Is Gillard's 'Clean Energy Future' Going Nuclear?

Today I would like to discuss nuclear power, a topic that most politicians would not want to touch with a 10 foot irradiated carbon rod. Of the issues that crop up in the national debate there are a select few that engender a particularly fiery response from the Australian public. Asylum seekers and boarder control occupies top billing; here there is not middle of the road, you stand on your side of the fence and yell incessantly at those silly enough to occupy the counter-point. Coming in at a close second is Climate Change. The only reason it hasn't grabbed pole position is because, compared with the boat people debate, it hasn't been around as long (well it has, but up until now we have been able to ignore it). I suspect, however that within the year it may follow in Julia's footsteps and knife the asylum seeker debate in the back and take its top spot... Rounding out the top three is Industrial Relations; a boring topic, to be sure, but emotive none the less. Here narratives of class warfare and the 'fair go' get a good workout. While a rather dry topic of debate, the passion arises from the simple fact that it affects our work and, by extension our livelihood. After all nobody likes getting screwed at work... unless you are involved in an office romance, which is an altogether different topic...

Outside of these three core issues there is very little to awaken the fighting spirit of your average Australian voter... except for nuclear power. This is a far more divisive issue than most would think, primarily because it is quite complicated. What is a serious issue that deserve rational debate is often high-jacked by the likes of Bob Brown and Co. who are not only ill-informed on the issue but also pandering to their vested interests. Now, you are probably wondering when, if ever, I intend on getting to the point here. Well as some of you may have noticed in the news Prime Minister Gillard has decided to reverse the ALP's long standing position which prohibited the exportation of uranium to India. Now this is a large issue that has a very long history that I do not wish to bore you with, suffice to say that the ALP's opposition to sending uranium to India centres around the fact that India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Now I have my views on whether this new trade deal should proceed or not, however what I want to focus on here is firstly the timing of this decision and secondly the hypocrisy which it exposes.

Wayne Swan is preparing the first mini-budget in two decades in order to salvage the election promise of returning to surplus in 2012/2013. I think that it is noble that Swan is trying to ensure that Labor at least keeps ONE of its election promises, but the simple truth is that with declining revenue and the ALP's spend lust (and Swan's incompetence...) it looks unlikely that we will be returning to the black any time soon. Unless, of course, we find a new market to sell our resources to... With uranium exports bringing in a cool billion every year, Wayne can hear the till ringing by opening this market up to one of the largest nations in the world (which desperately needs power). Perhaps I am just cynical, but the timing seems awful convenient, don't you think?

Now Labor is no stranger to hypocrisy; in fact they have turned it into an art form. Resources Minister Martin Ferguson, when discussing the need to ensure that India has sufficient power to meet its demands was quick to point out the environmental benefits that this trade deal would have...

"At the moment, I might say, 70 per cent of their [India] energy actually comes from coal-fired power. The main thing they wanted to talk to me about last week was, 'Can you actually just find us more coal, thermal and coking coal?' This decision is also important from a climate change point of view, nuclear power is baseload reliable clean energy."

Did I just hear correctly? Do my ears and eyes deceive me? Did a Labor front bencher just sing the praises of nuclear power in the fight against Climate Change? It would certainly appear so... but if that is the case then where is the discussion of nuclear power being used here in Australia? Surely if this is truly a government committed to Climate Change action then it would consider all option right? Wrong; after all the ALP must pander to the will of their bedfellows, the Greens. Despite the nonsensical ranting of Team Bob, nuclear power must be considered as an option is we do want to move to a low carbon economy. Now I am not saying I support the move to atomic energy, all I am saying is that we need to have the debate. If we have Labor Ministers identify nuclear energy as a key factor in the low carbon equation, then it is time for a serious, considered, rational debate on Australia's energy future.

Obituary: Australian Democracy

Today, the eighth day of November 2011, my good friend, one who I loved dearly, passed away; I am speaking, of course, of our dear friend, Australian Democracy. We are gathered here today to celebrate Australian Democracy's life, but also mourn its untimely and, ultimately, unnecessary passing. I still remember the first time that we met... it was a state election, sunny day where we all got to cast our vote and have our say. While one side always wins and one side always loses, the process was orderly and peaceful, which is something not to be taken for granted.

This passing is not entirely unexpected; we all knew that Australian Democracy had been unwell for some time. It suffered a blow in 2007 from which it never really recovered from. While many were misguided enough to believe Australian Democracy's new physician, Dr Rudd, some of us saw the beginning of the end. It wasn't until Australian Democracy's significant decline in 2009 that the medical board, spooked by the publics outraged, switched to a new physician, Dr Gillard. Unfortunately with her came the naturopath loony 'Dr' Brown. Dr Gillard, under direction from Dr Brown, attempted some radical surgery, such as removing the profits growth from the mining gland using a Resource Rent Tax-lobotomy. In addition Gillard tried (and failed) to shore up Australian Democracy's immune system from foreign pathogens - boat flu - using an untried Malaysian solution. In a final, last ditch attempt to keep Australia Democracy (and her career...) alive, Dr Gillard tried to insert some Carbon Tax Implants into Australia Democracy legal system, despite clearly stating that she would not perform such a procedure prior to her promotion...

The procedure was a success, thanks to Dr Brown and his band of quacks... however the shock was just too much, and Australian Democracy died on the table. Cause of death: gross malpractice and incompetence. While we may all be angry now we must always remember the good time that we had with Australian Democracy... and hope and pray that the Abbott can resurrect our dear friend before it is too late...

What is the 'Greatest Threat to Democracy'?

Is it the megalomaniacal, despotic, Gaddafi-like dictators of the world? Those who imprison, torture, and kill those who dare question their rule? Is it those who hate freedom (i.e. Bob Brown) and wish to silence all descent? No... that is if you are to believe Labor Senator Doug Cameron. According to Doug, the single greatest threat to democracy is not evil Muslim terrorists, deluded extremists, or even Global Warming, but rather it is little ol' Rupert Murdoch. Yes, apparently Rupert is at it again; armed with a rolled up copy of The Daily Telegraph he is battling away at democracy, trying to topple the Gillard Regime.

According to The Daily Telegraph Rudd is being urged by colleagues to challenge Gillard for the leadership. Talk about a SHOCKING story! This is going to rock the very foundation of democracy itself! Hold on people, the whole system is about to collapse in on itself! Now, hyperbole aside, I do have a serious point to make, which is that Doug Cameron is a moron. Every single person with half a brain knows that Rudd is just busting to remove the knife from his back and firmly implant it in his successor. If Doug is too stupid to realise what is going on in his own party than that's his problem, it does not mean the News Ltd. is waging a war on Labor. The simple fact is that Labor, through their continued incompetence and waste, just make themselves an easy target for the media. So the moral of the story here, Doug, is that if you want the mean, nasty media to stop picking on you all you have to do is get your act together!


I wonder if Doug was born this stupid or whether he needed to work at it?

What astounds me even more with this whole piece of 'news' is the coverage that the ABC is giving it. If you want to talk about media bias, then take a good hard look at our national broadcaster! This isn't news and certainly should not be reported as such. We all know Gillard is going to be knifed by Rudd, it is just a matter of time. The Daily Telegraph would have been better served running the headline: Australians disinterested in Kardashians... now there is a SHOCKING TRUTH!

