Despite yesterday’s Newspoll showing that Kevin Rudd had yet to meet his “whacking day”, with all the recent talk about Kevin Rudd’s mea culpa and donning of the hair-shirt, there seems to be a definite shift against the Prime Minister in an election year.
Has the tide turned against Rudd?
Daily Telegraph
Simon Benson: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd losing support in western Sydney
The chance of Australia going to an early election has lessened, with internal Labor research exposing a negative shift in mood toward Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in key marginal seats in Sydney’s west.
The Australian
Matthew Franklin: Rudd and states set for battle on health
Kevin Rudd is headed for a confrontation with the states as he seeks to boost his flagging political stocks by taking federal control of health and hospital funding and launching local management.
Editorial: Be wary of centralising health
Remote as it is from the people and geared to policy development, the Canberra bureaucracy is not adroit at service delivery.
Paul Kelly: Rudd’s deeds need to be as bold as his ambitions
There is a confusion about this government’s character, its convictions and its beliefs. If insiders are unsure about this, the public can hardly be expected to know.
The Age
Shaun Carney: PM’s mea culpa: fact or fiction?
In a sign of the poor condition of political dialogue and the lack of faith within the community about our politicians in contemporary Australia, Rudd’s introspections and apologies have been met with perplexity.
The Punch
Brendan Brown: All ready to go to the election with no-one to vote for
But Labor has been more disappointing in recent years than this summer’s One Day cricket.
Yep Rudd is on the nose, and it’s all Abbotts fault.
I only just watched Kerry O’Brien give Rudd a schlacking on the 7:30 report (via online), I have never seen Kerry be so short with a guest… Rudd did not come off very well either.
I am not a banana bender, but can anyone tell me whether there was any similarity between Peter Beatties mea culpa and Rudds? when I mean similarity, was there an Opposition that seemed capable of winning some real votes? If not, I think this might be the risk for Rudd. Perhaps, Rudd has forgotten that the remaining 5 states and 2 territories of Australia do not necessarily think the same as Queenslanders!
I am a Green, so there is no chance of winning or losing my vote but I still cannot comprehend why a PM would take the risk by saying “we need to lift our game”. I’m not sure what my boss would say if I ever needed to say that to her!
I don’t think there is any chance of the ALP losing the election but they will probably lose more seats than we thought in June 2009.
no surfer liberal person
We read sensible blogs and places like crickey and the polls essentially say
NO
it you read the correct analysis which i do,.
dont listen to abc any more read the drum or blog there
dont read the msm you get the real stories.
and most people do not read papers or even watch t.v. i see that from all my 5 working children.
tobusy they say cannot be bothered who cares they say.
so a lot of stuff just goes un read.
@ My Say, I don’t even live in Australia and can tell you that Rudd has ‘some’ problems to contend with. If he thinks like you, he will have even more. Perhaps you need to take in more forms of media that are critical of the ALP to give you a more balanced view. Newsflash, I can’t think of one perfect Australian Government, Rudd and his team are no better.
PM would take the risk by saying “we need to lift our game”. I’m not sure what my boss would say if I ever needed to say that to her!
Sorry i worked for a big corporation,. And when new products came on the market and ours where slipping a bit that is exactly what the CEO SAID..and we left the meeting inspired with new vigour.
and i think australians after 11 years with howard are not use to people apologizing for anything
.g. weapons of mass destruction, children over board. dogs on the wharf.
]children behind barb wire people deported that where actually australians.
do you want me to go on. and o work choices
the liberals all agreed to send us to a phony war.no sorry there
no sorry to aboriginals well the sky did not fall in did it when Mr. rudd did
i wonder will the cricket be ineresting