“Removing Kevin was an act of political bastardry, for sure, but this act of political bastardry was made possible only because Kevin had been such a bastard himself to too many people already.”
And on that we can all probably agree, Nicola Roxon.
But the rest of your John Button Memorial Lecture — obloquy to a figure you opened by describing as an “honourable and good Labor man” — was just vindictive revisionism, as Bernard Keane writes today.
Kevin Rudd’s political career is dead, buried, cremated. Or at least very close to it. Labor has to move on, and people like Roxon should let bygones be bygones.
If Rudd should quit Parliament, it would serve the party well if others could quit harping about an era Labor should try to forget.
‘Labor should try to forget’? What’s that line about being doomed to repeat?
And if Kevin Rudd’s political career is truly ‘dead, buried and cremated’, why hasn’t he left the Parliament? Given that he hasn’t, surely it’s reasonable for Roxon to call for the wooden stake through the heart that his resignation would be.
Strange that a media organisation should be critical of truth coming out about what our national leaders really think and how they operate.
Yes, but many people in the past, probably thought that the coffin lid was well and truly nailed shut on Kevvy’s political career, but he did rise again to inflict a huge amount of damage to Labor’s electoral chances. So I think that past players can be excused for hammering in a few more nails.
Also, his character flaws may be blindingly obvious to many consumers of non mainstream media, but not so apparent to people who formed their opinion of Kevin Rudd, watching his cheery appearances on Sunrise or The Project. So it is probably still worthwhile to attempt to get the message across.
Roxon was spot on to excoriate Rudd yesterday.
His political career maybe dead, buried and cremated, but Zombie Kevin still sits in Parliament and needs to find a new life.
Labor tried the “let bygones be bygones” approach with Kevin and it ended in tears.
Now it’s way past time for a new member for Griffith.
But who made him leader, warts and all?
This has been an error Labor should be remembering, for the lessons?
But have they changed ethos, or the powerbrokers at the wheel?