'Clean Energy Future': Gillard's WorkChoices?

I find it incredibly ironic that the woman who played such a key role in dismantling WorkChoices (and who revelled in it with smug joy...) is now facing an almost identical scenario with her so called 'Clean Energy Future' scam - I mean 'scheme' - otherwise known as the Carbon Tax. The key arguments which brought down WorkChoices, and the Howard Government, are as follows...

1. Pushing such a far reaching reform through parliament is undemocratic: Howard had what most government’s dream of, control of both the House of Reps and the Senate. However such a rarity proved to be a poisoned chalice; where the Senate was once a counter balance to the government's power, a place for review and debate, it was now seen as a rubber stamp, blindly approving Government legislation. This made a lot of Australians anxious, with some believing that due to the makeup of the parliament that the government had too much power and that there was nothing to keep it in check. Australians a pretty accepting of new reforms, provided that we believe it has gone through a proper, rigorous review.
2. Tax-payer dollars for party policy adverts: There is nothing wrong with a government advertising and educating the public on new policy and reform. However when that policy is viewed by the public as being more around ideology as opposed to national interest, it ruffles feathers. Australians do not like to see their hard-earned tax dollars funding party policy... especially unpopular policy. The more the Howard Government tried to sell and promote WorkChoices, the more cynical and jaded the electorate became. It was viewed as a shallow attempt to sell Liberal Policy as opposed to Government Reform.
3. Dial 'M' for Mandate: "How can you do this?!" The unions and Labor decried, "You have no mandate to introduce WorkChoices! How dare you make such far reaching reforms of Industrial Relations without first getting approval from the people!" Nothing had been said before the election about WorkChoices, so how could the Howard Government claim that it had a mandate to introduce? If all large, far reaching reforms need approval from the electorate the responsible thing would have been to go back to the electorate and seek their permission to do so... At least Howard did not say "There will be no IR reforms under any government I lead"; could you imagine the uproar if he had...?

Sound familiar? Gillard, with help from Bob Brown, is pushing this tax that will be felt across every sector, through the parliament with no discussion or debate (and certainly no consensus!) while spending over $200,000 PER DAY advertising this [Greens'] policy, all the while lacking a mandate! Instead of crowing over the fall of the greatest government we have ever had the privilege to have, Gillard should have been learning the lessons of WorkChoices...

Why Australia should abandon the 1951 UN Refugee Convention...

We live in a dynamic, ever-changing world, so it seems incredibly odd to me that Australia in 2011 is bound by 60 year old UN convention on refugees that was designed to deal with post-World War 2/Cold War Europe. It is absurd - ludicrous even - that the people of Australia must adhere to a policy that was built to solve a problem that existed before many of us were even born. At the heart of my distaste for this convention is how the term 'refugee' is defined, and how this must change to recognise the difficulties governments face now, as opposed to 60 years ago.

The convention defines a 'refugee' as a person who has a "well founded fear of being persecuted" should they be returned to their country of origin. This made sense in Cold War Europe, with the KGB willing to take care of any traitors to the great socialist cause. Those brave few who managed to escape over the Berlin Wall and break free of the Soviet Bloc would have without a doubt faced persecution and death if they had been returned to the Red Side of the Iron Curtain. That is in stark contrast to the so-called 'refugees' that we have piling up on our shores today.

While those fleeing communism faced the very real threat of death upon their return, do those who Bob Brown and Sarah Hanson-Young roll out the red carpet for face their untimely end should the boats be turned around? Of course not! These are not people fleeing death and destruction, these are not wartime refugees, they are economic refugees. It is not push factors leading them to our shores, but pull factors, such as Australia's economy, our work, our opportunities, our indoor plumbing. If these people can afford to spend over AUS$30,000 to a people smuggler in order to jump the queue, for the sole purpose of economic gain, then they are not genuine refugees. They are opportunists taking advantage of an inept government that leaks more than the boats carrying these people here and which fails at everything it attempts. These are people too lazy to work to improve their own country that they travel to, and exploit, ours!

Do these people look like genuine refugees?

Australia must swiftly abandon this 1951 UN convention, an out-dated relic of history, and put the interest of its own people ahead of those who seek to steal our jobs and our opportunities. If we continue down this destructive path that the Greens and Gillard have set us on, whereby any and all have the red carpet rolled out for them at the expense of the Australia tax-payer, we are going to be over-run with every third world opportunist who can point their raft in the direction of Christmas Island and cry persecution. The truly sad thing is that while these leeches con their way into this great nation there are genuine people in need, with the very real threat of death hanging over them, doing the right thing and waiting in the UN Refugee Camps. These true refugees are having their place in our quota stolen by selfish opportunists who are exploiting this stupid, incompetent government.

The Grand Deception, the Ultimate Betrayal...

Only hours ago the Carbon Tax legislation passed through the House of Representatives and Julia Gillard completed her ultimate betrayal of the Australian Nation and its people. Gillard's unholy alliance with the Greens has now been sealed; irrevocable and beyond redemption. The government of Australia, regardless of its ideology, is charged with protecting and promoting the interests of this, the greatest of nations on Earth. By doing this deal with the Greens Gillard has demonstrated her casual disregard for the people, with her sole objective being maintenance of power, regardless of the cost. And make no mistake, there will be costs...

The Labor Heartland will bear much of the economic burden, as manufacturing is forced off-shore, unable to compete with economies that are not held back by this illogical tax. Families will find their struggle to keep their heads above water even harder, with this unnecessary tax simply adding more pressure to already tight family budgets. Scraping some money together for luxuries or treats for the kids will become impossible, as Gillard and Brown pursue their doctrine of economic suicide. The pair of economic illiterates will wring every last available dollar out of hard working Australians, all for the single-minded goal of advancing their socialist agenda. To borrow - and alter sightly - a quote from the great Winston Churchill: "Never before will so many lose so much because of the incompetence of so few..."


The kiss of death, for the Australian economy...

 That is the crux of the matter: economic pain. Make no mistake, there will be pain. Never before in the history of our nation have we seen such a legislative abomination, the likes of which will destroy the livelihoods of hard working Australian families. While the Green elitists, sitting in their inner-city cafes sipping soy lattes, may be happy and able to pay this tax that does not mean Australia families should be made to carry this burden. It must be nice to be an eco-nut, with no ability to see or confront reality. The economy is not as strong as you think! People are losing their jobs and families are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet! Why would you want to cause economic devastation?! For what, so that you can save the environment? I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but this Carbon Tax will do NOTHING to help the environment! Perhaps you should take your sanctimonious, self-righteous eco-propaganda and have a chat with you comrades to the North! Without China, India or the USA taking action there will be no benefit to the climate. Why embark of a program of economic self-harm when all you are going to end up doing is wrecking havoc on our economy, our way of life?

This is truly a say day in the history of Australia. Gillard and Brown will end up hurting all Australians with this poorly conceived tax. "There will be no Carbon Tax under any government I lead", the grand deception, the ultimate betrayal. One promise I know that will come true is that there will be no family celebrating this sad day.

