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Last updated on March 6th, 2018 at 12:31 am
Kevin or Kim? The vote is on. Decision due in 30 minutes or so.
UPDATE. It’s Rudd: 49 votes to 39.
UPDATE II. Rudd is the sixth Labor leader since John Howard became leader of the Liberal party in 1995.
UPDATE III. So much for pure waffle.
UPDATE IV. Terrible news: Kim Beazley’s brother David died overnight.
UPDATE V. It’s three years—almost to the day—since Mark Latham defeated Beazley.
UPDATE VI. More on the vote; all about Kevin Rudd; a timeline of the morning’s events.
UPDATE VII. Comment of the day: “Gillard to enjoy first and only honeymoon.”
UPDATE VIII. Some Latham-related background on Rudd:
As a duelling columnist in Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph in 2001, Latham was always keen to put the boot into his ambitious colleague.
“The erudite Rudd is one of the brighter people in parliament. Yet like so many of the modern political class he has the roar of a mouse rather than the crusading zeal of a parliamentary lion,” Latham wrote.
The pair were eventually ordered to stop boring readers by writing about each other, reportedly prompting Latham to file a column where he referred to Rudd as “c…”.
- Whoever loses, I blame Bush.Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2006 12 03 at 07:21 PM • permalink
- I would like to be the first person to use the term Kevinomics.
That is all.
Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 12 03 at 07:31 PM • permalink
- What it does mean is that Mel ‘n Kochie are kingmakers for Australian politics – trendy sneering leftism has leaked out of the inner city towards the suburbs.Posted by boxofmatches on 2006 12 03 at 07:34 PM • permalink
- If Gillard is elected, she will be unable to quit so as to spend more time with her family.Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 12 03 at 07:38 PM • permalink
- Er, congratulations?Posted by Kyda Sylvester on 2006 12 03 at 07:46 PM • permalink
- Tim Blair said that he was tipping Rudd by fewer than 10.
When oh when will we stop listening Tim “Quiggin Sheil Sear Fairfax-letter-writer” Blair about these election thingies.
Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 12 03 at 07:51 PM • permalink
- A good idea to turf the Kimster, he has done himself proud trying again and again but it is time to be put out to pasture.
As far as Rudd is concerned – some things he should avoid:
Making speeches containing the phrases “Ease the squeeze” or “Ladder of opportunity” next to an American flag or any flag in that matter apart from an Aussie one.
Also if he has to swear and curse- do it in Mandarin and that should just about cover it.
- The SMH reports that “Rudd rolls Beazley”.
I would like to express both my disgust at this development, and my interest in anyone posting youtube links ASAP.
Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 12 03 at 08:00 PM • permalink
- Rudd needs to stop saying things like “Our region, our neighbourhood, our backyard”, which annoys the poop out of me.Posted by Jack Lacton on 2006 12 03 at 08:01 PM • permalink
- But you just know they’ll bring back the Beezer when Rudd loses the election next year…Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2006 12 03 at 08:04 PM • permalink
- #14
Rudd has learnt that thing where politicians repeating things is more impressive(eg we shall fight them on the beaches, we shall never surrender…)
He just needs to work on his material.
Personally, I preferred Latham’s climbing the ladder of opportunity (with hand motions) designed to help out the Labor faithful.
Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 12 03 at 08:06 PM • permalink
- #25:
Ha ha – Kevvie is great at 20:20 hindsight. I think Howard was also in the grassy knoll, check the blurry film.
Posted by boxofmatches on 2006 12 03 at 08:24 PM • permalink
- It’s KRudd: 49 votes to 39.Posted by stackja1945 on 2006 12 03 at 08:26 PM • permalink
- Rudd will be interesting: I’ve met a few ex-DFAT mandarins over the years, and they all have one thing in common. Each one has the unshakeable conviction that he could step into the PM’s shoes at a moment’s notice, and do an incomparably better job than the incumbent. Now we’ll see how one of them fares at that messy process known as an election.
- I want transcripts of question time posted! I’ve got another hot date, so I’ll miss any TV coverage, but transcripts would be nice.Posted by Stuart Lord on 2006 12 03 at 08:28 PM • permalink
- #30
What’d I tell you about women and buses, Stuart?
We are expecting to read all the details.
Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 12 03 at 08:33 PM • permalink
- Interesting site is up already – same old Labor.Posted by mauriemoose on 2006 12 03 at 08:36 PM • permalink
- Thanks, Ian. I’ll look it up.
