SPQR,

Pretending that Emily's list is other than cronyism and is somehow justified by an alleged 'need for affirmative action' is putting lipstick on a hog. But is affirmative action justified after decades of it and when will it stop? Remembering that the reformist Whitlam government that really kicked affirmative action off came into power in December 1972.

If the political scandals of the past two terms of Labor government demonstrate that favoritism, cronyism and nepotism must be purged from government. State and federal parliaments have been rife with corruption.

Favoritism, Cronyism, and Nepotism by Judy Nadler and Miriam Schulman
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/government_ethics/introduction/cronyism.html

It is damned unacceptable that none of the parties, Labor, LNP and Greens will grasp the nettle, finding it easier and more convenient to wage war on personality. Why is it so?

My

"If the political scandals of the past two terms of Labor government demonstrate that favoritism, cronyism and nepotism must be purged from government. State and federal parliaments have been rife with corruption."

should be,

"The political scandals of the past two terms of Labor government demonstrate that favoritism, cronyism and nepotism must be purged from government. State and federal parliaments have been rife with corruption."

Too little insightful views about Rudd,s re emergence are on display here.
Yes some Labor voters did not like reality taking place.
They had strapped them selves in for to fall from the cliff with Gillard.
But Rudd bought with him the undecided and those like me, sickened by the kick in the guts his knifing was.
He too by his victory put ALP reform back on the front page, we are a better party already because he beat the system.
He in the next few weeks will remove bad policy, replacing them with truly better.
I understand the blackness that SOME are feeling, I have been forced to live with it for 3 years.
Nothing is won yet but if my team was Liberals I would be looking again at Turnbull.

I agree Belly. Turnbull would be far superior to Abbott.
At least he sounds intelligent when he speaks publicly.

I am also relieved that Gillard is gone.
I was getting sick of all the gender related political rubbish.
Now it is just Rudd and Abbott......or whoever!

Poirot
There are many ALP voters and members who do not support Kevin but it has nothing to do with supporting Gillard because she is a woman.

I won't vote either LNP or ALP but frankly it comes down to preferenes and voters still have to pick one over the other.

It is difficult because while I cannot bring myself to vote for Rudd I remind myself that the LNP is the party that endorsed Peter Slipper, Scott Morrison and Cory Bernardi.

I am in the same boat Pelican.
I don't want to vote for either of the main parties either.

But what to do when considering preferences?
I think, at the end of the day, I just can't go with Abbott though...