How to throw a Labor Party...

I was going to write about the Tax Forum that is currently underway in Canberra... but I got about 1 sentence in and lost interest. It is a talkfest, plain and simple. For two days representatives from business and community groups, as well as the motley crew of the unholy Labor-Greens-Independent Alliance, will yabber on about how “the system is broken” and that there “needs to be change”, without actually doing anything. Bob Brown will undoubtedly have his stock standard tirade over big corporations and the evils of capitalism and freedom (can’t let the plebs have too much power, Comrade...). However the Tax Forum did get me thinking, not about the economy, but rather high-school politics and the ‘popularity game’. You see I have just caught up with some old friends from high-school and we were chatting about the good ol’ days and a few of the memorable parties that had been thrown... which is when I suddenly saw some parallels between alcohol fuelled teenage shenanigans and the current parliament.

Let us start, of course, with Julia Gillard. Within her circle of friends she is not nearly as popular as she once was and, in attempt to remain Queen of the Classroom, has invited everyone round to her place for a party. You see her parents are away and have been silly enough to trust her with their very expensive home which, given the global economy, is looking far better than the neighbours (especially that Greek family’s home down the street...). Wanting to ensure that her place at the top of the pecking order goes unchallenged, Little Miss Gillard invites not only her core social network, but a few others to shore up her power base...


"Why didn't I get an invite, Julia? I know how to throw a WINNING party!"

With the jelly shots setting in the fridge the first guests arrive exactly on time which is, of course, a social faux pas; everyone knows that it is fashionable to show up 1 to 1 and a half hours late... Who is at the door? Why, it is Bobby and his band of eco-whinger; you know the type, self-righteous, constantly lecturing you about recycling, annoying and very, very, uncool. They are socially inept, bringing organic snacks and rainforest friendly dip; Gillard doesn’t want what they are offering, but has to accept it if she wants their support. “So much for my promise of no tasteless bland snacks under any party I throw...” Gillard muttered to herself as the nerds come in, all the while complaining about the how difficult the drive over was and wondering why no-one has introduced a congestion tax.

Next we have one of the school’s most annoying pair, Oakeshott and Windsor. Little Miss Gillard was initially surprised that they showed up, given how badly they will get beaten up for even being seen in the same district as her. They don’t seem to mind all that much, they are just glad to have some new found popularity, despite not realising that most people hate them and think they are a pair of idiots! The little pesky kid Wilkie also shows up... demanding that there should be no gambling at this party and if there was he was leaving! For some reason he seemed to be under the impression that people cared about what he had to say...

"Just so we're clear, you are not invited to my party, Kev... Please don't cry again..."

Slowly Julia’s real friends started showing up... although there seemed to be far fewer than the last time she threw a party (that was before August 2010...). Her bestie, Wayne, followed her around the whole time, worried that his former friend Kev would beat him up. Of course Kev couldn’t make it to the party, he was too busy jetting around the world trying to get over his break-up with Julia... they had worked so well together... then she cheated on him with those damn thugs, the Faceless Boys. The Faceless Boys were there as well; despite being from another school they still thought that they could tell Julia and friends what to do...

While it would seem that Gillard had invited everyone she could think of, there were some notable exceptions, such as that lad from the Catholic School that she had been fighting with. Julia would always bump into Tony on her way to school, and he would always block the footpath and not let her pass. “You won’t get pass me! Ner ner ner ner!” Tony would taunt, laughing in an abrupt, course fashion. “Stop it Tony! You just get in the way for the sake of it! Be constructive for once!” Julia would complain, despite knowing that Tony was smarter and more popular than she was... and that was why she was secretly in love with him...

"I'm sorry, you think I'M crazy?! Have you SEEN Bob Brown?!"

As the night progressed the party degraded into a shambolic display. The Faceless Boys and their thugs tried to bully their way through the crowd, damaging and destroying whatever they could. Bobby and the eco-nuts hid out in the backyard and smuggled in a bunch illegal foreign gate-crashes, despite Julia telling them she didn’t want them in her party (she secretly did, but what would the neighbours think?). Garret jumped on the karaoke and belted out some tunes, while Craig tried to mount anything that moved. Eventually the party wrapped up; the house had been practically destroyed and Julia it seems emerged just as unpopular as before, despite making out with everyone at the party...

When Julia’s parents got home they were horrified to see the damage that had been done to their beloved home. The damage bill would be in the billions, all thanks to the foolishness of her and her friends. “Why can’t you be more like that Abbott boy?!” Julia’s parents scolded “Do you realise how much debt we are going to incur because of your stupidity, young girl?!” With that her parents went to see their friendly local banker, a Chinese fellow with a bright red tie and a big smile. Business had been booming for him lately; there had been lots of naughty liberal minded children causing a great deal of damage in the neighbourhood...

Bob Brown, the 'Policy Clown'

Sometimes all you can do is shake your head. Sometimes Bob Brown out does himself with such ridiculous policy 'thought bubbles' that it takes you aback. These ideas - and I use the word 'ideas' very liberally here - quite literally take your breath away, because they are just so stupid. With the global economy struggling to hold its head above water, and the Australian economy needing all the help it can get, Bob Brown Policy Clown want - wait for it! - another tax. He got his way with the Mining Tax, he got his way with the Carbon Tax, and now, still not content that those greedy corporations are paying enough, he wants another tax, a 'Gold Tax'. That's right, gold miners are too successful, time to redistribute some wealth...

"Oh! I just had a brain wave! What if we tax gold! And water! And old people! And puppies!"

Essentially, what The Clown is asking for, is for the Mineral Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) to be expanded to include gold mining operations; Brown doesn't just want to cripple segments of the industry, he wants to destroy the whole thing! While Gillard has indicated that she would resist pressure from the Greens for gold to be included in the MRRT, Brown has been sending subtle hints to the PM that he would gladly deal with another ALP leader should the party remove her. This is a worrying sign for Gillard, who has always used the ALP-Greens-Independents Alliance as a pillar to prop-up her leadership; an 'if I go the whole house of cards will come tumbling down with me' approach. This slap in the face from Brown makes it clear, she cannot rely on the Greens for protection; they will deal with whoever is willing to give them what they want. Their attitude towards the democratic process is truly disgusting, with Brown stating that Gillard would support gay marriage; apparently it is the Greens that decide Labor policy... but then again, we always knew this...


"SAVE ME! I don't want to go live with that nut! I vote Liberal!"

In addition to Brown Clown's policy joke, today is Julia Gillard's birthday and it looks as though she is going to be getting a puppy from her partner Tim. It is a 'Cavoodle', a cross between a Cavalier King Charles spaniel and a poodle, a breed which is said to be good for powerful people as it won't fret over an absent owner (in other words it will lover her about as much as the Australian people...). To mark the occasion, I thought that I would suggest some names for the 1st pooch for PM Gillard to consider:

-Bob: A boring name which would probably result in an overly demanding dog that barks and barks until it gets what it wants and, when it does, it will just turn around and shit on your rug...

-Wayne: Incredibly loyal... until a better offer comes around.

