Peter Beattie – wow!

COURIER_thumb Paul Howes remembers Beattie talking about Rudd;

(PETER Beattie) told me plainly that “that bloke stuffed up the Goss government, stuffed up his own government and during the election did his best to stuff up Julia’s government. No one should ever forget the damage that he has done.

But all is forgotten now;

WE have had our differences but it takes a bit of strength and a bit of guts from the Prime Minister to rise above that and say ‘what’s good for the campaign, what’s good for Queensland’.

I, and all Queenslanders with an attention span longer than a lightening strike, also remember Beattie stuffing up Queensland then fleeing the scene and handing over to Anna Bligh who didn’t help at all. Newman is doing his best to bring us back on line but he continually has to fight the rusted on Labor voters and unionists who seem to think the state can keep on borrowing money to pay its bloated public servants. Beattie now thinks it would be good for Queensland and Rudd thinks Beattie is an answer.  I can only say -WOW!

God save us

KEVIN Rudd has made a $200 million withdrawal from the budget’s secretive contingency reserve fund to prop up the car industry amid warnings his fringe benefits tax changes will smash domestic manufacturers In a separate measure, Labor has mandated a 100 per cent Australian-made target for the commonwealth car fleet.

The Prime Minister said supporting the car industry was critically important for the economy, as it provided an estimated 250,000 direct and indirect jobs.

If the car industry is so important to the economy why the hell did you do your honest best to cripple it with changes to the fringe benefits tax? I heard Senator Carr rattling on about how he was telling every government department, including the Army, that they had to buy local. The standard ALP rule of unintended circumstances applies.  Can’t you just see Rudd’s thought bubble appearing;

“I’ve got a geat idea to fix up our disasterous economic situation – let’s change the FBT….done.  Hang on, the industry is now reeling, looking to close down…mmm – let’s throw them $200 million – noone will notice – we are already $30 billion in deficit.”

No wonder Holden has today stated they are going to wait until after the election before committing money to expansion. Waiting for the adults to take over like most of the business investment decisions around the country….32 days to go. Trust the ALP on the economy – my arse    

More boats…more drownings…more excuses

Listening to Home Affairs Minister Jason Claire on the ABC he said the issue of boat arrivals has become ‘poisoned by politics and; ‘’When people are dying the government should be given the power that it thinks it needs to stop this happening…”   As in, it’s the Coalition and the Green’s fault – not the ALPs. The government has the power Jason.  You had the power to stuff it up and now you have the power to fix it up Gee, Rudd now thinks the UN refugee convention should be modernised to better cope with those most in need of asylum.  How long will that take  Kevin?  Years Plans announced to maybe build accommodation at Manis Island or maybe near Port Morseby.  How long will that take Kevin?  Years People are drowning today, not in the future when the UN  might or might not change things or buildings might or might not be built but until the government says things like – no papers – no visa and if you do have papers it is only temporary and if we say No then that’s it, then they will keep on coming and keep on drowning You want to stop the boat people – then stop them. NAVY insiders say there is “a growing and burning anger” among sailors on the frontline as they struggle to respond to the spiralling number of deaths and sinkings flowing from the government’s failed asylum-seeker policies. There is also a “growing’ force of assetts tied up trying to manage Rudd’s stuff-up.  The seven patrol boats allocated to the problem have been supplemented by a mine sweeper and a frigate, argueably more naval forces than we deployed during the Vietnam War.  

Rudd insurance or is it revenge?

KEVIN Rudd has moved to strip factional powerbrokers of control over the Labor leadership, handing party branch members and MPs equal power to elect the leader to ensure a serving prime minister is never again torn down by a caucus coup. I can understand where Rudd is coming from but it has long been a system in Australia and in most civilized countries that the elected members of parliament elect their leader.  The only time it hasn’t worked well is in the ALP over the life of the last two parliaments. The common factor and the difference between these  governments and all the previous ones has been the incredible incompetence of Rudd and Gillard.  Surely the MPs are entitled to vote their leader in or out? Surely these set of circumstances won’t happen again….surely?  

