Aus politics, the index card version

[blamebrampton]

So, this morning, your PM was Julia Gillard, right?
Correct.

And, this evening, it's Kevin Rudd?
Sort of. He is the new leader of the parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Julia Gillard has resigned the Prime Ministership in his favour, but he is only the Prime Minister designate at the moment.

So might he not be in the morning?
Eh, there are some complicated constitutional thingies that could see that happen, but they're not likely to take place, so I can't be arsed looking them up to make sure I get them right. He probably will be.

And this is the same Prime Minister you Aussies elected in 2007?
I'm only a part-Aussie, don't blame me! But yes.

And deposed in 2010?
Oh, that wasn't us, that was the ALP, his party, who turned on him because he had terrible polling figures and installed Gillard.

And now they've turned on Gillard and re-installed Rudd?
Yes.

Because?
Because Gillard had even worse polling figures than Rudd had in 2010.

Not because parliament and the mainstream media are a pack of sexist twats who couldn't stand being governed by a woman?
Well, a bit … but also because Gillard is a frustrating politician who is actually very very good at driving policy and designing legislation and building the coalitions to get it through a hung parliament full of gibbons, but who then can't seem to manage to communicate any of her plans or successes to the general public. So while she did an amazing job at passing legislation, she did a terrible job at conveying any of her messages to the voting public.

And then she turns around and gives a concession speech that is full of wit, personality, compassion and fortitude. Dammit, Gillard, where was that last week?

So those misogyny wars she started were just bollocks?
Oh, she SO did not start those! The coverage of her leadership in some quarters was staggeringly sexist from day one, and the Opposition's disrespect for her has been astonishing and appalling. There is no question that her misogyny speech was born out of anything other than genuine outrage and exasperation, and is one that most women in the Western world have felt like making at some point.

Never forget that while Julia Gillard was trying to shore up her numbers against Kevin, a woman named Wendy Davis spent 11 hours on her feet trying to prevent the state of Texas from legislating to control women's bodies. If you doubt that sexism is still entrenched in much of Australia, as it is in the UK and US, then you're Julie Bishop lying, or an idiot.

But what about what Tony Abbott says about it being outrageous the way she was rolled?
The way Kevin Rudd was rolled? The way Tony Abbott rolled Malcolm Turnbull? The way Turnbull rolled Brendon Neilsen? The way Kevin rolled Kim Beazley? Need I go on? Rolling leaders is an Australian sport. If only there were Test Matches in leader rolling, the upcoming Ashes wouldn't be such a dire prospect for everyone out here. (Except me, and all the other British expats who are wandering around cackling wildly at the prospect.)

But this is a terrible government, yes?
Not in terms of actual governing, they've actually been bloody amazing and Australia is in strong economic form and with wonderful new legislation regarding schools and disability insurance. In terms of PR, I admit they're a bit shitful.

What about the other leadership team changes, should we care?
No. Garrett is a much better rockstar than politician, Stephen Conroy tried to censor the internet and Wayne Swan is nearly as bad at mathematics as Joe Hockey. Although you can care that Penny Wong is now leader of the Senate, because that's BRILLIANT!

So what will Rudd do now he is back?
Be the dorky Ruddbot we all once loved. Travel all over the countryside shaking hands, saying 'programmatic specificity' and carrying suitcases through floods. Try to defeat Tony Abbott and win the next election then hopefuly get gay marriage legislation through. Sit up in bed at night looking at his business card, stroking the raised typeface where it says "K Rudd, PM", lovingly.

And will there be a Harry Potter version of this for the weekend?
Probably! I am very pleased that Mark Simkin, chief political correspondant for the ABC reported that Gillard and Rudd were like the Deathly Hallows, 'Neither can live while the other survives.' 

Comments

[saintgilbert.livejournal.com]

I'M DEAD.

YOU'VE KILLED ME.

[shocolate.livejournal.com]

I was waiting for your report!!

[illereyn.livejournal.com]

If there was a 'Like' button I'd click it a hundred times...

I really despair of our politics, I really do...

[leochi.livejournal.com]

Aha - I've been waiting for you to elucidate. :D As I know virtually nothing about that topic, and our national broadcasting company rarely mentions Aussie politics, I was quite surprised to find Gillard in our breaking news.

[oddishly.livejournal.com]

I, too, was waiting for this! *absorbs, open-mouthed*

[cassie-black12.livejournal.com]

LOL!! I was just privately bemoaning the lack of HP analogies in your post, and then I hit your final point! I may have cheered slightly :)

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

She'll have more time for knitting that kangaroo now.