-Craig: Runs around mounting everything and is the only dog known to man that can use a credit card.

-Paul: Good for advancing your career, but a faceless dog does look a little strange. And finally...

-Kevin: Sure, it looks good, but when you turn your back it will lead over everything and raid the kitchen knifes... Julia would never be able to get a good night's sleep again...

Have a brilliant day people!

Will he or won't he...?

No, I'm not talking about whether Tim Mathieson is going to pop the question and ask Julia to marry him, I'm talking about the other man in Julia's life; the one she was hoping to divorce and never see again. Yes, I'm talking about the Million Dollar Man himself, the narcissistic Kevin Rudd. I know that I have said this before, but given the recent rumblings in the Labor Party my prediction may soon be proved correct. Julia Gillard is on her last leg as Prime Minister; the only thing stopping her loyal comrades from immediately dispatching her is, quite frankly, there is no one to fill the position... except for Kevin.

The majority of the ALP despise K-Rudd, with many still blaming him for the damaging leaks that hampered the Party's re-election campaign within the first few weeks of election season last year. In addition to this many recall his tyrannical rein, a short era characterised by distrust, paranoia and a dictatorial, rather than consultative, approach to leadership. Rudd failed in almost all key indicators that predict successful leadership; but he was protected by his ultimate weapon: the opinion poll. While the polls were up, the Party would let him get away with blue murder, simply because, after being in the wilderness for so long, the members of the ALP could not quite believe their own resurrection. Finally, people liked them! The opinion polls became a drug that both Rudd and the ALP became addicted to, they allowed them to guide policy and decision making, which is a fatal error; shallow populism is never conducive with good government. A government must have a vision and, once they have a mandate, work to achieve it. Rudd lost all credibility when he jettisoned his Carbon policy, despite referring to Global Warming as the "greatest moral threat of our time". Rudd exposed himself as weak, and his Labor 'allies' were quick to turn on him once the polls started heading in the wrong direction.

"I'm coming for you Julia... at last I will have my revenge...!"

Gillard, ironically, is somewhat protected from the same fate as Rudd due to the nature in which she secured the top job. The Faceless Men know all too well the anger of the Australia people who saw what was done to Rudd as completely inappropriate and undemocratic. More ironically still, it is this situation which makes Rudd the only other alternative. The anger came about because Gillard was not a proven leader and got the top job by sliming her way into the top job by assassinating her leader. Rudd can do the same without the electoral backlash: he is a proven leader who some would say has more right to the job than Gillard.

With her popularity rate so low, the ALP needs to do something, but they are terrified of the only viable option. They know Rudd can only do better than Gillard, but they don't want him back; it would be a humiliating turn that would only fuel his smug ego and make him even more unbearable than before. Given that he was stabbed in the back by his own party, can you imagine Rudd's level of paranoia the next time around? Does anyone in the ALP seriously believe that he would be able to have a functioning relationship with Swan, the man who betrayed him to secure the Deputy PM spot? Rudd's return, while I believe it to be inevitable, will cause massive disruptions within the Party the likes of which I don't think we can fully predict. The simple fact of the matter is that Labor is broken and the longer they stay in power the more damaging it will be for both the Party and the Nation...

The Cost of Failure

It is becoming clear to even the most die-hard Labor supporter that their beloved ALP and its current patchwork government is a failure. Unlike Climate Change, it is something that everyone can agree on. The Labor Party is to failure as hats are to Bob Katter; it is impossible to separate the two. Now while this might be new for the burgeoning neo-Left, it is nothing new for those who can remember the dark times before the Howard Golden Age. Labor has a long, long, long history of incompetence, waste and failure on an unprecedented scale, giving rise to the adage: Labor spends and destroys the economy, the Coalition rescues it. The current question is not 'how much more failure can we expect for the current incarnation of Labor hubris, greed and corruption?' but rather 'how much will all of this cost us before we can turf them out?'

Kevin Rudd has become the 'Million Dollar Man', racking up a travellers bill of a cool mill over the past nine months. That is the equivalent of almost $4000 a day. Yes, he is our Foreign Minister, but even still that is a tad extreme, don't you think? In addition we all know why K-Rudd spends so much time overseas; Gillard doesn't want him around causing leadership speculation! So to solve a personal political problem, the tax-payer has to fork out $1 million every nine months just to keep Kevin out of Gillard's way!

The ALP; it is synonymous with failure...

That $1 million 'Keep Kevin Flying' fund looks like a paltry sum, especially when put next to Gillard's other tax-payer funded problem solver, the $12 million Carbon Tax advertising campaign. That's right, those annoying Clean Energy Future adverts have cost tax-payers $12 million since mid-July; based on my calculations, that is $200,000 per day. I'll repeat that because even I find that quite mind-boggling: the Carbon Tax advertising campaign is costing tax-payers $200,000 PER DAY! This figure doesn't even include the newest round of advertising, which is blatant ALP propaganda payed for by hard-working Australians like me and you!

This illegitimate government is burning through our money like there is no tomorrow (and for Julia there may not be a tomorrow for her political career if the polls continue their record breaking descent...). Unimaginable levels of debt funding unrealistic and un-Australian policies, policies which have the sole aim of destroying our prosperous economy and cohesive society. Gillard and Brown may want a Clean Energy Socialist Future, but I sure as Hell don't...

Gillard rushing home... but why?

Well, it could be that our [soon to be Former] Prime Minister has just had enough of New Zealand, which is entirely understandable (I joke, of course; the countryside is just spectacular... the people, on the other hand...). Perhaps Gillard is heading home early to congratulate Swan on the economy (that would be a short discussion...) or maybe Tim found himself unable to open a particularly stubborn pickle jar. Fanciful scenarios, to be sure, as the likely truth is that the rumblings in the Labor Party are coming to a head... more precisely the Labor Party is coming after Julia's head...

Could it be that Gillard has cut short her NZ trip because her sycophant lapdog Swan has over heard that a leadership spill is imminent, and quickly jumped on the phone, pleading his Dear Leader to hurry back? "Come home Julia... the Faceless Men are getting restless!" With even the most devote ALP supporters and former power brokers beginning to lose the faith, it is only a matter of time. I suggested late last week that Gillard would be lucky to see the end of the month but maybe she won't see the end of this week?


Rushing back to stop Rudd the Revolutionary...?

For the most part I am an optimist; I always try and see the best, regardless of the situation. That is why I have my fingers crossed, and hope that the ALP sees sense and does the right thing: dump Gillard and give the Australian people their democratic right to vote. Our country is suffering needlessly and we need an election now!

The New World Order is coming... unless we stand-up for Democracy

I love my country; I'm a freedom loving conservative and damn proud of it. This is the greatest country in the world, a land of prosperity and opportunity... or at least it was. For you see, my friends, our great nation is dying, being bled dry by the parasitic Left who leech our nation's wealth, it's hopes, it's dreams, and, more importantly, robbing the next generation of opportunity and that quintessential Australian notion of 'the fair go'. The child should not suffer for the sins of the father, and nor should the next generation of Australians suffer the burden of the unsustainable debt-binge that is legacy of the Labor Party. The needless cycle of economic self-harm; spend-debt-tax, repeat...

