“What’s the point of Kevin Rudd?” asks Peter Hartcher in today’s Sydney Morning Herald. “Australians don’t know any more.”
In four consecutive polls over the past week — Newspoll, Morgan, Neilsen and Essential — the government, and especially the Prime Minister, have taken a pummelling.
These are no rogue events. This is a government and PM who are now badly on the nose. Not over specific policy positions but, to reprise Hartcher, because “by playing the clever manipulator of a public of mug punters, Rudd has merely exposed himself to the public as exactly that”.
Rudd’s relentless and shameless political pragmatism has led him and his government into dangerous territory.
It looks increasingly like the master of “framing” issues”, as Noel Turnbull described the holy grail of spin in Friday’s Crikey, has out-framed himself. Perhaps irrevocably.
Budget 2010: All thrills, no frills. Crikey hits Canberra
Crikey‘s crack team of analysts will be on the ground, on the job and in the lock-up to cover Treasurer Wayne Swan’s “no frills” Bi-Lo Budget 2010. Among the many treats for subscribers you will find:
- Three (3) editions live from the nation’s capital, plus a bonus Tuesday evening lock-up edition.
- Gripping pre-lock-up analysis.
- First Dog in the house: Crikey‘s hairiest cartoonist will live blog the 2010 Budget speech directly from the gallery.
- A special Tuesday evening edition hitting yer inboxes at 8.30: lock-up coverage from your favourite Canberrra correspondent Bernard Keane, economist and blogger Professor John Quiggin, editor-at-large Sophie Black and roving gumshoe Andrew Crook, plus Alan Kohler (need we say more …), SmartCompany‘s James Thomson and more. We said it.
- Plus, at 8.30 on The Stump, a live chat with Keane and Quiggin, fresh from the lock-up — your chance to fire any Budget-related wonkery at two of the biggest wonks in town …
Then, your Wednesday bumper Budget edition — with more Keane, Quiggin and Kohler, plus a host of commentators breaking the budget down by sector, including Stephen Mayne, Glenn Dyer, Andrew Macintosh, Eva Cox, Phillip Davids, Chris Graham, Stilgherrian, Ben Eltham, Erica Cervini and a special Ask the Economists feature and wrap of the best commentary from the press gallery. Plus, a video packaging all the previous night’s highlights and First Dog’s Canberra Diary.
And best of all — on Wednesday night it’s the Buy Crikey A Beer evening! Crikey is taking over the regular ‘wonk drinks’ at Canberra’s hottest nightspot. Come and meet your favourite Crikey people in person, and First Dog On The Moon as well! Between 6pm and 8pm at All Bar Nun in O’Connor.
That’s right, this is your opportunity to meet the Crikey team and buy us a beer. Anyone who purchases an alcoholic drink for First Dog on the Moon will get their own original First Dog on the Moon drawing of them on a Post-It note.*
*Numbers limited to cartoonist’s capacity to drink alcohol
It had better be a no frills budget considering the amount of money Rudd has been handing out over the last few weeks, let alone the last 12 months. Sweetners? surely there is nothing left in the kitty by now. A “no frills” budget Swan says, to show they are being fiscally disciplined and responsible, what a joke. I would say it’s a bit to late for that.
Well I’d have to say Crikey, looking at google’s street view of the All Bar Nun.
No wonder the wonks are demanding free drinks. What an ugly slum.
Hopefully, the sheer force of team Crikey’s stunning insights and witty repartee will drag hordes of devotees to worship at the bar.
Unfortunately, I can’t find a functioning credit card and so won’t be able to join you all this week. But I’m certainly looking forward to all those embarrassing photos that will no doubt be pasted on facebook and twitter.
Cheers.
And you will, of course, be close to report on the predicted explosion of Joe Hockey, showering the House of Reps in pastry cream.
This is really more for Bernard’s article, but (p’raps you screen out KR fans). Locked me out, actually.
At any rate, I shall be eternally grateful to the man who demolished John Howard’s grip on the Lucky Country.
Now, if he could only ‘encourage’ our media to lift its collective game, I’ be permantly over the moon.
Inevitably The Greens are being attacked for not backing in the CPRS “dog”, as per Bob Carr in the Weekend Australian. That paper wouldn’t take my comment on the string so here it is again, short version (maybe it was a bit long?). Important because Carr is pushing bogus facts:
“Bob Carr is entirely wrong. James Hansen agreed with The Greens that cap and trade was a bad idea involving “the selling of indulgences”.
Also Nick Xenophon has never been a climate change skeptic, and there is no way he can be bracketed with Steve Fielding.
Also Carr was reported following only 1/4 of the science in the east coast forest decisions delivering 20 year logging guarantees to the woodchippers. Not very trustworthy that.”