were to put my honest opinion of that greasy, slimy piece of garbage on here, I’d be banned for months.

Kevin Rudd had been appointed Party Leader to
take Labor into Government. The dissatisfied
Right Wing with Rudd's progressive and somewhat
unorthodox Leadership (he did advise that he would
not take any notice of Party Factions) eventually
cost him - the Leadership. Subsequently he did challenge
again for the Leadership but did not have the numbers.

Political commentators who have been following Rudd's
activities in the back bench feel that Rudd will not
challenge again but he would not refuse the Leadership
should the Party draft him to do so. However, if we recall
Peter Costello's aspirations to Leadership which
depended on the Party drafting him - this never eventuated.

Of course after this coming election - who knows what
the future will bring. If the PM loses, then the only logical
choice to lead the Party would be Kevin Rudd.

Interesting times ahead.

I wonder.....remember when Costello was left standing after Howard was unceremoniously booted? What did Costello do? He told them they could stick their leadership where the sun don't shine.

I'm sure he derived a modicum of satisfaction in that act.

However, little did he know that he probably could have easily reached the Prime Ministership within one term. I believe after the 2007 rout, that he considered he was looking down the barrel of at least two terms as leader of the opposition - and that was something he couldn't stomach

He gained far more satisfaction from telling his colleagues (in light of their failure to elbow Howard out to make way for Costello) that they could stew in their own juice - and that he was off to greener pastures.

Funny old game, politics.

No wonder so many women end up in unhappy abusive marriages, when the usually very perceptive, like our lovely Lexi, can be so taken in by a rotten conman like Rudd.

I guess we Queenslanders had some advantage, as we saw him night after night, on our ABC swearing undying love & support for Beasley, while he had the knife buried deep in his back.

I wonder if that was the same knife Julia used, or if all Labor pollies come equipped with the same hardware.

The interesting thing is that no knives are necessary to dispatch these Labor leaders. Mostly they are so incompetent they commit suicide, even when they are trying for re election

Belly - Just because others have a different view to you does not mean that you have to put in your snide comments, accept the fact that others have opinions if you disagree try to persuade, but why attack with you babyish comments.

Quote - I see, even taste the TRIUMPH in Rechtub , and the usual from Philip s.
Both understand only one side and little of that.
Suseonline has a view shared, fear of that strutting little man Tony trust me Abbott.

Philip s your every single comment, from your arrival, has been snide.
Quite a few who gather around you, fueled by dislike of any thing Labor, re read this thread, make,s claim in my view to the same charge.
This thread has seen a change, just in its first hours.
On line news quoting Rudds supporters are saying he will challenge, in March.
Observation had me saying he would, at least six months ago.
He is not assured of victory, in that contest or the election.
IF he won, Liberals would almost certainly remove Abbott, a street fighter but unlikely PM.
Personal likes or disli8kes should not be an opportunity for out busts of unfounded spite, see indys contribution.
Any basic under stand8ing, of who the failures and self intre3sted supporters of Gillard are, the Crean failure and Swan oncer now a hasbeen, Shorten fueled by a hunger for power his side kick Conroy, should have conservatives reminding me, about their links to NSW right power brokers, not hiding them while rushing in to kick Rudd.
Rudd may reduce the defeat,even avoid it, unlikely but true.
Gillard can do neither, she has her past/present, and true nature against her.
I lack the ability of my opponents, I must research and learn constantly before my comments.
Some clearly get the news from the fish and chips rapping paper.
The mentioned news has a poll.
Who would you vote for
29%Gillard 29%neither 48% Rudd.representative in my view of this country.

Dear Hasbeen,

Thanks for the back-handed compliments.

However, it's occurred to me that if the Opposition
sees fit to continuously keep attacking pollies like Mr Rudd and
the PM, it means these people must pose some sort of threat
to the Opposition's chances of winning the next election.

If there was no fear, then the Opposition wouldn't be
concentrating on telling us what's wrong with these people,
and the government. They would be presenting us with
alternative policies and what they would do in government.
Then the Electorate would be able to make informed choices.

No voter likes continuous negativity - it only conveys
a message of inadequacy and most people are getting fed up
with this scenario.