And MM – fair enough. Though I should say that I had a second date on Saturday – it went a lot more smoothly. A ferry ride to Manly, late lunch at a seafood/grill place next to the beach, a walk around, back across, and then coffee before we went home. Rather enjoyable, especially the ferry – it is a great place to talk and enjoy the view of the harbor.
Tonight I am heading down to near where she works (Padstow) for a flick and some dinner, something like that.
Posted by Stuart Lord on 2006 12 03 at 08:43 PM • permalink
- kevs mastery of chinese should come in handy if they win the election and labor adopts its usual foreign policy position- the preemptive kowtow in front of commie dictatorsPosted by eeniemeenie on 2006 12 03 at 08:45 PM • permalink
- SMH have changed their headline from “Rudd rolls Beazley” to something less interesting once again.
Curse those spoil-sport editors
Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 12 03 at 08:49 PM • permalink
- There is nothing like support from ALP figures.Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 12 03 at 08:54 PM • permalink
- The irony is Howard of a middle class background is more genuinely in touch with the electorate than Rudd who comes from a more impoverished background.
Howard must be rubbing his paws with glee. Rudd is going to go down quicker than a lead Zeppelin. Rudd combines Howard and Downers’ most mocked characteristics, yet he is the darling of the left.
- Civil war and factional violence have turned the ALP into a quagmire. I suggest they cut n’ run. All party members home by Christmas.Posted by Infidel Tiger on 2006 12 03 at 09:14 PM • permalink
- #46- agreed- it was a younger brother as well which somehow makes it worse.-as much as i would rather chew my own arm off then see a pm beasley you gotta feel for the big bloke today. i hope for his sake bad news doesn’t come in threes.Posted by eeniemeenie on 2006 12 03 at 09:28 PM • permalink
- I was poised to lay the boot into Kim until I saw Tim’s update about his younger brother David passing away.
Now I just feel sincerely sorry for the bloke. Losing both the the leadership and a family member is a double blow.
Sorry for your loss, Kim.
Politics is a pastime, family is for life.
Posted by Pedro the Ignorant on 2006 12 03 at 09:42 PM • permalink
- The Bunyip’s assessment of Rudd and Gillard (scroll to Thursday January 13 2005) is still good reading.Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 12 03 at 09:42 PM • permalink
- Labor will always be hampered by 40 years of middle-class PC indoctrination. And Political Correctness is —
A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
Posted by walterplinge on 2006 12 03 at 09:43 PM • permalink
- Hey, does anyone have a job for this person?Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 12 03 at 10:16 PM • permalink
- Update on sameoldlabor: Note the bowties Rudd is wearing, then read this:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/labors-losing-battle/2006/11/25/1164341443336.html
GLORIOUS!
- Bowtie shouldn’t have been plural there.
“The phone started ringing very early on the day the story appeared and before the receiver even reached my ear I could hear someone shouting at me.
Amid liberal use of the f-word and several colourful references to me being some kind of very smelly, very fat and very stupid walking genital not fit to breathe the same air as human beings, I realised that it was none other than the bow-tied class prat himself.
The problem, it took me some minutes to work out, was the bit about the bow tie.
“I never even knew what a f—king bow tie was when I was in high school, let alone how to put one on,” Rudd bawled down the phone.”
- Likewise Beazley has my sympathy now, what a terrible double whammy.
I must say though that I fear Rudd is going to be a tougher challenge. He might not have common touch but he’s sharper and tougher than Beazley. He does however physically remind me of the Nazi out of the Raiders of the Lost Ark the one who gets the amulet burned into his hand.
Posted by the nailgun on 2006 12 03 at 10:46 PM • permalink
- If that pompous little spiv says “fork in the fucking road” again, I’m going to stab him to death with a blunt spoon.Posted by Infidel Tiger on 2006 12 03 at 10:49 PM • permalink
- As long as he doesn’t say “fuck in the forking road.” Because that’s just rude.Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 12 03 at 11:00 PM • permalink
- Best line on Rudd, comes from an ex-DFAT guy:
Kevin Rudd is the only person who can make Alexander Downer look humble.
Posted by Apparatchik on 2006 12 03 at 11:00 PM • permalink
- Seriously, Kruddy will be a great Liberal leader. Consdier this:
– he’s a Realist on international relations
– he considers the chief aim of Australian foreign policy is to increase US engagement in Asia
– he is a nominal Christian
– he is loathed by the Gay lobby in Queensland
– he loves the USAll of which means that he’s going to have to go against the entire direction of his own Party – or prove himself to be a power-greedy hypocrite who’ll sell out his principles for the top job.