Monday morning

THERESE Rein in a “not a good look for a Labor PM’s wife” moment Ingeus’s reputation has been tarnished, especially among the poorest and most disadvantaged, after it coerced some unemployed people to work unpaid for 30 hours a week for up to six months in charity shops and big-name retail outlets. I presume the ACTU are preparing a statement of rightous indignation at the blatant abuse of the workers by a capitalist swine….waiting….waiting. Interestingly the Pom unemployed get pound stg. 71.70 a week jobs benefit (only pound stg. 50 a week for those aged under 25)  That’s $117.85 and $82.18. respectively. Australian Newstart is $250 pw min or twice the local rate as a comparison. Queensland LNP poll slide. Her better half, or is that her lessor half, have somehow managed to arrange for the press to state that Campbell Newman’s latest polls that have plummeted to 2PP 59:41 to the LNP represent “A chance for Kevin. Yep. Somehow that’s a positive for Kevin.  Just in case you misread it – that’s 59 to the LNP The people smugglers are still in the limelight as the ALP drags itself slowly up to the start line where Howard was years ago.  I really think Kevin believes that  because he and President Yudhoyono announced a “Conference” the problem can be put in the pending tray until the elections. Don’t bet on it. Lawrence Gribben from Carseldine, Qld, a suburb next door to mine, puts it succinctly;

THE Greens want people-smugglers to decide who comes to Australia, Kevin Rudd wants the Indonesians to decide and the Coalition wants Australians to decide. Hmm … spoilt for choice.

Jason Clare, who has had no real-life employment which apparently makes him qualified to be the Minister for Home Affairs, is fighting the good fight.  I heard him on the ABC ratting on about the Coalition.  Hat tip Jason, the country think the ALP are to blame for the problem – not the Coalition. Mr Clare said turning boats back didn’t work and that Mr Howard had only sent back a handful.  Turning back boasts did work and Howard only turned back a couple because of that fact- it did work….they stopped coming.  Admiral Barrie, relevant commander at the time says  – “We didn’t have to turn any more back because they stopped coming” . Got that Jason? He warned turning boats back could lead to a repeat of the Siev 36 incident in which five people died when a vessel was sabotaged in 2009. Ah, so what you are saying is that if  just one asylum seeker says – “I’ll top myself if you don’t let me in” you suggest the nation, the Navy and/or the rescuing ship’s Captain simply fold .  Keeping in mind that these people have access to the internet they will all be talking among themselves right now as they wait for their boat.  “All we have to do is threaten suicide and they’ll fold – quick, burn your papers and get on the boat – it’s our last chance before adults take over” He further adds that sometimes sailors have been hurt or were in a situation where they could be, and this is apparently another reason not to have a firm policy.  Yes, sometimes sailors do get hurt while carrying out their duties.  They are not public servants, bureaucrats, or god forbid, political ALP hacks or clerks.  They are servicemen and women and sometimes a sailor has to do what a sailor has to do – ie, obey orders to the best of their ability. Poor plan Jason  – you still need to work on it.    

Rudd’s early days

KEVIN Rudd is ordering an intervention into Labor’s NSW branch to stamp out corruption and further limit the influence of wealthy property developers on the party. I presume then, that Craig Thomson is gone.  He’s NSW Labor, right? :roll: The fact that the NSW ALP have been corrupt for years should have brought about some action before now.  As it is, it just looks like Rudd is ticking off boxes to get re-elected. Say some words about NSW ALP corruption ….done, Well almost but; If you just say property developers can’t join doesn’t that leave it open for crims from other callings to join, and then doesn’t that leave you with having to regularly update the most recent corrupt callings as in, now farmers can’t join…oh, oh, and Real Estate guys can’t join…damn it! taxi drivers can’t join either and ad infinitum.  Wouldn’t it just be smarter to ensure all who joined had a track record of honesty and respect for public monies. Or is that too hard for the current ALP? Say some words about illegal immigrants………done,  Well, almost done but;

The Prime Minister last night joined his new Immigration Minister in admitting his government got things wrong in 2009 when it failed to stop the burgeoning people-smuggling trade.

No!  You got things wrong when you cancelled Howard’s boat policy. Rudd goes on to maintain his “push” rather than “pull” excuse citing the Sri Lankan war as a new factor.

But that promise (pre-election) had been offered at a time when the international refugee situation was more benign.

The Sri Lankans escaping the war had plenty of places to go but Australia’s open border policy offered far better financial benefits and they considered it well worth the risk. Rudd, Carr and Burke are politically gaming the refugee situation to try and convince the country it wasn’t really their fault – good luck with that fellows. And from Burke who says;

“The points that (Bob Carr) has raised match what’s been said to me during briefings in terms of some of the key examples of people attempting to rort the system,” Mr Burke said.