Belly - A thread was started you posted 4th and what do you do, make childish comments about the 3 who posted before you. Need I say more.

No Lexi my sweet, I see either of them as a threat to the wellbeing of most Ozzies, not to the opposition.

At least Gillard only makes me annoyed that such a dill should be in a position to do so much damage to all of us.

Rudd on the other hand, while doing just as much damage, as Gillard, makes me sick to my stomach. I feel total shame that we could ever put such a slime ball in a high position. Someone should be following him around with a swab of disinfectant, cleaning everything in his wake.

Philip s it has been my intention to avoid you and you heated posts from your first day here.
See I come to learn,express my views, laugh, and yes enjoy.
I come armed, with the under standing I am often wrong, but understanding my views are formed by the university of life.
And my personal experiences, my reading is wide, with no special thing in mind I read every day on line news.
British Telegraph Guardian, Reuters, goggle often its English ones USA Canada English and NZ.
My local and Notheren Star, it reminds me of better days,fishing on air force beach Evans Head.
If politics interests me, I read all links to the story.
I consume learning, after a Schooling not finished formally, work called.
Now I think this hung Parliament, *partly* due to Gillard and her backers, has introduced hate to our once layed back view or them.
I truly, think you feed that hate, with intent, I see no balance, no understanding from you.
And? not you, not one single harping Liberal, *has ever excepted my challenge, tell us the wrongs in your camp*
Start with why has Barry OFarrell gifted Packer over 100 million dollars due to people of NSW in his new casino?
Why did packer employee the ex NSW Labor Senator who Carr replaced, the knife man in Gillards camp, what part did he play in this loss to NSW tax payers?

Dear Hasbeen,

I can't understand your great dislike of Kevin Rudd,
you call him a "slime ball," but you don't explain why.
That makes further discussion difficult. The same goes
for your take on the PM. I know that our views on politics are
subjective - and we all have a certain amount of bias.
I guess voters will ultimately decide on which Party
they want to support and which Party will provide a better future
for themselves and the Nation. I would be very surprised
if Mr Rudd returns as the Leader of the Labor Party. I
suspect that after the next election he may well quit politics.
As for the PM - it will be interesting to see how well
the Party does under her leadership at the next election.

I guess it all depends how well the Opposition does in
convincing voters that things will improve with a change
in government. However the Opposition will have to offer
something more to voters than just simply telling them
what's wrong with the government and putting nothing else
on the table. Voters are not that silly as to fall for
scare tactics and inane rhetoric. They want to see
costed policies.

Belly - Quote "Philip s it has been my intention to avoid you and you heated posts from your first day here."

It is as hard to get the truth from you as it is to get it from a Labor politician.

On one hand you say "it has been my intention to avoid you" BUT you continually make snide and childish remakes directed directly to me.

Quote "I truly, think you feed that hate, with intent, I see no balance, no understanding from you." HOW can anyone have understanding for anyone that is ruining this country with there failed policies and incompetence?

Governments that fail to perform lose elections. It is that simple. The Gillard/Greens government is on the nose with the electorate and for damned good reasons.

It promises to be the greatest landslide against a government yet, eclipsed only by the swing against the treacherous Greens.

Lexi,
when it comes to throwing slime at others Lefties supporters win hands up.
You can't have your eyes & ears closed so much that can't see the damage done & being done by that gutless egoist. He has become an embarrassment to this country. He'd be better advised to just grab his undeserved taxpayer funded Super & move to Hong Kong.

"""
you call him a "slime ball," but you don't explain why
"""

The Heiner Affair is enough to explain why!

Big party at my place when the milky bar kid and that wretched witch and her cronies are behind bars where they belong!

Bring on the Mad Monk and his puppet master Archy Pell. 3 years of Abbottism with a liberal dose of Pellism. Will be good for the country, and good for the Greens, a case of out of the pan and into the fire! Watch as the ALP self destructs. Watch as the Mad Monk and his bunch of misfits destroy Australia with division, derision and no vision. Then bring on 2016.

What a shame that some people seem unable to
seriously discuss issues and direct their focus away
from personal insults, sweeping statements, and
arguments on an emotional level instead of an
intelligent one.

See you on another thread.