This should be fun.
Posted by Apparatchik on 2006 12 03 at 11:04 PM • permalink
- #57 – MM, whichever newspaper Mike Royko used to write for, they should hire this person and fill the gap that has existed since Royko went to the press room upstairs, taking his acerbic perceptiveness with him.
The Melbourne Herald, when it was still the Herald, ran Royko’s columns and they were always great reading.Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2006 12 03 at 11:05 PM • permalink
- As for Julia Gillard:
– any reports on her behaviour at The Grail will be very interesting
– what sort of Australian can’t even hold a sausage in BBQ tongs?
– her kitchen is too clean, and there’s no fruit in her fruit bowl
– did she get new contact lenses?Posted by Apparatchik on 2006 12 03 at 11:10 PM • permalink
- Early days, but Rudd is getting a lesson in Domestic Policy 101 in question time. I’m thinking he is at least as deeply flawed as Latham, but hides it a lot better.
.
Posted by boxofmatches on 2006 12 03 at 11:11 PM • permalink
- Much as I always reckoned Big Kim would make a disastrous PM, he always struck me as a thoroughly decent, if deluded, human being. Polly wobbles on policy and far too prolix for his own good, Kimbo was at least the last of the Keating Government ministers. He was as he reminded us 100,000 times in the last week, “experienced” (I reckon a greater claim would have been “competent” but that’s all history now).
I wish Kimbo all the best as he shuffles off into retirement – leaving all the Canberra shit to Kevin Ruddockand Julia Roberts Gilligan.
See ya Kim, go have a beer with your cobber Brian Burke.
- #37 eeniemeenie
The Labor Party have some weird fixation with Chinese food. In the days of Whitlam/Wran, Labor policy was hammered out, deals hatched, opponents skewered, day after day at the Peking Restaurant in Elizabeth Street Sydney. It was a defacto cabinet room.The Yum Cha was always, always without fail, washed down with several (dozen?) bottles of chardonay.
Chinese food is a rich ALP tradition just like, forgetting the working class and hightailing it to the big end of town as soon as your political career is over.
- Margos:
Thanks for that link to Web Dreary. Nice to see someone still has their eyes on the important things.
Remember all that to-do a month or so back about the Web Dreary Management losing their site due to their nasty host? Read on…
From MM’s Webdreary link:
Site troubles
We again lost the content management system for a time due to unexpected host action. However, we seem to have fixed the communication problems we had with them sending notices to the wrong address, and they have moved us to another server. Given their very low costs (US$90pa), we haven’t been able to find a better hosting combination, so we’ll see how the new server travels into the new year.Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 12 03 at 11:30 PM • permalink
- Through all of this, we may have been remiss in failing to pay tribute to the wonderful shadow deputy, who has filled the ALP token chick quota with such distinction.
Oh fuck, what’s her name?
Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 12 03 at 11:32 PM • permalink
- I don’t know much about Australian politics, but I will say this: I cannot abide bowties. Nor, for that matter, can I abide yellow neckties with blue shirts, but that is a digression which need not detain us here.
My condolences to Kim and his family over the loss of his brother.
Andrea, I saw the item on your blog (referenced in #57, above). I have never written creatively for money (unless you include expense accounts), so I cannot give you advice, but you have great talent and should you take the leap, I do wish you the greatest success, from the bottom of my heart.
- #74- maybe beijing used to issue their orders via coded messages hidden in the fortune cookies.Posted by eeniemeenie on 2006 12 03 at 11:41 PM • permalink
- The pair were eventually ordered to stop boring readers by writing about each other, reportedly prompting Latham to file a column where he referred to Rudd as “c…”.
Latham thought Rudd was cute?
The man was crazier than any of us suspected!Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2006 12 03 at 11:42 PM • permalink
- …a rich ALP tradition just like, forgetting the working class and hightailing it to the big end of town as soon as your political career is over.
Bob Hawke and Blanche D’Alpuget have struck again, this time in the French countryside. B1 and B2 appear in Britain’s Country Life enjoying a hunt in France, deep in the forests of Burgundy. Opting for matching tweed over traditional hunting outfits, Hawke – so loved they named a local crossroad after him – says it was the lovebirds’ second time at the bloodfest. “We love coming for the hunting and for the hospitality which is shown to Blanche and myself.”