The current Labor government is surpassing the incompetence of previous ALP administrations, which is no easy feat. This has come about, of course, courtesy of the Labor-Green alliance, one which is pushing our great democracy further and further to the Left. The Carbon Tax has nothing to do with stopping emissions, it is a program of wealth re-distribution. Take the hard earned money from those who worked to build a better life for themselves and give it to those who cannot be bothered to get an education, get a job, and work for their income. Why work when you can live in Brown's socialist paradise, where there is no drive, no innovation, no incentive for self-improvement, just cash handouts and drum circles?

What scares me the most is that Brown and his band of revolutionaries don't want to stop there - oh no! - they have their eyes set on a much larger goal. The Left are trying to bring the West down from within. Unable to provide an alternative model to Capitalism (well, at least one that works...) the Left have decided that if you can't beat them, join them... and destroy them from within. Over a decade of the 'New Labour' experiment in Britain has seen their once great society crumble to the level of petty thuggery and violence on a once unimaginable scale. Obama has set out to completely destroy the US economy in a single term. The ALP and their Green allies have their eyes set on completely obliterating Australia's prosperity and dismantling our social system by opening the door to any Tom, Dick or Mohammad who can get on a leaky boat pointed in Christmas Island's direction! The destruction of the West so that their New World Order may finally become a reality...

For those of you who think that I am over-exaggerating, I suggest that you look at the evidence. Bob Brown has made no secret of the fact that he wants to see a global government. Brown, in his back-room deals to get Gillard to support his Carbon Tax policy, has secured funding to help see this Global Government become a reality. Of the revenue collected by the Carbon Tax, 10% will be redirected to the United Nations. What agenda is the UN pushing? Why it wants resource use decoupled from economic growth and for the wealth of the West funnelled to the Third World. Wait a minute, this sounds familiar... Oh, that's right, this is just Brown's wealth redistribution program but on a global scale, one that we will be helping to fund through the Carbon Tax. And Australia's Left are not the only ones pushing for this perverse global Green government, with Germany already become one of the first 'Green Dictatorships'.

It seems as though the old Communist model is simply being rehashed, rebranded, and sold with a brand new coat of Green paint. While we cannot change the course of other nations, we do control the destiny of our own. Unlike socialist revolution that use guns, bloodshed and fear, we will use our freedom of speech, our sense of justice and, the most important weapon of all, our democratic right to vote. Use your vote wisely at the next election; if the nation chooses to continue down this slippery slope of socialist experimentation, it very well may be the last time we get to vote at a free election...

Julia Gillard: Lame Duck PM?

So it has come to this, a Newspoll so abysmally bad that it would make even the most annoyingly optimistic politician cringe. Julia Gillard's personal support has fallen to an embarrassingly low 23%. That means you would struggle to find one in five people who think that the leader of this great nation is doing a good job. The truly humiliating aspect of this is that this Newspoll is the sixth in a row where Tony Abbott has led the Prime Minister in the preferred PM stakes. That says more about Gillard than it does about Abbott, a man that even I struggle to support some days (don't get me wrong, I like Tony, it's just that he doesn't always make it easy...). Tony has jumped to 43%, his highest rating ever. Mr Abbott, in the off chance that you read this, keep up the good work and for God's sake keep your mouth shut!


Looks like the electorate is finally warming to the future Prime Minister...

While Gillard may be struggling to find the one in five people who think that she is doing a good job, Coalition pollsters could throw a rock out the window and hit a dozen people willing to send their vote to the Lib/Nationals, with Newspoll showing that the Coalition has a crushing 50% primary vote. That's right, you read correctly, 50%! At this rate the government would lose in the order of 40 seats and 9 ministers would be joining the unemployment line (like much of the rest of the country thanks to their economic ineptitude...).

With an almost endless list of policy mistake and bringing shame and humiliation on our fine country, all I can say is the sooner we get rid of this rabble the better. Gillard is on the ropes, and even Kevin is more appealing to voters, with 50% of those polled in the latest Newspoll wanting to see a return of the K-Rudd. All that is left is the inevitable decline; stop wasting our time Gillard: Election NOW!

Julia Gillard, Former Prime Minister...

I have to admit that I quite like the sound of that. And, it would appear, that we are getting closer and closer to it becoming a reality. What we are witnessing this week is the dramatic climax, the ALP's implosion under the heavy weight of years of failure. The people have made their voice loud and clear on the Carbon Tax and the economic damage it will wreak on our still fragile economy. The High Court has proclaimed Gillard's "Malaysian Solution" to be no solution at all, but instead a monumental failure which put lives at risks and damages Australia's human rights reputation and our broader national reputation as a whole. Not only have they resoundingly knocked this failed policy on its head, but also endorsed the Howard Government's "Pacific Solution", and it is not difficult to understand why. The "Pacific Solution", regardless of what Bob Brown and Sarah Hanson-Young bleat on about, was a resounding success which treated asylum seekers humanely. When Labor came to power in 2007 there were 4 asylum seekers being held for processing. That's right, it's not a typo: FOUR! Now our detention centres are bursting at the seams with over 3000 people now being held for processing.

There is also the financial consideration which needs to be taken into account. We have a deal with Malaysia, and we are obligated to take the 4000 refugees we agreed would be exchanged. Australian Tax-Payers are being lumped with the bill to ship out and resettle 4000 people for no net gain! But perhaps this is what Gillard and her Leftists buddies wanted all along...? But conspiracy theories aside, this is just another instance of failure from a Prime Minister and a Government which seems to know only screw-ups and scandals. The question isn't "What have they done right?" it's "What haven't they ruined yet?" We have monumental national debt, we are letting in everyone who can jump on a leaky boat, we are being taxed to a level that the Sheriff of Nottingham would be proud of, and all for what? So that we can have a corrupt government being run by the pseudo-Prime Minister in Bob Brown? Is this really the Australia we want?



Looking a bit glum there, Julia...

Due to practical restraints I won't list all of failures of this Government as I am afraid that if I did, I would crash Blogger; there just isn't enough space on this site or time in the day. The simple point I wish to make is that politically Gillard is toast. She is toxic and damaging to this great nation of ours, but also the ALP. Now I am no fan of Labor and strongly believe that they are a bunch of corrupt, loony Leftists who only know how to rack up debt and tax hard working Australians into poverty. I will, however, stop and offer them some advice, because I think they need it:

Dear Faceless Men of the ALP,

Gillard, as a brand, is damaged beyond repair. If you want the Labor brand to survive, you need to dump her quick smart, because the longer she hangs about the further she will drag you down. It is in both the best interest of the ALP and the nation as a whole that Gillard goes. Yes, this means that you will lose government but, quite frankly, you deserve it. Deal with it, learn from it, move forward...

Sincerely,
The People of Australia

How does that sound? Fair? Let me know; I'd really like to hear what you have to say on the matter (and how long you think Gillard will last...).

Our Great Democracy, under siege from within...