Everyone other than the human rights industry have been saying that since 2007 Burke, how come you just heard it? The ALP are attacking Abbott’s turn back the boats” policy as if is the only string in his bow.  It’s a small part of the Lib’s policy and may only be used a few times, just to make a point.  TPVs will help and can I suggest if  rorters arrive without papers then they have no entitlement tovisas nor should any boat person have access to legal aid.  Legal aid should be restricted to Australians. I’m furious with the situation as it is right now whereby if someone is denied a visa a queue of human rights lawyers instantly forms with the cry ‘Pick Me’…’Pick me – I’ll fight the government for you’ Say some words about trade with Indonesia.  Rudd is off to Indonesia tonight with a crew of nervous stewards looking after him. Tomorrow he is apparently going to bring up a trade agreement with Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. I’m sure Yudhoyono would love to start the conversation with;

“Just tell me that you have that idiot Ludwig under control and I might talk live cattle trade.  Otherwise we’ll just wait until Abbott is in power – he’s someone we can believe.

The last time Live Export was in the news it was as a result of your party trashing our national strategic ability to feed ourselves – without any warning…on the basis of a left wing TV show.”

He won’t of course and I figure not much will come out of the talks, other than when Rudd exaggerates the outcome for public consumption, as the Indonesians can read polls as well as we can and they will see Rudd as a hologram like Rimmer in Red Dwarf – hollow and pointless but noisy. They know what he is like and like most Australians, small business, all of the large business and Corporate community, the mining industry and a  host of other bodies that have been impacted by six years of Union controlled government,  are all just waiting ’till we can start getting the country moving again.    

Recycled Rudd

Apparently Rudd has already got a bounce in the polls although not as much as Bob Ellis seems to think.  The polls will reflect more that Gillard and her incompetent crew have gone rather than the ALP is suddenly electable. Rudd’s best chance, in my humble opinion, is to go to the polls as soon as he can to capitalize on the bounce but he has a lot standing in the way of this. The simple matter of staffing his office has to represent a large problem as a certain number of potential candidates will recall all to clearly the way he treated staff last time he was in the chair. He also has to come up with a new cabinet and the cupboard is pretty bare with the swag of yesterdays ministers queuing up to resign rather than work under Rudd.  The new guys, or girls, will be all on ‘L’ plates throughout the election standing mute like targets on the rifle ranges of my youth. Unless he totally changes the direction of the party, delaying the poll until November will only give the Libs more time to point out his problems and for the public to remember them. It ain’t going to be easy as although the incompetence of Gillard is fresh in our minds we need to remind the country that Rudd must take his fair share of the incompetence of the government overall. And this Abbott quote should get a fair bit of airtime of the next month or two;

In 2007 you voted for Kevin and got Julia. In 2010 you voted for Julia and got Kevin. If you vote for the Labor Party in 2013 who knows who you will end up with.

It’s a good question.  Has Rudd changed his spots…is he now a leader or still just a bureaucrat wielding unearned power far beyond his competence?  Should Rudd lose the election, as is still likely, who will lead afterwards.  Likewise, if Rudd wins, which is still unlikely, how long will it be before his troops mutiny? The 40,000 odd illegal asylum seekers and the subsequent hundreds of deaths are directly attributable to him as is the earlier pink bats and overpriced school halls.  Will the new recycled Rudd be any better with his policies? Can’t see it!  

Finally they get it

FOREIGN Minister Bob Carr has told a gathering of 40 non-government organisations in Canberra that their rhetoric about asylum-seekers is out of date, unhelpful and won’t be accepted by the Australian people.

In the meeting on Thursday, Senator Carr told the leaders of more than 40 organisations that the old rhetoric about human rights and asylum-seekers no longer described the reality of Australia’s situation.

Instead, Sri Lankans, Iranians and people of many nationalities with no genuine claims to refugee status were coming to Australia by boat. This, he said, was now a sophisticated and well-financed illegal immigration issue. The numbers, at 3000 a month, were intolerably high, Senator Carr said.

This is amazing – finally, after 6 years someone from the ALP has finally stated publicly what us conservative pundits and most of the public have known for all of that time.  What Carr didn’t say is we, the ALP are responsible for the whole sorry mess, for the death of hundreds and hundreds of illegal immigrants and we apologise profusely to the Australian people for our inept management. Failing that he could try and do something about the problem but I guess the ALP are too busy playing “pick the Leader”  with brief cross-overs to “Abbott will ruin the country” to do anything the public expect ofthem. 82 days to go – how much more damage can they do?  

C’mon Andrew, think about it.

Andrew Wilkie in yesterday’s Weekend Australian;

“I think Julia Gillard is better than that. She doesn’t need to go there. She doesn’t need to run a campaign based on smear and fear,” he said

Well she can hardly run a campaign on ALP achievements Andrew – smear and fear is all she has.
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