Solidarity forever, brother.
- Who he?Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 12 04 at 12:32 AM • permalink
- I don’t recall ever reading anything about this before but it seems that Mr “Committed Christian” Kevin Rudd may have a dusty expense account skeleton in his closet.
Towards the end of this document the author alleges that in 1994 Rudd tried to claim stamp duty expenses on a house he and his wife bought for $240,000, never lived in, and six months later sold for $280,000. Also, while not living in the house, he is reported to have left the airconditioner on for 24 hours a day! Oh, the horror! The waste and eco-harmfulness of it all! Not to mention the dubious, perhaps filthy-lucre related, reasons why he may have resorted to this noise abuse of the neighbours and climate abuse of the planet.
- Yay, they got it!
Now what?
I’ll take a guess.About that socialist/union thing, take a look at what Julia’s wearing today.
JH is war criminal, Kevin is a realist.
If you elect us then we will help you to forget about that whole war on terror thing.
US bad.
Kyoto Good.
We are morally superior so you simply have vote for us, it’s logical.
Think of the children, trees, animals, fresh air etc.
Kevin and Julia sitting in a tree…
Kevin has credentials you know, he knows what time question time starts.
Isn’t Julia’s hat nice?
We will make everything free, so long as you don’t earn more than $30,000 PA.
Our election campaign ads will be recyclable.
It’s time for a change for the “better”.
We are the young new improved party unlike that old smelly man over there.
We will not have policy dictated to us.
We speak with one voice for the labor party.
Expect us to announce our policy soon.
Remember to think happy thoughts as you vote.
- Andrea: he’s a famous cricket commentator here in Australia. While much ridiculed and often reviled, he is one of several familiar voices of our summer and, on that account, he is regarded semi-fondly. His accent is an odd mix of South African, English and Australian and he tends to pronounce “ar” as “or” and “Bill” as “Bull”.
- he can’t even work out how to operate an air conditioner and he wants to run the country?!Posted by eeniemeenie on 2006 12 04 at 01:17 AM • permalink
- Rudd in a pre-Sunrise moment publicly stood against the change in flight paths over his Electorate. I’m thinking late 90s? Rudd went so far as to launch a judicial review action in the Federal Court in his own name against the Brisbane Airport Corporation. He represented himself. The heat started when he started to get costs orders against him. He cried poor to the electorate and got money raised to pay the costs. I recall thinking at the time that this seemed to be against old strict Queensland laws of Maintenance and Champtery. Someone should look into this.Posted by boxofmatches on 2006 12 04 at 01:58 AM • permalink
- Jeez, There can’t be much closet space left, with all these skeletons in there.Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 12 04 at 02:05 AM • permalink
- It might well be time for a female prime minister in Australia.
That is one thing.
Electing a lesbian to the position of prime minister is without precedent and extremely unlikely in even this most enlightened of liberal democracies.
Labor has just consigned itself to another four years in the opposition wilderness.
Well Done Mr Sheen.
Posted by Jay Santos on 2006 12 04 at 02:22 AM • permalink
- #68 Apparatchik said…
“…her kitchen is too clean, and there’s no fruit in her fruit bowl…”
That’s because the fruit is hiding in a different room.
Posted by Jay Santos on 2006 12 04 at 02:25 AM • permalink
- Who he?
Oh, Andrea! Sometimes I really worry about you. Fancy not knowing about one of our ‘leading’ cricket commentators. Especially during an Ashes series!
Hey, we know who the POTUS is; the least you can do is reciprocate re knowledge about the cricket. After all, the responsibilities of POTUS are no more grave than the Australians in winning the Ashes. You realise that, don’t you?
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 12 04 at 03:33 AM • permalink
- Yes, yes, I know its a thread about the Labor leadership, but cricket is much more important.Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 12 04 at 03:34 AM • permalink
- Not to mention interesting.Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 12 04 at 03:35 AM • permalink
- Has KRuddy ever played cricket?
Hawkey got bashed in the face when batting, hoWARd embarrassed himself in Baghdad or Timor or somewhere trying to bowl an off spinner that fell out of his hand. Not a good look.
I somehow don’t see the new Leader of the Opposition ever taking a red hot catch in the gully or batting a century. More like buried at deep backward square leg where he won’t do any harm.
Julia can make the egg and lettuce sandwiches for afternoon tea.
Posted by Pedro the Ignorant on 2006 12 04 at 04:18 AM • permalink
- #102. Has KRuddy ever played cricket?