Kevin Rudd is doing more to the help the LNP with his 'I support the government' line and talk of cold showers while simultaneously continuing to erode their position.

I can understand the sympathy about his axing as leader however it was not just about the MRRT as is often touted. It was a cumulative list of failures, lack of leadership and faux consultation stance (in name only) eg. the infamous summit

Julie Bishop was in the media recently with sweeteners in the form of a job offer for Mr Rudd should the LNP take government. Was this an incentive! Then the Liberals were giving Mr Rudd flowers on Valentine's Day during parliament. A comedy show of farcical proportions.

Whether Rudd wants the top job again is irrelevant. I am sure he would love to get back in the driver's seat but his own party know this would be a mistake. His internal supporters are driven more by perceptions of electoral popularity (esp. in QLD) than by any confidence in his ability to lead.

Lexi I told you up front, I watched this thing pretending to be a man, night after night, swearing wearing undying love & devotion to Beasley. He could have just shut up, if he was going to stick the knife in, but not him. Hand on heart, he loved Beasley.

Then we saw this contrived persona, carefully worked out to be what some focus group had told him was the Oz ideal of a Prime Minister. Of course, nothing could be further from this ideal than the “real” Rudd.

Then we see a grass hopper in the top job. Land on a subject, decide what he wants, talk to no one, make a pronouncement, & jump to next subject, all in 30 seconds of “careful” consideration. Accident prone Julie might be, but Rudd is disaster prone.

Paul, I’ll take KRudd, or even Gillard any day in preference to the harpies from the deep south. What is it about the south? Both in the US & here it breeds ratbags.

Your mates have destroyed any economy Tassie ever had, so it is now just a waste of space money pit for the rest of oz. Now you want to have a go at the mainland, hoping that stupidity might work on a larger scale.

What we should do is transport all greenies to Heard Island, & let you “protect” the hell out of that, & leave the real people alone.

It isn't 'just Queensland' opposed to Gillard.

In independent polls of women's voting preferences Kevin Rudd consistently outperforms Julia Gillard by a large margin. Women see through Gillard and contrary to what ageing feminists demand, women make their own choices, they are not automatons who vote according to gender.

Rudd also outpolls Julia Gillard with men.

It is interesting that Rudd still bounces up in polls despite the damage deliberately done to him by Gillard and her cronies.

Sorry about this, just thought I should let it be known.
Rudd is/was/always will be more liked that Gillard, and her trogs.
Polls prove it.
Now Hasbeen has a view, I disagree, but for two reasons it does not matter, Hasbeen was never going to vote labor.
As is the case for other Rudd haters.
Second point, and it is both important, and the reason I have been constantly vocal, about the wrongs on my side of the fence.
NOT EVER, can Gillard win, not without a open acceptance of the wrongs she has done and let be done, not without total commitment Labor will not turn its back on the NSW FILTH and promise it will never happen again.
For those reasons Labors only life boat, only chance, is understanding its supporters want Rudd returned , at least that would say *we got it wrong*

"Paul, I’ll take K Rudd, or even Gillard any day in preference to the harpies from the deep south. What is it about the south? Both in the US & here it breeds ratbags."
Come off it hasbeen, it was the Deep North that gave us Old Joh and Lady Flow with her pumpkin scones. Were you one of those marching behind the banner 'Joh for Canberra'. Now you want to load us up with The Mad Katter. from your comments I assume you reside in the Deep Deep North, around the tip of Cape York. I must say that nik of yours rather aptly describes your comments the thinking and sometimes rantings of a hasbeen.

Paul1405,
I'm afraid you really don't have any idea what it's like for us northerners to have these idiotic southern policies enforced without a second thought. The south doesn't have more sense than the North, it just has more senseless than the North.
btw. good ol' Joh was a Dane from Kiwi land who was blessed with old fashioned practical sense unlike the Welsh import in charge now. It shows that cultural background does make a difference.

Deaar Individual,

For decades we heard about the whingers -
and their "born to rule" attitude. Today,
quite a few people (and pollies) still have
that same attitude - which I take it in
your opinion - will be
a better option for the country, if these
people get into government. Ah well, to each
their own. Culture certainly does make a difference,
I agree.