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Julia Gillard and the broader ALP hate democracy and they hate freedom of speech. It is starting to come to light the lengths to which Gillard has gone to silence those who dare question her or her government. It has been revealed that News Ltd entities, including The Australia, had intended on covering a story regarding the previous relationship between our Prime Minister and former Australian Workers Union state secretary Bruce Wilson. Wilson, for those who may not be aware, is a criminal, a thief who stole from the union and betrayed the hard working members who he was supposed to be representing. And yes, this occurred while Wilson and Gillard were in a romantic relationship. Now while Gillard was not aware of Wilson's illegitimate dealings or ill-gotten gains, it does call into question the issue of her judgement, especially in light of the current Thomson Affair. So how does this relate to the media? Well, showing her true union heavy colours, Gillard decided to lean on The Australia and bully them into submission...

After hearing what News Ltd, and especially her arch-enemy The Australia, were up to, Gillard reportedly went ballistic, losing it at the thought that a private media enterprise would have the nerve to publish a story in the public interest. So what did she do? Call lawyers and consult on potential defamation? Seek an injunction to stop the story from going to print? Oh no, these methods are fair and transparent; no, she would take matters into her own hands. Gillard herself called John Hartigan, the Chairman and CEO of News Ltd Australia, as well as Chris Mitchell, the editor-in-chief of The Australian, and let them have it. Reports are coming out that she went "ballistic, nuclear" and called again and again in a harassing manner, demanding that they leave the story alone or "face the consequences". This was undoubtedly in reference to the suggested media inquiry into News Ltd and the threat of a forced break-up of the organisation. In response, the story was buried, one of Australia most popular commentators, Andrew Bolt, was shut down and told not to make any reference to it; the organisation was, essentially, silenced.

The biggest threat to our great democracy...

This, quite frankly, scares me. When you have a leader of a nation, who was democratically elected, calling and harassing the head of a media network and DEMANDING that a story which would paint them in an unfavourable light is buried, then you begin the descent down a slippery slope. Let us consider, for a minute, that News Ltd had told Gillard where to go, what then? Would her next step be to send in the police, claiming some phony cover such as national security? If the police are not available, then why not send in the troops? Then, in the longer term, why not just nationalise all media outlets so that they all dance to the beat of the same propaganda drum? Some of you may think that I am being a little over the top, but when the Prime Minister personally intervenes in the affairs of a private organisation simply because she doesn't like what they are saying, then I think that we, as citizens of a democratic, free nation, need to start asking a few of these tough questions that Gillard believes News Ltd need to answer! I'll start:

Prime Minister Gillard, why is it that you hate freedom so much?

Why do you want to silence those brave enough to ask the tough questions? Is it because you have something to hide?

How could you not have known what Wilson was up to? Were you involved?

How can we trust you given that you are so proficient in the art of deception and speak nothing but lies?

This whole event has made me sick. It is disgust the casual disregard that the PM shows to the freedom of both the citizenry and our media. The media must - must! - always be free to expose incompetence and corruption. Gillard and her government are both incompetent and, I believe, corrupt. The only thing which is currently standing between us and Gillard's true tyranny are News Ltd and, unlike Bob Brown, I thank God for the likes of The Australian and other outlets willing to pursue our elected officials and hold them up to the bright spotlight so that the public might see what they are really up to. Before I sign off, I have one final question for Julia Gillard:

Prime Minister, when will you do what is in the best interest of this great nation and end this farcical government and it's rein of incompetence?

The Stench of the Thomson Affair

Those who know me know that I am a kind, compassionate human being that certainly would not - unquestionably would not! - laugh at the misfortune of others. I just wouldn't; it's not me... Ok, it is a tad unfair that you can't see my face right now, because I'm having a bit of a hard time keeping it straight. Yes, I have been known to - on the rarest of occasions! - have a brief chortle or guffaw at the unfortunate circumstances which others may have found themselves in; but none so much as this morning. Hurricane Irene is in no way funny or amusing, and the US is lucky to have survived with as little damage as it has sustained. While the hurricane may not be funny, it has provided a rather chuckle-worthy clip of a particularly unlucky Fox News reporter by the name of Tucker Barnes. Now poor Tucker, a weather man who was covering the weather event, found himself out on the shore being battered by nature's fury. The wind was howling and the waves crashing down around him, but the intrepid news man carried on, despite having some suspicious looking, and smelling, foam dumped all over him.

Tucker "I wish I had chosen a better career path" Barnes

"It's some sort of organic matter, plankton or something, mixed in with sand and salt. I can tell you firsthand, it doesn't smell great." Reported brave Tucker, smelling a local news award for his brave coverage of the once in a century hurricane. The problem was that it wasn't the award he was smelling, or plankton, for that matter, but rather raw sewage. That's right, our fearless news reporter Tucker "That's not plankton..." Barnes was being sprayed and covered in raw sewage. For those of you who would care to watch, this link will take you to the footage. But remember: once you view it, you can't un-view it...

So what, if anything, does this have to do with Australian federal politics? Well, during my third viewing of the clip of Tucker "There isn't enough soap in the world for me to feel clean again" Barnes, in which I laughed so hard I almost fell off my chair, I had an odd moment of lucid realisation: that poor man is just like Julia Gillard. No, he isn't a red head, talk like he is speaking to disabled children or promise before the newscast that there will be no raw sewage in any report I make. Instead I realised that Julia Gillard, like Tucker "No one wants to car pool with me anymore" Barnes, is trapped in the middle of nowhere and slowly being buried under a giant, steaming pile of foamy raw sewage. The difference is, of course, that the sewage drenching that Gillard is currently undergoing is her own fault, largely the result of incompetence but now with a faint whiff of corruption.

It certainly looks as though the rakes have been brought out and the muck is getting a good working over. Gillard is forced into the position of defending a morally bankrupt MP to save her even more morally bankrupt government which is holding onto power by the smallest of margins. Had this been any other Parliament and any other government, Craig Thomson would have been sacked, effective immediately; no if's, no but's, just gone, there's the door. While no-one is naive enough to think that Craig's Labor colleagues are jumping to his defence because he is a top bloke or actually the "Hard working member for Dobell"; unless of course the hard work is occurring on top of a union funded hooker [zing!]

With every scandal, with every incompetent screw-up, Gillard is leaving herself open to be further covered in electoral raw sewage. A brief glance of the polls shows that the ALP is on the nose and faced with a wipe out at the next election. The only way that Labor can save face is to dump [yes, pun intended...] Gillard, admit that they were wrong with EVERYTHING and pray for mercy while calling an early election. While they will find themselves in the wilderness for what will be, hopefully, many, many, many years, at least that will give them time to hose themselves down, put on some fresh clothes and deodorant, and hope that everyone forgets how much they crapped up their time on the governing benches...

My apologies to Tucker Barnes, it must have been a shit day and I'm sure everyone has been giving you enough crap without me dumping on you... I hope that this event does not soil your good name...

The ABC of Media Bias...

Ok, so I probably should preface this tirade by disclosing the context within which this whinge takes place. As a strong willed, opinionated man I like to let it be known what my views are on various issues. That is, after all, why I blog; I'm a passionate conservative and, by God, everyone needs to know about it! So not only do I write The Right Side but, occasionally, I write contribution pieces for other sites, with my latest up on Menzies House. I have, also, sent quite a few submissions to the ABC for their consideration... quite a few... And what has been their response? Silence; absolutely no response what so ever... not even a polite e-mail... not even a generic, computer-generated e-mail response...

