Political coverage is about to enter one of those periods that infuriate social media, and more than a few Crikey readers: courtesy of Maxine McKew’s book, everything will be put on hold while the events of June 2010 are again dissected and Julia Gillard’s role in the removal of Kevin Rudd again held up to the light to see how it accords with her own description of that role.
McKew is of course a Rudd loyalist, and the events of over two years ago are explored purely from that perspective (as well as, evidently, from the perspective of a first-term, politically-inexperienced MP gifted a parliamentary secretaryship who thought she was entitled to be treated as something more than that by senior ministers). Unusually for Gillard, however, this latest eruption of the Rudd saga back into politics occurs when she’s travelling relatively well, the more optimistic among her supporters might be starting to think Labor can be competitive at the election, and the less sanguine among Tony Abbott’s media cheer squad are starting to publicly fret about his now-regular missteps.
The main threat from yet another examination of the now decidedly rotten entrails from 2010 will be to reinforce perceptions that the Prime Minister is untrustworthy, hungry for power and, on occasion, fast and loose with the truth. It could damage Gillard, of course. The fact that she was intensely ambitious seems to push some people’s buttons, particularly in the Opposition, as if it’s fine for male politicians to do whatever it takes to secure the top job but female politicians should demurely wait for it to be gifted to them.
Or it could all just be water under the bridge for voters, who have a way of forgetting if not necessarily forgiving prime ministers with a flexible approach to the truth, as long as they perform — few voters took John Howard at his word after non-core promises and the return to the GST but they stuck with him anyway.
That the book coincides with the revelation — which may turn out to mean precisely nothing — that MRRT takings thus far are exactly $0 is apt. That tax was created while the blood from the putsch was still being mopped up in Parliament House and Rudd’s political body — alas not nearly as dead as his assassins might have hoped — being wheeled out amid general lamentations of “a good government that lost its way”.
The MRRT accordingly fed into the policy issue of the week, the fragility of Wayne Swan’s surplus. Which is to say, there hasn’t been a policy issue, because the surplus is a purely political matter. The Budget being $1 billion in the black or $4 billion in the red is neither here nor there in economic terms, and is unlikely to reflect anything more than shifts in commodity prices between now and June 30. Still, as I suggested earlier in the week, that’s all fine, because our economic debate is increasingly composed of confected issues pushed by interest groups, so Wayne Swan’s surplus fits neatly into it.
The broader message from MYEFO was that the economy continues to travel at the sort of clip that should maintain employment despite an increasingly hostile global environment where the woes of Europe and the sluggish growth of the US have translated into softer growth for our key trading partners in Asia. Some more hysterical commentators tried to whip up an inflation scare off the back of this week’s CPI, despite showing a more muted-than-forecast impact of the carbon price; the problem, more specifically, continues to be gouging by power companies who are coining it by overcharging consumers and businesses for energy.
The Prime Minister has flagged that as an issue that requires urgent attention; too bad she did so as a way of getting stuck into Coalition state governments — not the best way to ensure an issue that requires genuine cross-government and bipartisan reform gets proper attention. Still, there will be an election called sometime in the next 9 months.
Maxine wasn,t in the loop when Rudd copped the challenge so how much is speculation and chatter ? My take on it is Rudd squibbed a party spill and resigned playing the martyr . Like Peacock , Howard , Keating and Hawke if you have the numbers you win and if not , the challenge fails .
I think the book will be like Maxines interview with Hanson in that she fails to nail it because of lost perspective .
Though I understand your distress about the Maxine book, attempts to brush it aside by talking down her influence, partisanship and knowledge, you must acknowledge that the bastardry committed back in 2010 is part of the DNA of the players at the time and Julia is a central player.
It is her active participation in the coup that is in the recent commentary and rather than simply re-hashing June 2010, it is a repositioning of her as an ambitious player, rather than an idealistic servant pressed into the job that is interesting.
When you begin to review the misog yny campaign and the relentless character assassination of Abbott, it may be that a book like this will change some views about the present day Julia.
Though I understand your distress about the Maxine book, attempts to brush it aside by talking down her influence, partisanship and knowledge, you must acknowledge that the bas tardry committed back in 2010 is part of the DNA of the players at the time and Jul ia is a central player.
It is her active participation in the coup that is in the recent commentary and rather than simpl y re-hashing June 2010, it is a repositioning of her as an ambitious player, rather than an ideal istic servant pressed into the job that is interesting.
When you begin to review the misog yny campaign and the relentless character assass ination of Abbott, it may be that a book l ike this will change some views about the present day Jul ia.
David
Your take on Rudd stepping down is different from mine . I see it from the viewpoint of Howard and Peacocks battles or McMahon and McEwen .Hawke and Keating is another although Crean is one leader who I thought was poorly treated in respect of leadership tussles .
I think your drawing a long bow regarding Abbott and character with the PM . Abbott constantly provides fodder for people to slap him with . He never fails to take the opportunity to show he is indeed a very crass person . It might be welcoming the NZ prime minister or the USA president and Abbott makes it less than it could be . As to the mysogy ny assessment Abbott is either very stupid or deliberate in choosing to use juvenile words to cover what he is actually saying . Abbott may be crass but he is not stupid in the sense of not knowing what he is saying . Summer Heights High and one of the characters in it come to mind for obvious insult and ridiculous explanation to deny offence . Unfortunately if Abbott were to gain office as PM he would be PT instead of PM , Prime Thing . PTA , that has a ring about it , schoolboy type immaturity and parental concern .
Michael Gordon has an article worth checking out .
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/the-real-lesson-to-be-learnt-from-labors-history-wars-20121026-28ay8.html