Hasbeen and indy have a poor opinion of more than half this country's people.
Us southerners.
It is not some thing to be concerned about, but not to be ignored either.
Such opinions are informative, tell far more about those who hold them, and their opinions, than about us.
Rudd by the way, is not a southerner.

individual; "good ol' Joh was a Dane from Kiwi land who was blessed with old fashioned practical sense" Don't make me laugh, do you recall Joh and some con artist with a 'CAR THAT RAN ON WATER' when those smart ass southern reporters asked to look in the boot (for a gas bottle) Joh got all upset.
Why Queensland don't have daylight saving cause' Joh thought too much sunlight caused the curtain to fade and the grass to grow.
Until Obeid and McDonald arrived on the scene I don't think there were ever two bigger political crooks in Australia than Joh Bjelke-Petersen and Big Russ Hinze.
A quote from Old Joh on press criticisms of him: "The greatest thing that could happen to the state and nation is when we get rid of all the media ... then we could live in peace and tranquility and no one would know anything." Typical of the old B!

Paul, I know they don’t teach you lot much down there, but have you ever done any geography?

It doesn’t take much savvy to see, that due to our geography, over half of Qld already has daylight saving. As a resident of Southern Qld, I would love it, but I can see the point of country folk complaining that the school bus was arriving with the dawn up there.

Old Joe, how I wanted him gone, the dictatorial old bugger.

I learnt a very valuable lesson there. “Be careful of what you wish for”. Yes we got rid of the old goat, but damn soon wanted him back.

It did not take much of Goss, then Beattie & Bligh to realise just how good a manager the old bloke was. You’d be amazed how many lefties will admit how good he was, but only in private.

Rudd by the way, is not a southerner.
Belly,
i'll shout you a carton of XXXX if you promise to keep that useless git down there.
Hasbeen,
yes many will only admit after a few beers that Joh had it all over his successors in comparison. Those who still won't admit it are the warm wine & other weird juice connoisseurs i.e. academics.
I must admit he didn't have as many morons to deal with as Abbott has to now courtesy of the left pro-education for education's sake mob.

If Labor wants to avoid a complete disaster in September, ie the loss of 20 or 30 plus seats which would consign the party to the wilderness for some time to come, simply for no other reason than political survival dump Gillard / Swan for Rudd and who ever.
That will give Rudd plenty of time to blame it all on the wicked witch of the right. That's Labor politics, no loyalty. The back bench will go along with anything that might save their political skins.

Paul your two opponents feel free to brand us and half the country lefty,s.
Yet you and I squabble constantly, because I claim Labor has moved on from the, and you say in doing so, we betrayed our followers.
The few true lefty,s must be a potent mob!
I know my insistence on truth gets me in trouble,but it is needed.
While not equal to the NSW FILTH, Joe,s white shoe brigade was far worse than your list.
No man can say this list is not 100% true, he got a multi million dollar loan, interest free for his son.
If not for a young National who got on the 12 wise men to judge him, the New Zealand born Zealot would have served time in prison, as his chief of police did.
Dare I?
Honesty shouts at me yes!
I hope with every fibre of my being NSW FILTH do not avoid prison, and get at the least 10 years without early parole.
Good honest government deserves the support of good honest men.

Belly, Do you notice Individual has a pr-disposal to alcohol;
"i"'ll shout you a carton of XXXX"
No problem if you consume the lot in one go and it puts you over 5 on the richter scale. Providing this all takes place in the Deep Deep North of Queensland in the land of the individual-hasbeen you will be okay. A friendly local copper will pull you up and tow you home. Lol.
You are correct about the 'White Shoe Brigade' that operated under the Bejelke-petersen regime in Queensland with impunity for years. The graft and corruption of that fascist government has been well documented. Yet there are those even today who idalise old Joh as some kind of saint and don't realise what an evil B he and his government was.

Dear Paul,

This may lighten things up a bit:

Q: Why do men from Queensland call their beer XXXX?

A: Because they can't spell beer. ;)

rehctub it is indeed a poisoned chalice but if they run with Julia it will not limit the damage.They have to find someone to stop the rot.
I don't think Rudd will be leader this year or next.

The best solution is not to vote, receive a letter and maybe a small fine.

