Rudd resigns – game over?

17 comments on “Rudd resigns – game over? ”

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1. alex 1

   22 February 2012 at 9:55 pm

   I personally would like to see Rudd back, I think he has a better chance of staving off Tony Abbott, a man who is truly frightening. The George Bush of Australasia, some might say.
   • tc 1.1

     23 February 2012 at 9:21 am

     Agree as Gillard just doesn’t cut it, don’t expect anything too soon as I reckon Kev’s strategy could be to lie low after declaring Julia had not supported his as foreign minister and let that sink in as her ship’s sprung a few leaks…..mining tax/boat people being a couple.
     • alex 1.1.1

       23 February 2012 at 3:30 pm

       Having said that though, I would rather just see a united and disciplined party fighting Abbott, regardless of who is in charge. This is terrifically ugly stuff.
   • aerobubble 1.2

     24 February 2012 at 12:01 pm

     Rudd is a loser, however nice, or great, or brilliant, we all think he is. He lost. He should move on already. The plain and simple fact is the voters wants to know what you can do for them, not what you have done for them. Rudd *is* giving us an Abbott PM. The best thing Labour could do is give Rudd about 20 votes, cause Gillard to resign as well and put a new face on Labour. Rudd must get this anyway, so he must just want to take Gillard down with him.

     Look face it people australian doesn’t have a functioning democracy, its two neo-liberal parties and a weak third block. Its all about the senate stupid, Greens having the balance of power and Gilliard having had to sit down and provide consessions to the Greens. So the big mining, media mogals, don’t like the idea of the parliament having Greens at the table. So need a general election, they need Gilliard unseated, and the need the game change.

     Its all because Australia has no democracy when voters are forced by penalty of fine to the voting booths only then forced to suck up a horrendously stupid voting list (party lists smoke filled rooms).

     There is only one form of proportional representation that works and thats MMP, and one form of first past the post the british system, and even now the wealth are trying there damnest to destroy, or water down.
2. dancerwaitakere 2

   22 February 2012 at 9:55 pm

   I dont think this is game over. It seems to be a move that will free him from the pressures of cabinet, disassociates himself from the government, and he will mount a more serious challenge to Gillard. Would not be surprised at all if he was playing the long game.
3. Policy Parrot 3

   22 February 2012 at 10:41 pm

   The determinant factor in all of this is:

   Who has the support of the marginal Labor MPs, i.e. those who vote to protect their jobs. They have/should have much less loyalty to any leader than factional alliances. From the moment Julia grabbed the leadership, she became huge persona non-grata amongst a huge percentage of the Aussie battler swing vote, who clearly are more keen on Rudd (even more than Abbott), rightly or wrongly despite his failings/because of his capacity to seem human.

   The ALP should remember it took Rudd’s leadership, along with the Coalition’s WorkChoices to win back power after 11 years in opposition. Julia Gillard arguably sacrificed herself to whims to the NSW Right (who had traditionally enjoyed a Labor PM’s patronage), and took power before her time, when she could have been a long-term PM prospect, now finds herself with a maximum shelf life as leader of another 20 months.
4. james 111 4

   23 February 2012 at 7:23 am

   Typical of Labour Party Politics cant satisfy all the different factions in the party.
   Wonder when Cunnlife will make the move on Shearer here 14 months out from the Election?
   Cant afford the Greens becoming the left wing party of choice
   • Te Reo Putake 4.1

     23 February 2012 at 7:51 am

     Yes, James, democracy is difficult, but it’s better than any alternative you could come up with. And David Cunliffe isn’t going to challenge Shearer, for two reasons; because he hasn’t got the numbers and because Shearer is going to win the next election and DC quite fancies the job of turning NZ’s economy around.
      
   • muzza 4.2

     23 February 2012 at 7:52 am

     Suspension didnt improve your level of thought process much James…

     SNAFU
     • james 111 4.2.1

       23 February 2012 at 8:01 am

       Muzza
       Because my thought process isnt the same as yours doesnt mean that its wrong. Just a totally different perspective not confined by ideaology
       • Muzza 4.2.1.1

         23 February 2012 at 8:05 am

         I didn’t say yours was wrong James, just that it hadn’t improved on your break.
         Remember that whither side of the fence people sit on, politics is about lying to people, nothing more than that at the top level. It comes as a bitter pill for those who see it as real, it’s about was real as wrestling, except the outcomes have real impacts for the rest of us!
   • Lanthanide 4.3

     23 February 2012 at 8:59 am

     This article is about Labor, not Labour.

     IMO this is an off-topic comment and should be moved/deleted.
   • tc 4.4

     23 February 2012 at 9:12 am

     Comparing the Australian ALP with NZ labour is about as meaningful as comparing a volvo with a morris minor but don’t let that stop you james, by the way where’s my personalised pod I need it on a day like today.
5. Fortran 5

   23 February 2012 at 12:55 pm

   Rudd will not stand on Monday.

   Bill Shorten (a real Unionist) will win a ballot and take over from Gillard.
   • Te Reo Putake 5.1

     23 February 2012 at 1:43 pm

     Actually, I think you are half-right, Fortran. I can certainly see Shorten (or possibly Greg Combet) coming in as a compromise candidate if neither Gillard or Rudd can muster the numbers. There are a couple of polls out tonight and Friday that will indicate whether Rudd can credibly say that he is the leader to defeat Abbott. If they aren’t decisive, then I do think neither he nor Gillard will struggle to get a majority.
      
     The irony is that both Rudd and Gillard were, in their own way, compromise candidates too. Gillard, at least, still has some factional support, but Rudd is relying on MP’s who don’t fancy being unemployed at the next election backing him. Given the polls, that’s actually quite a  large number, but maybe not large enough.
      
     I really need to check the process. It used to be a vote of confidence in the leader, usually moved by the deputy, followed by a call for nominations if the vote went against the incumbent. But I’m not sure if that still holds.
     • Te Reo Putake 5.1.1

       23 February 2012 at 1:50 pm

       Edit: “If they aren’t decisive, then I do think neither he nor Gillard will struggle to get a majority.” Should read “will be guaranteed” to get a majority.
       (couldn’t get the edit function to work, sorry)
        
6. The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 6

   24 February 2012 at 10:23 am

   It’s like a competition to be the captain of the Titanic.

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