[rdmasters.livejournal.com]

Perfect.

Just perfect.

[17catherines.livejournal.com]

I must say, I turned to Andrew last night and said, well, this is all horrible, but with any luck, Blamebrampton will write a Harry Potter version, so at least that's an up-side...

And yes, to all of this. Especially the pollie-rolling test matches.

[jack-ryder.livejournal.com]

Reshared this as it's an absolutely brilliant summation.

[embolinaoz.livejournal.com]

If only all our political debate was as witty and incisive as your summation!!

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

I miss Aussie politics. It seemed so much more chaotic than ours, but still less depressing. possibly because it wasn't happening to me.

It's now got to the stage where I snigger every time the Ashes are mentioned.

[astardanced77.livejournal.com]

Lol (but quietly, because I am at work). I was watching the ABC coverage last night and thought of you during that particular remark. I'm terribly disappointed - good about Penny Wong but doesn't make up for ditching Julia Gillard. But a HP summary is sure to make me feel better!

[ecosopher.livejournal.com]

Sigh. It's not like I really loved her. And I did think it was rough, that she ousted Kevin in the first place. But as you say, it's nothing new.

I just really felt that there was good amount of sabotage in there as well, while she was PM, and I don't know enough about what happens there to know if it were just sexism. I suspect that had a lot to do with it, though.

Still, I'm also willing to give Kevin another go if it means we won't have Abbott in September (or August, I suppose?).

Look forward to a Harry Potter version :) Very much!

[drbunsen.livejournal.com]

Oh hooray! I just came here to find your Harry Potter Primer to show to my bewildered friends from beyond the seas, and thought I'd check to see if you had something new up about the latest shenanigans. Can't wait for the new HP version :)

[dharawal.livejournal.com]

I was sooooo hoping you would do this 8-)

[ozdobe.livejournal.com]

Thank you and I hate to admit it, but I was very much in the dark about the whole thing. Funnily enough, my orthodontist was Tony Abbott's father, Richard (I think it was Richard...hmm) Abbott (r abbott = rabbit - a suitable name for someone fixing those buck teeth). btw, I keep forgetting to get logged in these days for some reason and turn up as anonymous.

[valkyrie17.livejournal.com]

I was hoping for your comments on this.

You make politics so enjoyable and entertaining:)

[suonguyen.livejournal.com]

I don't really keep up with politics so thanks for the rehashing! :D

I was out last night watching an advance screening of Man of Steel and saw the news headlines as I was heading out (was actually hoping for an update on the State of Origin game :D). I could not get the smile of my face! I love Kevin Rudd he was the first Prime Minister I voted for (Kevin07).

Another paid up member of the "love media"

[(Anonymous)]

What absolute twaddle. Good at legislating!!!!
That would be the extra 22000 regulations now clogging up the country's arteries. Mind you its unanalysed cheering from dolts like you that kept this delusional government on the path to crushing defeat at the election. Well done that cheer leader.

[mrsquizzical.livejournal.com]

i will be referencing this and also probably quoting it. *nods*

[tomatoe18.livejournal.com]

Brammers, I saw this on the news today (repeatedly, I might add, which is surprising because the TV I was watching was Indonesian channels). And my head hurts.

I read your post, which is admittedly much clearer... but my head still hurts. I don't know how you deal with this.

[mayela-delarue.livejournal.com]

I love your commentary so much. I really can't wait to come home and have real time political malarkey discussions with you. Being away, I've missed a bunch of the small stuff, but the last few months has really ruffled my feathers and I think I might build a coalition of bright people to, well I'm not quite sure what we're going to do yet, but it'll be something worthy.

In the meantime, I look forward to your succinct analysis to fill in some gaps for me. And I should probably go and find a stream of her speech, sounds like it was good.

I wish she'd had better advisers and PR.

[kath-ballantyne.livejournal.com]

*sigh*
I just hope they settle down now and get stuff sorted and win the election. I don't really care either way as far as Gillard Vs Rudd goes. I just hate all the in fighting that brings us closer to Abbott *shudder*

I hated the way the press dealt with Gillard and I'm certain that a huge amount of it was because she was a woman.

I love the fact that Gillard knits. I can't understand what the fuss was in the press about it.

It really would be nice to be able to get married before our fifteenth anniversary. But I'm not holding my breath

[tyghra.livejournal.com]

All been said by those folk above, and most likely, after my wee comment. Just want to say one thing... what a bloody brilliant synopsis! Thankyou.