..

Now, what the majority of Australia needs, (working class/pensioners/unemployed/underemployed/working poor) is a true left wing party.

Now, briefly, Belly this is where you go wrong at times i.m.o. as the ALP is a right wing centrist party, who like the far right seeks to create donating wealth hubs. You will never get any fundamental reform from either the red or the blue because of that primary driver as the people who donate do so on the basis of a maintaining the status quo, or otherwise only change which benefits their interests.

..

You must want for medicine to be triaged, which is to say those who are sickest get treated first, not those with money get fast tracked best practice and those without get a long wait in an ever longer cue.

You must want to be equal before the law, and you cannot be unless you have equal access.

Bar research and those who have an internationally in demand product or service, you must put all of the medics on a fixed price, sustainable, means tested system. Same with the wig parasites.

According to one DRUM commentator, more than 2,800 public servants are on more than $AU200,000+ No, sorry, clip go the shears boys.

Wages cannot go up thus you must scale down, and most especially land prices in the states.

Insurance companies need to be nationalised with performance based incentive to service the increasing incidence of natural disaster, not their own interests as they currently do.

Nationalise the banks, again with performance based incentive, but so that they serve the people, not the other way around. Currently, the likes of NAB don't even want to employ Australians so they export your deposit and withdrawal business online to ...'ing India.

And we have the monkey judge running housing - ie you pay for 3 * $5000,000 = $1.5 million, then, one for you, 2 for me ...

Cull out the retailers. No subsidies for Ford or Holden, but online, factory direct, paperwork complete $AU20,000 Monaros delivered to your door. What costs the car makers $5,000 to make is sold at retail by dead wood, parasitic, do nothing dealers for $35,000+ and the guvment won't even buy Oz made.

The key to successful online business is culling out one part of the supply chain.

And who is/was paying for the mining boom? Of course, the working people as you can bet your left one if the majority of stores weren't full of a majority of chinese break sooner rather than later crap that they wouldn't be buying so much primary resource at the prices that they are paying.

I care about farmers, truckies and small business, not multinational/foreign parasitic share holder companies like woolworths. If we can't operate and own land in their countries then remove their right to do so here.

What a joke, we have more than 90% of the required resources, plenty of local capital, can create scram jets and HSV's but we can't cradle Australian owned and run businesses into the pre-eminent spots in the mining industry and blow 800 billion+ a year on poms and other maggots. Why even bother sending some of you to uni when there isn't enough jobs at the end of it?

As in most places, the problem with working class ozzies is that they are too stupid to know what is in their best interest.

DreamOn, DreamOn tell me you jest. Nationalise the Banks & the insurance industries, God help us.

I can imagine these idiots, K Rudd, Gillard & Swan, & their incompetent bureaucrats running the banks. It should fix unemployment at least, they would need about 10 times the staff.

Interest rates quadruple what we pay now, & you can bet they would loose billions every year to boot.

Then insurance as well. It would take months of your claim doing the rounds of hundreds of in boxes, before any one even looked it. Talk about a recipe for disaster, that would be it

Lexi>> Dear Paul,

This may lighten things up a bit:

Q: Why do men from Queensland call their beer XXXX?

A: Because they can't spell beer. ;)<<

Lexi my belle, I asked my teen son what he wanted for his birthday and he replied "something I can play with and something I can wear. So I bought him a pair of shorts and cut the pockets out.

In Vietnam XXXX was a brand of US condoms. In vials of three. One vial properly applied could have saved Australia from Gillard, Swann and Rudd.

After the "family friendly" policies of the Gillard/Greens government, a condom needs to be invented to cover a turkey baster, or whatever the Grrls are using these days (no info please, too much information already).

As for the Greens, their continuing support for the ALP is unconscionable, as it is unacceptable to me for them not to act by binning the agreement they have with the ALP. Whilst the ALP may be the lesser of 2 evils, an evil they remain and they need to be stamped on."