No, but he plays with himself in public alot.
Posted by curious george on 2006 12 04 at 04:43 AM • permalink
- With a support team like #40, K-rudd needs to worry less about the fork in the road, and begin to worry about who’s got the knife.Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 12 04 at 05:21 AM • permalink
- #93 Julia Gillard is a lot of things, but she’s not a lesbian.
Until last year, she was in a relationship with Craig Emerson, who’s the only guy in the ALP who could have taught her something useful about economics.
Posted by Young and Free on 2006 12 04 at 05:39 AM • permalink
- It might be worth explaining just how Mark Latham referred to Kevin Rudd as a c**t . . .
At the end of every email Latham sent to the Daily Telegraph when submitting his copy, he signed off with the words “Kevin Rudd is a c**t.”
Posted by Young and Free on 2006 12 04 at 06:23 AM • permalink
- This thread is a cack! Yet another time I am glad I don’t have a drink to hand.
On a serious note, condolences for the Bomber and his family on the passing of his brother.
On a not so serious note, did anyone else note the composition of the Kev’n’Jules Show on one of the tabloids tonight? I had to take a snap of the tv screen.
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2006 12 04 at 06:27 AM • permalink
- Pixie-Anne Rudd. Now here is a guy who likes the sound of his own voice. Can’t imagine him being a hit with the electorate.
- Geez, Nilknarf, if Kevvie was just a tad to the right (so to speak), the flagpole support on Parliament House behind him would have been in exactly the correct position as the peak of the barn in the original paining.
But brilliant anyway!
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 12 04 at 07:13 AM • permalink
- I watched the 7:30 Report on ABC tonight and saw the tribute they gave to Kim Beazley at the end of the show. As the tribute came to an end you could hear what I could only imagine where the ABC crew clapping in admiration for Beazley.
All said I think he was a decent chap and perhaps deserved a small ovation for his time in politics but does anybody think we’ll be hearing any clapping from the ABC crew when it comes time for someone on the conservative side of politics calls it quits?Posted by Hank Reardon on 2006 12 04 at 07:20 AM • permalink
- #107 – Well spotted, Nilk. Eeeeeerie similarity. And there’s that fork that Kevin likes to fuck in the road. Or something.
On a more serious note, I join with others here who have offered their condolences to Kim Beazley. The game in Canberra is one thing, the loss of a close family member quite another.
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2006 12 04 at 07:21 AM • permalink
- Gillard was asked on Lateline about Rudds Christian values and if she followed them. She gave some sort of wishy-washy answer about growing up a Baptist but not going to church as an adult and that she shared the same ethics as Rudd. I could puke! At least old Hawkey had the balls to tell the electorate he was atheist!
- Julia Gillard is a lot of things, but she’s not a lesbian. Until last year, she was in a relationship with Craig Emerson…
Um, yeah, but that’s not to say she isn’t bisexual. As I said earlier, there was one particular incidsent at the Holy Grail involving Julia, another female Labor MP, a proposition and a nice piece of bitch slapping.
Everyone knows about it – it’s just the ridiculous defamation laws in NSW and Qld don’t allow us to say it. Thank God this site is hosted in the US of A.
Posted by Apparatchik on 2006 12 04 at 06:38 PM • permalink
- And if you don’t believe me…
Daily Telegraph, 5/12/2006, page 5.
Quote: “Julia Gillard’s new partner, 50-year old Tim Mathieson … In his job as a hiar products salesman he is always dealing with women … They don’t live together. Mr Mathieson, who travels extensively, lives with friends in Melbourne.”
Friends, huh? Anyone care to take on the job of being a ‘walker’ for Ms Gillard? Oh, yeah…
“They now get together on weekends for walks on Alton Beach”.
Yeah, I’ll bet they do.
Posted by Apparatchik on 2006 12 04 at 06:56 PM • permalink
- OT Wot about the other mighty contest, La Coupe aux Cindres?Posted by Wimpy Canadian on 2006 12 04 at 08:50 PM • permalink
- Um, yeah, but that’s not to say she isn’t bisexual. As I said earlier, there was one particular incidsent at the Holy Grail involving Julia, another female Labor MP, a proposition and a nice piece of bitch slapping.
Hey, I’d be happy to stand corrected. How about some details about this incident? Who was the other female Labor MP? What was the proposition? I want details!!!!
Posted by Young and Free on 2006 12 05 at 05:47 AM • permalink
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