Now, I admit, that at some points I may stray from Centre-Right to more Tony Abbott-Right, but whenever I put forward a submission to any external website I make a conscious effort to stay in the middle of the road, writing so that all might enjoy what I put forward, not just those who share my political colours. So, after sending my latest submission piece to the ABC (the same as I sent to Menzies House, which I have since posted here on The Right Side), which I thought was a nice apolitical analysis of the current federal landscape, and again receiving no reply, I was a tad dissatisfied with our national broadcaster. When you see the calibre of the ABC's contributors, such as Geoff Lemon and Jeff Sparrow, you begin to wonder about their selection process. Well, actually, I don't wonder at all. It seems as though the process is: go Left or go home. Our national broadcaster is anything but politically neutral, especially when you see how stacked their opinion section is with what is, undoubtedly, the entire GetUp! organisation.


Beats to the same rhythm as Gillard and Brown's propaganda...


Now, being the cunning, deceitful, deceptive conservative that I am, I decided to set the ABC a little trap and test just how neutral they are. After having a number of my submissions ignored, I decided that, after a life time of thinking and writing from a conservative perspective, that I would put myself in the shoes (or should that be thongs...?) of a grungy, smelly hippie socialist. The Left-wing persona I fabricated for this rouse was a Bachelor of Arts student (shocking, right?) who likes ragging on the Righties and their evil capitalist ways. The article I constructed was by far the most politically biased piece I had put forward for the ABC's consideration, and the response I received left me speechless. I had barely clicked the send button before receiving a very friendly reply from one of The Drum's editorial staff. Complimenting me on the piece, the staffer was more than happy to report that the piece would indeed be run on the ABC website at the first available moment. And, sure enough, a few days ago in appeared, front and centre in all it's rhetorical, biased glory...

I would like to make it clear that I don't mind our national broadcaster providing a forum for strong political views; in fact I believe it is necessary for a strong and healthy democracy. What does frustrate me is the fairly obvious bias that the ABC holds, despite the fact it is a tax-payer funded organisation and, therefore, should provide views that reflect the diverse nature of the Australian political debate. The ABC has, in recent times, been one of the biggest - and loudest - mouthpieces for Gillard and Brown's propaganda on Climate Change and the Carbon Tax. They have, essentially, opened the doors to all who would heap praise and adulation on the 'Green Coalition' while simultaneously ridiculing and decrying all who don't agree. Case in point: the Convey of no confidence. There has been nary a mention of the event on the ABC website this morning and, the mention that there was, grossly underestimates how many are present. The piece instead ops discuss how Bob Brown believes it is a flop.



Brown says 'Flop', I say 'Lot's of angry people - justifiably so, I might add - who are sick of being ignored'

 I have no problem with media organisations having a political leaning; after all, they will reflect the views and opinions of their readers, not just on politics but across many social issues. What I do have a problem with is our national broadcaster, who was founded to be a neutral voice in Australia media, is wasting our tax-payer dollars to help shield this incompetent government.

By the way, I haven't revealed how to find my Left-oriented article on the ABC because this is a trick I may look to play on them again in the future. However I encourage you all to look over the opinion section of The Drum and see if you can't spot it. I would also state that I denounce everything which I wrote and needed to take a shower after writing it... worth it for the laugh, though...

The Centre of our political landscape is very quickly becoming 'No [Wo]man's Land'

It is never a good idea to fight a battle on two fronts. The moment that you think you are making progress on one battle front you find yourself under attack from an unexpected direction before any gains made can be consolidated. This is, essentially, the predicament that the Prime Minister finds herself in; fighting losing battles across multiple fronts with troop morale plummeting and ammunition running low. The moments things start looking up in one direction, heavy losses are sustained on another. The net result? Well, let's just say it is something akin to watching a car accident in slow motion...

Now while it would be easy to discuss Gillard's battles as being based purely in policy, I think that actually detracts from the true basis of these on-going - and damaging - conflicts. These are battles of ideology and, as such, run far deeper than any mere passing policy debate. The Prime Minister, who has changed her colours (for political convenience...) from socialist red to a nice centralist beige, is now suffering from an identity crises, which is actually symptomatic of the broader ALP. The majority of the political battle occurs in the Centre which, from a purely political/vote grabbing perspective, makes perfect sense; go where you can get the most votes. There will always be rusted on ALP and Liberal Party supports, so why waste your time with them when you can pander to the needs and wants of all those moderates out there?

This 'shift to the Centre' has been the dominate feature of contemporary politics. While it is difficult to pinpoint when this move began, I would argue it was started by Keating (in an attempt to differentiate himself from the far more ideological Hawke) and finally mastered by Howard, with the so-called 'Howard Battlers' being the prime example of Centralist politics. While this 'Go Centre' attitude is now key to winning elections, it has created the strange circumstance where the major parties are, with each following year, becoming harder and harder to differentiate. No longer do we have the grand ideological battles over contrasting social paradigms. Instead, we now have minor skirmishes over slight disagreements in policy (case in point being Kevin Rudd's 'me too'/'Howard-lite' vote winning strategy at the 2007 election). And it is this decade’s long battle for control of the Centre that is, ironically, playing the biggest role in destabilising the Prime Minister.

The electorate does not understand what, if anything, Julia Gillard stands for. We all know that she comes from Labor's extreme Left, that she is a member of the Fabian Society, and that her views and attitudes are very closely aligned to the party's ideological past. However, following her ascension, Gillard suddenly wanted us all to believe that she had seen the light and miraculously converted to the Centralist belief system, as is customary of all federal party leaders. In her rush to the middle ground Gillard unwittingly made a huge tactical error on two fronts. She is battling an ideologue from the Right in Tony Abbott. The electorate knows what Abbott stands for and he has stuck to - and fought for - his political beliefs. In this respect he is mirroring John Howard's political conviction, which in the current environment is a huge plus; while you may not like his views, you have to respect the man for being brave enough to fight for his beliefs. Gillard, on the other hand, is viewed as a sell-out; betraying her roots and core values for pure political gain.

Big mistake, Julia...

The second front that this ideological identity crises opens up for Gillard, and the ALP as a whole, is that their lurch to the Centre has left them vulnerable to attack from behind, namely from the Greens. In a sense Labor has tried to be too many things for too many voters, and have lost their claim to being the dominate progressive party of the Left. By going into partnership with the Greens (and essentially elevating them to equal standing with Labor) Gillard has unknowingly anointed them as the ALP's successor. Before Gillard realised what was going on, she has found herself being held hostage by the new Green Labor. Now, any progressive social policy that Gillard embarks on will be viewed as Greens’ policy which they are bullying Labor into enacting (given that they currently hold the balance of power). The Greens will get the credit and Gillard will look weak and at the mercy of the increasingly smug Bob Brown.