DreamOn as a member of The Greens, this so called agreement with Labor, like many members it was something I never supported and I made that clear from the very beginning to people that matter within the party. It was something Bob and others wanted, and so it was. 18 months ago I had a discussion with one of our Senators about this and she used the lesser of 2 evils argument. There were other motives for the agreement, stable government for one, our agenda for another, thing I never thought it would bring. On asylum seekers, on carbon and mining taxes, the concepts are good but Labor has got them badly wrong with implementation. The Labor brand has turned toxic both federally and here in NSW, my home state, I don't think they are doing well elsewhere either. Unfortunately we Greens will cop some of the flack, but it will be a lesson learned for both us on the progressive side of politics and for Australia in general as the people endure 3 years of 'Abbottism'.

I have long wondered why the Labor power brokers have not axed Gillardand came to the belief that only Rudd has the ego to think he could win the next election.

So why not re-install Rudd? Well one theory is that Gillard may not go quietly and leak like a sieve, the other I have heard is that Labor is fearfull that Rudds role in the Heiner affair will be exposed at a current inquiry due to start shortly in Brisbane.

Now we do not get much interstate news here so am wondering if any banana benders here can throw some light in this.

Dear onthe beach and SOG,

I probably deserve your comebacks at my attempt
at "humour" and trying to "lighten things up."
But goodness me, you could have done it with
more flair. From you posts - you only flair is
in your nostrils.

One would have to be a foolhardy optimist to believe that Labor will win the next federal election.

Do you think that Rudd is a foolhardy optimist who could become blinded into thinking that they will win?

The answer is obvious: sit back, enjoy the scenery, return as a sitting MP, and put yourself up for selection as the opposition leader.

Rudd will easily outgun Abbott and be in a position to become PM again in several more years.

Well *KRudd* was silly enough to think that he had a chance at his last leadership tilt wasn't he?

..

And the next silliest group of people in the country are the cockies and the national party. Why can't you stand on your own 2 feet for your own interests and then cherry pick the best of it and form joint guvment as you please?

Now my fragmented memories of the post Wik period and when Howard first got in is this. 1st, he trashed the pig industry by letting the kiwis in largely unfettered. Then, he cramped down on gun ownership and associated rules. Then what did he say? Oh yes, of course, the BlakFellas are going to get all your land and kick you out.

Please, they're playing you.

And then what, up went the bar and the costs and now you have woolworths and coles running 70%+ of the market and giving the people who do all the grunt s.f.a. And what are they? Box movers who do f.a. Yeah, really well done national party. Clap, Clap, Clap.

..

I have been absent for 7 months occupied with more pressing concerns and a 7 week stint in Indo. I can walk out the front door there after giving birth, a quick dip in the pool and then into my favourite top shelf british/irish pub and have a 250g Wagyu steak cooked to perfection for $AU10. Now, how much for some Wagyu at the supermarket here, not to mention the $30+ per kilo lambos?

What a pack of slows.

No, you can stick your Wagyu where the sun don't shine. Carbs burn clean (no oxidants) and saturated fats & trans fats being absent from the diet is why the traditional Okinawans largely push up past a hundred years old, still gardening, fishing and doing open hand fighting on the beach with minimal heart disease, stroke and dementia.

How about some more soy and canola - that's the big health ticket.

By nationlised I don't mean the guvment running the show but rather turn the fat cats into employees with performance based incentive with no opportunity to crash the system by sucking too much out in obscene salaries and bonuses. They're screwing you all and many of you no doubt are well aware of it.

Of course, the flip side of productivity is when you pay people too much to do too little, which is a very much under discussed fact.

There is another way other than either pure red or pure blue which adopts the best of both in a hybridised model.

There must be a minimum standard for the base, and there must also be reward for hard work and talent, and not just a flip flop between one or the other, and without sh!tting in your own nests and trashing the environment beyond repair as you do it.

Lexi>> From you posts - you only flair is
in your nostrils.<<

Now that is a good line.

Dear SOG,

Glad you liked it.

You may like this one as well:

"In matters of great importance
style, not sincerity is the vital thing."
(The Importance of Being Ernest).

Back to Mr Rudd...

"In matters of great importance
style, not sincerity is the vital thing."
Lexi,
Yep, great movie. It's interesting to note that these words didn't come from a so-called intellectual albeit someone who chanced upon his new-found good fortune by not having been very smart in the first place. Could almost be an academic success story novel wouldn't you say ?

If they dump Gillard who will be Rudd's treasurer?

