Arbib the Rat

Urban Monk has done a Cartoon in reference to my last post 'Arbib the Rat'.


Now what other names has Arbib been called lately...'Arbib 007' 'Arbib from the CIA' etc etc

Related articles

• Mark Arbib, aka CIA Agent 007 (theage.com.au)
• Wikileaks a powerful blow to Arbib's low-profile tactic (thepunch.com.au)
• Arbib revealed as US embassy informant (news.theage.com.au)

No Deal, Rudd.

Interestingly their was a deal on the table on the 23rd of June, with Mr Rudd, Ms Gillard and the others in the Labor leadership group. From the 'Crickey' blog::

Oakes’s question revolved around a claim that Kevin Rudd offered to Gillard to stand aside closer to an October election if polling indicated, and senior party figures agreed, that Rudd was an impediment to Labor’s re-election, an offer Gillard rejected after being told by factional leaders that she had the numbers to topple Rudd.

So what does it all mean?

Julia was hungry, hungry for power.
Kevien was trying to get more time. Rally the troops.

Either way, I think Rudd should have been given another go. While Julia should have taken the reins second term. This in itself would have extended Labours time in power. An agreement like that seems fair. But then again these agreements have happened both sides of politics and usually backfire in someone's direction.

Watch out for the Factional Power Brokers

I can remember a few years into my nursing talking to nursing union representative about unions and the ALP. I can distinctly remember him telling me about that the factional element within the Labour party. He said that that it was rough, the people who aligned to the left or right where rough; if need be and they would "eat their own mothers", for their own objectives.

Today we witnessed how ruthless the factional power brokers can be. Rudd gone in a flash and Julie standing proud.

Tony Abbott

Yesterday in my brief summary of how I saw politics at the present I gave Tony Abbott this for a round up::

Tony Abbott:: Poo Poo man. Poo poo this, poo poo that. That's all I can hear. I never anything positive. Its all a government conspiracy. The reason why: We are the opposition.

 To be fair I thought it needed some greater explanation. For me as a voter, and one who does swing between parties at election I find it very hard to evaluate him on his current performance.

When all you get from an opposition is a negative response, it is very hard to know which policy the government has which has genuine merit. Whatever government in power, they put out a small or a large amount of bad policy but I don't believe all of it is bad policy.

The opposition if good, needs to be able to see government legislation which is good and then review it and make it better. Take the credit of making good legislation better. Not bag everything.

The opposition needs to be able to put forward new policy which will be there next election platform.

Tony Abbott is the opposition, he is fit, but he is very predictable in his response to everything the government puts out.
For the short term it will encourage tradition liberal/national voter's but that will be all. But he needs more than that to win.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cinephobia/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Australian politics::

Havn't put any political musing for a while so here it is.


Kevin Rudd:: He looks like he is in a spot of bother. Not only is his usual opposition upset but so are his supporters. It does look like he weaseled out of the Emisions Trading Scheme. Doing so he has lost credability.

Tony Abbott:: Poo Poo man. Poo poo this, poo poo that. That's all I can hear. I never anything positive. Its all a government conspiracy. The reason why: We are the opposition.

Malcolm Turnball:: I'm glad he is back. It seems that there is a moderate now back in the liberal party. (Jo Hockey, seems quieter now, it must be fatherhood) If or I should say  when he gets back on the front bench the Liberals will look a bit more balanced. I dare say the media will go to him for some constructive conversation. (I bet they already know what Mr Poo Poo Abbott would say).

Overall the next couple of months should be rather colourful as the election looms.

Politics :: Bass

With changing enrollment details, I received a welcome letter and a survey if I wanted to fill out by our local state memeber "Ken Smith". I filled out the survey noting I thought it was a concern with an elderly population which is growing that there were no 24hr emergency or bulk billing medical services on Phillip island. I got an answer to this question::

If the Liberal Party regain power in November this year, we will  be working with the Federal Government to set up a 24 emergency care facility at Cowes to cater for some of your urgent health needs

It sound positives but....
1) The Federal government is Labor. I couldn't imagine them working with the Libs on this one.
2) Health is a State responsibility.
3) I didn't do the typo "24 emergency", I suspect he means 24 hour emergency.  

Now the Federal election is also around the corner, so I wonder what the opposition environment member Mr Greg Hunt offers.

John Howard's rubbish

John Howard has come out against the current government (not suprisingly), saying::

The former Prime Minister has launched a scathing attack on his successor, saying Kevin Rudd has "done nothing" in government, that the economic stimulus was "too big" and that Labor lacks the courage for reform, but he concedes Labor will probably be re-elected.

This to me is more to do with the current system::

1) The current political cyle is to short,

2) The opposition is blocking anything the goverment is trying to do.

I also suspect that the current Rudd government will not want to go to an early election because they will want to fry Abbot "Slowly". His natural conservative style will slowly reveal itself. Which to the media and the general public is not the middle ground.

Its a shame because it just reveals the limitation of our political system. Political inaction.

Athiests religion and politics

For me a refreshing blast from the media covering the atheists in Melbourne.

One interesting quote from The Age, that the convention resembled 'a religion'. I would have to agree. It seemed most similar to a Hillsong conference that would be put on in Sydney.

The other interesting thing was how the Australian media went out to ask to ask our politians what they belived in. Some mixed results.

The coalition shadow ministry; non, as I expected described themselves as atheist.
Most of the actual leaders of both party described themselfs as 'lapsed', catholic, anglican, prespitarian, etc etc. I found this a bit of a cop out. I suspect if pushed they would actually end up saying they are agnoistic. The cynical side of me says that there are votes in this. Considering that 19% of the populations call themselves atheist something is not representative...

What I found the most fascinating was Bob Browns answer. "'lapsed Presbyterian''. He could have said anything and I wouldn't have been surprised. Yet I think there is a story to be told with this answer. considering he is gay. It is a story which I would really be interested in hearing considering his passion for the environment.

Why the liberals wont win the next election....

Well have a look at this....




Seen these faces before...Talk of bringing back old policies tweeked, Old Howard ministers, close to retirement. Is this political party going backwards? It's not rocket science.

Restlessness in the Coaltion ranks

Malcolm has called a leadership spill. No tweets from Malcolm or Joe on the matter.

The Challenger is Kevin Andrews. Known for the Haniffe scandel as well as the well written anti Euthanasia legislation (I've actually heard him speak on this).

Its interesting that I think reason that Malcolm was voted in as leader was that there was a realization in the Liberal party that new ideas where needed, that the party needed to be seen as at the center right. (I think Howard was initially perceived by the public to be in this position. But ongoing legislation and time proved this wrong).

The problem for the liberal party and Malcolm is that members keep looking over there shoulder. To how things were, the glory days of Howard. It is this type of thinking that will cause the liberals to stay in opposition. As Joe Hockey said and I paraphrase 'The liberal party dosn't do opposition well but in government we do very well' .
Overall I think that Malcolm was doing a pretty good job, with a tired bunch of old horses. How old is Wilson Tuckey?