Gillard and Labor's rush to the Centre has diluted their ability to lay claim to their traditional base, largely due to Gillard's deal with the Greens. Disillusioned, the voting public is looking to the ideologically true Liberals, whose core views of lower taxation, small government and support for small business are now strongly resonating with the electorate who are searching for a strong party to stand up for their interests. In a sense, by staying Right, Abbot is luring voters from the Centre, while the Greens are leeching votes from the disenfranchised on Labor's Left. The only losers here are Labor and Gillard. Why? Well the simple reason is that they have abandoned their beliefs in an increasingly vain attempt to cling to power. Forget policy failures, Labor's biggest problem at the moment is that it is pinned down in the Centre of the political battlefield and sustaining heavy fire from both the Right and the Left. With nowhere to hide Gillard and her government are being exposed as shallow, incompetent and politically bankrupt. How long Gillard can survive is anyone’s guess...

There will be no rhetoric under any post I write!

And so it was that the anniversary of the infamous "There will be no Carbon Tax under the government I lead" came and went, with the customary fanfare of an angry rally at Parliament House. There were passionate speeches, minor celebrities, metaphorical rock music and, of course, an assortment of placards and banners sporting uncomplimentary photos and slogans aimed at the PM and her puppet master in Bob Brown. While the protest was good to see, it got me thinking about something else beside the Carbon Tax its organisers are hoping to sink: the various one-liners which politicians say that, in hindsight, they probably wish they could retract...

"In 1990 no Australia child will be living in poverty." This statement by Bob Hawke, made in 1987, could be said to be one of the most stupid things any politician has ever said. The statement gives up two things that a politician should never associate themselves with: concrete deliverables and a set timeline. Bob left himself no wriggle room to weasel his way out of what was said without needing to perform a humiliating back-flip.

"Climate change is the great moral challenge of our generation." The phrase which brought K-Rudd down? The simple fact is that you cannot make a statement such as this and then jettison your core policy - that which you have staked your political life on - at the first sign of bad polls. That isn't a conviction politician, it is an electoral coward who is addicted to sky-high polls results! Australian's are a smart bunch and they know what political populism is, and they don't care for it. Once Kev abandoned ship on his ETS, the electorate became disillusioned and didn't quite know what he stood for. In political-speak, he ruined his own narrative.

"There will be no Carbon Tax under the government I lead." Now we all know and accept that politicians lie. Usually they are little fibs that can be swept under the carpet or forgiven when the next round of tax cuts are released, but never before has such a blatant lie been told by a Prime Minister of Australia. Quite frankly I think that such a wilful act of betrayal sullies the good nature of the office of Prime Minister of this great nation. It is absolutely disgraceful and goes against all the values and attitudes that we hold dear here in Australia. I would argue that while most people don't agree with the Carbon Tax, as a policy, the anger that this debate has generated is primarily from such outrages deceit. After knifing Kevin Rudd, Gillard proceed to knife the rest of the country...

The anger in the community will not dissipate as quickly as Gillard had hoped, if at all. The fine people of this country do not like being made the fool and will undoubtedly punish the ALP severely at the next election. The Independents propping up this farcical excuse for a government will be electorally obliterated by their conservative constituents for their betrayal of their core beliefs for mere personal political gain. It will be interesting to see how the Greens come out of all this. I suspect that they will do quite well, emerging from this electoral bloodbath in an even stronger position by leeching votes off of Labor's Left as the ALP flails about in the Centre. But that is a discussion for another day...

Conviction politicians; a thing of the past?

In the current Parliament can anyone point to an elected member who could be said to be a true conviction politician? Think really hard and keep in mind that I am not referring to the convenience conviction politician; you know, the type that only busts out the 'real' conviction come election/poll time (I'm looking at you, real/fake/chameleon/fake/Green/Red Queen Julia...). No, I'm talking about the politician of true, unwavering belief who stood up for what they believed in regardless of the polls. A politician who could speak to the very heart of the matter, said what they thought and didn't treat the public as if they were idiots. But, above all things, a politician who was passionate about something because they believed it through and through, not just because the focus groups indicated that it would be a good vote winner... The sad reality is that if our elected officials were a football team they certainly wouldn't be the A-graders. No, they resemble something of along the lines of an under-12's team (although I use the word team loosely).

I should point out that I am not limiting my criticism here to just those on the government benches, but on the oppositions side also. I believe that the Coalition would have won the last election had Tony Abbott not been leader. Don't get me wrong I like Tony - I do - put I just don't think that he can appeal to enough people to win an election. After all, he is currently up against arguably the worst PM in history yet he is only making modest gains. Some might say that Malcolm Turnbull is a conviction politician; after all he did put his job on the line for a policy he believed in. However Turnbull doesn't quite fit into the category, for my mind, simply because he is unable to electrify the voting public in the same way as a Hawke or Rudd. He is smart, articulate and, more often than not, witty and charming; but he fails to capture the hearts of voters and is clearly not a team player. Joe Hockey is a bright star in the opposition line-up as he talks the language of the everyday Australian (plus he looks jovial and happy). However Joe will need at least another election or so before he will have the skills and profile to consider party leadership.

So now we have a look over at the ALP's side, and does it not look woeful? Wayne Swan has shown that he is no more than a snivelling sycophant who is willing to brown-nose whoever is in the top job, as long as they shield his incompetence from the public gaze (an almost full time job in and of itself...). Lindsey Tanner was the only one in the ALP who I had any respect for, and he was smart enough to abandon ship at the last election. Julia Gillard is convicted and passionate about only one thing: keeping hold of power, regardless of who she has to lie, cheat or jump into bed with to cobble together a socialist coalition.


I believe very strongly in what these two gentlemen tell me to believe...

What about Kevin Rudd? Well Rudd was a conviction politician...until he realised the tide was turning. The moment the Climate Change debate started to look a little on the nose, Rudd was forced to chose which to abandon: policy/belief or sky-high polls. Of course, he chose the latter, and we all know how that turned out for him. And it was probably Rudd's unprecedented fall from grace which has many of the true conviction politicians scared. Why believe in something when you can just follow the trends and focus groups? While Rudd did believe in Climate Change pretty much everything else he did needed to be signed off by researchers who were compulsively testing the electoral waters. And it worked! For the longest time it worked; approval ratings up and beyond the 60% mark (which is easy when your only belief is telling the electorate exactly what it wants to here!).

Conviction politics isn't about popularity or being liked; it is about communicating a vision and moving Heaven or Hell to see it come to pass in the interest in the nation. The reason Gillard's fight to bring us a Carbon Tax is going so poorly is because while she is battling through like the any true conviction politician before her. the trick is we know she doesn't believe it! If she did believe in Climate Change Gillard would have stood before the people of Australia at the last election and said "If elected there WILL be a Carbon Tax under my government because this is what I believe..." The only reason she believes it now is because Bob Brown has TOLD HER to believe it!


John Howard = Absolute Legend

So who was our last conviction politician? Well it just so happens that it was also one of our longest serving prime ministers who brought in and fought for some of the most important reforms in our history. I speak, of course, of John Howard, who stayed on to contest the 2007 election because he believed in standing up for his views and opinions. Howard and his kind, the true conviction politicians, are sorely missed in the current environment. Love them or hate them, you have to respect them...