Lexi>> Voters are not that silly as to fall for
scare tactics and inane rhetoric. They want to see
costed policies.<<

Lexi my belle, pray tell how any supporter of this Labor government can use the shameless rhetoric of “we want to see costed policies.” Labor supporters don’t want costed policies, or have the expectation that government succeed within the budgeted implementation of those policies. That is evident by Labors ongoing track record of failures.

Labor has lifted the Commonwealths debt ceiling three times in five years…they have never had a surplus budget, and they started with $20 BILLION in the bank.

I don’t care if Abbott has difficulty counting to five….he still beats the likes of that fiscal illiterate imbecile Swan.

Swan has had only two triumphs, he implemented the Carbon Tax and the Flood Tax, and everything else he has touched has turned to sheiser. He couldn’t even get a quid from the miners. Lexi as I said, you have a hide asking for costed anything’s from the coalition given your political bent.

Dear SOG,

Tony Abbott has done nothing to establish his
or his party's economic credentials. He seems
content to coast on the public perception that
the Coalition is more competent at economic
management than Labor. Which is simply not true
as economists tell us that:

"The Coalition has had the fortune to hold office
in good economic times, especially from 1996 to 2007
when the Howard government enjoyed the dividends of the
Hawke-Keating economic reforms and when the world
economy was enjoying a long speculative-driven boom.
Good Luck, perhaps, but not good management.
The Howard government neglected our surface transport -
our interstate roads, railroads and urban public
transport. It starved our tertiary education sector of
funds. It neglected investments which could help us
cope with the challenges of water shortages, climate
change, and fossil fuel depletion. In short, it let
fiscal impression management displace sound economic
management and directed political attention to only
one side of the public balance sheet, the debt side,
while ignoring the asset side."

As economists point out: "If the Howard cabinet had been
the board of a publicly listed company, the shareholders
would have thrown them out for weakening the company's
asset base."

I think it's only fair for voters to want to debate
about real issues and real plans. Australians deserve
answers - from the man who wants to lead the
nation. Afterall as one commentator pointed out:

"The up-coming election will be held against a back-drop
of a fast-changing world. The central challenge for
political leaders and aspirants is to ensure Australia's
continued economic resilience in this time of change."

as economists tell us that:
Lexi,
Again you're referring to Academics, not business people or producers. No, it's always academics. Once & for all, these people don't know anything relating to reality so why rely on them ? No wonder you can't accept what's going on when you insist these people are more qualified than those who are actually in the business of producing.

Lexi>> The Coalition has had the fortune to hold office
in good economic times, especially from 1996 to 2007<<

Lexi have a peek at our GDP during the "hard" years that you allude to giving the impression that Labor copped a serve economically, and it is the big bad GFC that has pout the Labor government and us into new record debt territory.

<iframe src='http://www.tradingeconomics.com/iframe/chart.aspx?url=/australia/gdp' height='350' width='700' frameborder='0' scrolling='no'></iframe><br />Source: <a href='http://www.tradingeconomics.com/australia/gdp' target='_blank'>tradingeconomics.com</a><br />

Sorry lexi, the link is rubbish, so I will longhand the numbers.

Australian GDP in Billions:
2004/ 455 Billion
2005/ 598 Billion
2006/ 674 Billion
2007/ 749 Billion
2008/ 865 Billion
2009/ 1039 Billion
2010/ 924 Billion
2011/ 1131 Billion
2012/ 1371 Billion

No hard revenue times for Labor Lexi, just an abysmal failure to manage our money...or the 170 Billion they have borrowed....Where’s the money? Anyone seen an Obeid near the Commonwealth treasury office?

Dear SOG,

Voters have to decide which party will ensure Australia's
continued economic resilience against a back-drop pf a
fast-changing world.

All we hear from the Opposition is that they will release
their policies "in due course," along with a growing
list of excuses to avoid scrutiny. This is simply
not good enough.

As economists tell us:

"The Labor government has offset all new spending
since mid 2009, and, with revenues over 5 years
declining by more than $160 billion,
the government will have to continue to
do the same post-September. Mr Abbott needs to be upfront
with voters about what he would cut to pay for his $4 billion
infrastructure promise, his $770 million tax rebate
commitment and his "article of faith" to remove means testing of
the private health insurance rebate, among others."

