Labor: A Party at War with Itself.
Whose tax is it…?
Labor never really recovered from the “night of the long knives” when Julia Gillard, aided by the faceless conspirators, unceremoniously assassinated sitting Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
It was an act of sheer political bastardry that even today leaves many Australians bewildered.
Motivated by her own political ambitions and spurned on from the right-wing Union factions and power brokers, Rudd’s then supposedly “loyal deputy” decided it was time for him to go.
Since then, tensions have been bubbling quietly under the surface, occasionally rising to break the thin veneer of diplomacy that exists between Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd.
Yesterday however, Kevin Rudd launched a tempered yet masterful swipe at the Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan, removing any shadow of a doubt that there is no love lost between Rudd and the Treasurer who he felt “betrayed” him.
When pressed to explain the spectacular failure of the Mining Tax during and interview on Sky TV yesterday, Mr Rudd didn’t hold back on naming those responsible. Rudd was not impressed when the interviewer suggested that he had created the original mining tax.
”Well,” said Rudd, ”The origin of the mining tax, as you know, came from the Henry Review which was established by the Treasurer [Wayne Swan].”
“The Treasurer brought it to the relevant ministers of the government including then deputy prime minister [Julia Gillard] and myself. We supported the Treasurer’s decision.”
Interviewer, David Speers: “Sorry, Wayne Swan’s proposal for the mining tax?”
Rudd: ”Yeah, yeah, and the government supported him, led by myself and other senior ministers. Of course after the government’s leadership changed, the Treasurer and the new Prime Minister elected to make some significant changes to the structure of the tax.”
“I think we are all familiar with what those changes are. So, I think in terms of any future changes to the tax, given the fact that it has not collected any real revenue of any significance so far, that really is a matter for the Prime Minister and the Treasurer to consider and I’ll leave it with them …”
“a matter for the Prime Minister and the Treasurer to consider…?”
Ouch!
It’ll be interesting to see how this latest chapter in the ongoing war between Rudd and Gillard plays out..
However it’s unlikely that this latest public spat is going to improve Labor’s fortune in the polls.
theguttertrash.com 
‘Mr Rudd inhabits a sub-faction of the Labor Party known as Planet Kevin. The larger faction, headed by Julia Gillard and Wayne Swan, is currently known as the World of Hurt.’
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/from-the-icy-depths-planet-kevin-serves-up-revenge-20130212-2eb4e.html#ixzz2Kj50Z8Zb
“spurned on” ?
When are these media beat-ups going to end? Rudd is completely loyal to Gillard. Just as she was to him when he was PM.
“I’ve obviously stamped my authority on these negotiations,”
From Gillard’s 2010 speech after the Government and Big 3 miners agreed on changes to Rudd’s original Super Profits Tax.
Yes Gillard,………….. you complete incompetent f**kwit,……………… it is pretty obvious to all of us now that you were involved in the negotiations
Its nothing really, all this fuss over a tax is just another red herring.
Is there anything that can save this government under Gillard and Swan? Queenslanders seem to think the state government is helpful to the ALP, but this must be offset by the stench around NSW Labor.
At some point I think a range of MPs in marginal seats will decide they’d rather retain the possibility of being employed. This will shift support back to Rudd. He’ll also have the option of offloading the 14 Sept date, and using the poll bounce to advantage.
As I’ve said, the ALP would get my vociferous support, and I’d imagine there would be plenty of others that would move from “disgruntled” to “gruntled”.
The return of Kev would be a step in the right direction, but if he fails to change policy then the party is still doomed.
I dream of a clean skin, a rank outsider with vision and revolutionary zeal.
The benefit of changing to Rudd is that the wreckers who tried to ruin his reputation wouldn’t serve, or even be wanted.
Rudd would bring a fresh team, without the baggage of Swan, or the duplicity of Gillard, or the incompetence (and undoubted musical talents) of Garrett and Emerson.
From an entirely disreputable source, but funny nevertheless:
If Kev knifes joolya over the Easter Break and a fresh team reinvent the party, they might get in.
They could shore up the marginals with some big infrastructure, like transport corridors, so they avoid being accused of pork barreling.
Best keep some of he front bench, otherwise the electorate might think there has a been a bloodless coup.
… or the incompetence (and undoubted musical talents) of Garrett and Emerson …
Garrett (Rudd choice BTW – another “Nova Peris” is just a poncy stage stomper, complete waste of parliamentary space … Emerson too, he presents like a smarmy, liitle, pop-eyed schoolboy …
Rudd has just become a waffle wanker …
Where’s that fkn white knight gone?
Whoever is advising the LibNits to keep their heads low and their powder dry, deserves the job … so far …
“Where’s that fkn white knight gone?”
Sadly Tanner has retired.
Indeed!
Tanner would have made a great PM.
The standard out is of concern, but we have the option of voting them out.
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2013/s3688489.htm
…out there…
Hi reb, it`s very generous of you to give the teabags some hope 🙂
Rudd is a “teabag”??!!
In that case the term isn’t as offensive as I thought.
Macdonald in the hot seat as the DPP give him a grilling.
“It seems a bit fishy that a mountain that sits on the edge of Eddie Obeid’s property (was picked by your thumb),” Mr Watson said.
“Is it just a crazy coincidence?”
Your Taxes at work………………………Spent wisely again
“The federal government’s decision to change one word in the name of the national industrial relations umpire is expected to cost about $100,000.
A parliamentary committee has been told Fair Work Australia’s rebranding as the Fair Work Commission prompted a logo redesign costing $2100.
Fair Work Australia general manager Bernadette O’Neill said internal costs linked to the January 1 name change were estimated at $97,500.
“Some of the costs haven’t been realised yet in relation to stationery and signage,” she told the Senate estimates hearing on Wednesday.”
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/the-pulse-live/politics-live-february-13-2013-20130213-2ebvm.html#ixzz2Kl5Tusy4
“Your Taxes at work”
Of course, lest we forget the Howard govt’s fridge magnets and Workchoices mouse mats..
I never did figure out how the fridge-magnet would protect me from Islamic Gay Exploding Boatpeople. I did`t get an instruction sheet with my fridge-magnet.
The Creek Ampersand The Creaking Old Mill, Tony…