As you're well aware, and as many have pointed out:

"Last year, we endured a political debate mired in the
personal, the trivial, and so often, the downright nasty.
Yet beyond the grounds of Parliament House, the desire
is for a debate about real issues and real plans..."

"Labor has set out its plan - a plan to ensure a
strong economy and support jobs, education, health, aged
care, and a national desability insurance scheme, and
boost skills and innovation so we can succeed in the
Asian Century."

What concerns many voters is - "Does anyone know what
Tony Abbott's plans are for Australia?

As a political commentator stated:

"The Libs spruik a supposedly "ready to go" set of
policies, yet we have no idea what they are, no details
have been provided of substance, how much they'll cost
or how they'll be paid for. Their strategy for electoral
success is to make policies a policy-free zone.."

Scrutiny now needs to be applied so that voters can make
informed choices prior to the election.

Lexi>> Their strategy for electoral
success is to make policies a policy-free zone.."<<

Lexi, Abbott will not release until election time, it is as simple as that, they all do it.

Dear SOG,

Then, you can understand my concern.

Australians deserve a little more respect
from any political leader who wants to lead the nation.
Just because "they all do it," doesn't mean that
they have to continue to do it - that's a rather lame
excuse for inaction and pressure for change needs to be applied.

Lexi, I once told Belly that my political philosophy falls near democratic socialist. Belly thought I meant National Socialist as in the old German Nazi Party and has thought of me as a goosestepper ever since. I do not "follow" the coalition or the current crop of Labor pollies.

But after watching Labor for two terms I have come to the conclusion that they are hopeless individuals with no viable agenda excepting the retention of power and control. They have to go regardless of what Abbott is or is not.

Dear SOG,

We see things differently and as the recent Nielsen
poll showed - opinion polls trump policies
every time and influence voters.

As one political commentator stated:

"Sunday's announcement of $1 billion jobs plan was
a solid policy aimed at improving Australia's patchy
record in home grown manufacturing and the
commercialisation of innovation. The policy included
a welcome re-allocation of R & D funding away from
giant mining corporations. A policy recommended by
the Business Tax Advisory Group and towards small and
medium enterprises, as well as an extra $500 million
investment in so called "Innovation precincts."

"In addition there was $350 million in new funding for
venture capital, through the Innovation Investment Fund."

Yet few in the media or the community are taking notice of this
because shortly after the government's policy was
announced, Nielsen released their opinion poll and as I
stated earlier - in contemporary mediascape polls
trump policy every time.

Worse than the figures themselves however, was the effect
that the bad poll exterted on the media cycle, and on the
government's attempts to communicate its jobs and
innovation policy.

Politics is a tough game - not for the faint-hearted.
And for some its not easy to sift the sheep from the goats.,

Lexi>> "Sunday's announcement of $1 billion jobs plan was
a solid policy aimed at improving Australia's patchy
record in home grown manufacturing and the
commercialisation of innovation.<<

Lexi all the talk about job creation in the manufacturing segment is futile. The whole of the first world has lost manufacturing to cheaper climes. When the "plan" to move manufacturing to second and third world nations was vaunted the only obstacle was each countries protectionist policies. The Lima Agreement and all the subsequent free trade agreements mean we will never manufacture any quantity of anything here any more.

Both sides of politics have signed off on this, we have been betrayed and any bullsheiser talk of "making it better" means nothing while product can be dumped onto our market.

http://themasthead.org/kevin-rudd-low-profile/

Kevin Rudd pulls on his invisibility cloak
MORNINGSIDE, QUEENSLAND — Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd continues his low media profile despite ructions in the Labor Party over his leadership ambitions and Julia Gillard’s untenable approval ratings.

Mr Rudd was en route from a press conference on his Freedom Of Information request into his potty-mouthed leaked video, when he was hastily confronted by the Nine News crew who appeared at a pre-arranged time and location.

“I’m just a happy little Vegemite doing my job in full support of the Gillard Government,” Rudd told Nine News.

“I’m dressed as a sauce bottle @MTV Harlem Shake film shoot,” he later tweeted.