I have so hoped Rudd would get the leadership for a while now, it would make such a difference to the perception of the Labour Party and hopefully to the votes.

yeah if Mr Charisma doesn't get the votes in who can................................

One thing that Johnny has taught us is that you don't need charisma to be the PM. So what is it that Johnny has to be so popular, ah thats right, he lies!

Perhaps Rudd should start telling some porkies ...

I really like Kevin Rudd, ever since I first heard him speak on TV. Some old stallwarts will say he is too young but I, as a 51 yr old voter, think we need younger leaders. I am a swinging voter and Kevin Rudd as leader of the Labour Party would certainly get my attention. Kim Beazley is like the bad penny that keeps turning up.

Quoted from SuziH

Some old stallwarts will say he is too young but I, as a 51 yr old voter, think we need younger leaders.

Spot on!

I am sick and tired of the 1950's politics the current generation of politicians are practicing.

They all seem to be real arseholes who are obsessed with wealth and power.

Quoted from x452

... They all seem to be real arseholes who are obsessed with wealth and power.

That's not limited to older people.  I know of plenty of 20 somethings that are just the same.  I do however think it's time for new blood.

Lathem was put in the job to "revamp" the ALP. Look how well that worked out!


I'm not a fan of the david tench show, but when he asked Gillard which shadow portfolio she'd be handling after the next election it was spot on

I think this is definitely a good thing for the Labour party, maybe I can start to get excited about politics again like I was when I lived in the UK

yep , i reckon ya can now ....at long last there is a REAL threat too Mr. Coward.

now, bring the next election on !

Rudd topples Beazley in leadership vote
Monday Dec 4 11:50 AEDT

Kevin Rudd is the new Labor party leader, toppling Kim Beazley by 49 votes to 39 in a party room ballot.

Labor MPs applauded as Mr Rudd's bigger than expected win was announced to the party room following the secret ballot.

But there was also disappointment for Mr Beazley, a 25-year parliamentary veteran who was serving his third term as opposition leader since 1996.

For more.... http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=167505

I didn't know until today that Kevin Rudd was raised in Nambour (10 mins from me) where his sister still lives in the family home, and went to school in Nambour.

Gee, everywhere Rudd goes, Gillard is on a string following, talk about Pinky and Perky, or is it Bill and Ben..................
Howard has nothing to fear from these wannabees..................

some of my mates (18 to about 30 years) have said things every now and then about voting for rudd if he ran ... so, he has our vote without a doubt!!!

He's so cool.... go Kevin!! :p

He reminds me of the German kid from the Simpsons (minus the glasses).

Quoted from x452

He reminds me of the German kid from the Simpsons (minus the glasses).

And Gillard is straight out of Kath & Kim

Quoted Text

He's so cool.... go Kevin!!

OMG  

Quoted from x452

He reminds me of the German kid from the Simpsons (minus the glasses).

This is scary:

There might be a slight resemblance to the PM but I believe he is morally opposite to the PM, which is good for this country.

Quoted from aquamonkey

And Gillard is straight out of Kath & Kim


OMG  

wait, wait... You guys are comparing him to a simpsons kid that looks NOTHING like him AND I'm getting the omg ... pfft. back at ya aquamonkey  

It's not just a physical resemblence I was referring to, the German kid on the Simpson is very smart, a geek. His character reminds me of Rudd.

sorry x452 ..  i know, ur right, it was a good spot but I think I was  just cut I was getting slammed in eblah for supporting the new kid with a fun lil, bimbo... go kevin! its just having a lil fun guys...

Don't get me wrong, I like Rudd too. Should be interesting with him as leader, hopefully he can turn johnny inside out with his intellect.

Johnny speaks like a simpleton, and unfortunately I think people like that about him. If Rudd can figure out how to get his intelligent views across to the majority he'll do well.

He's on the right track with his "listening tour", where he's listening to what Australians want (something the current Government couldn't give a sh*t about), let's hope he translates that into good policies.

Quoted Text

KEVIN Rudd and Julia Gillard have made their first stumble as the Labor leadership team, wrongly accusing the Howard Government of slashing the funding for adult migrant education programs.

The gaffe was a repeat of a mistake Mr Rudd made in September, when he told ABC television the Coalition had cut $11 million from its Adult Migrant English Program.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20918059-2,00.html

ALP should have a nice bickering session going at the moment. Wonder how Karl Rove is doing........

  
Rudd a popular Labor choice: poll
The Labor Party has received a popularity boost in the wake of its federal leadership change.

In a Newspoll published in today's The Australian, Labor's primary vote has climbed seven points to 46 per cent.

In the preferred prime minister measure, 36 per cent of voters would prefer Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd as prime minister.

That is an increase of 11 points on Kim Beazley's last Newspoll result.

However Prime Minister John Howard is still ahead on 39 per cent.

Mr Rudd says his party still has a lot of work to do.

"Labor Party members should take a cold shower when they look at these poll results today," he said.

"I think it represents at this stage a protest vote against Mr Howard, who's increasingly out of touch.

"But it does not yet represent an entrenched vote for the Labor Party or myself.

"We're going to need to work hard over the next nine months to earn the electorate's respect."
Last week Mr Howard warned government members of Parliament to expect Labor to get a bounce in the polls and be ahead for up to three months.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200612/s1809290.htm


I like Rudd and think he will make a fine PM. Always been a fan of the wonderful Julia Gillard. Let's hope they can win next year and start bringing australia back to the left

I think I like rudd ok but I am not so sure about julia gillard. her speech on the radio reminded me of professor umbridge in harry potter.

Quoted Text

FEDERAL Labor leader Kevin Rudd has unveiled his vision for Sydney, promising a massive cash injection for the Penrith fast rail link and the M7 to F3 motorway and a new national infrastructure fund for the city.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,20948422-5007132,00.html

Actually a good idea. Pitty it has not been put in place over the last 10 years by the current state government.. THE CURRENT LABOR STATE GOVERNMENT!

Since I don't live in western sydney though it's doing nuth'n for me

Quoted from dara

I think I like rudd ok but I am not so sure about julia gillard. her speech on the radio reminded me of professor umbridge in harry potter.

I dunno... I like both Dara - they seriously appeal to the younger generation that’s for sure. When I think of Howard I think of him as an older man who may have worked hard many many years ago but he's simply fallen out of touch with the Australian generation of today. The average Australians worries are the fact that – we could get fired over anything our employer doesn’t like – we work sooo hard with extreme hours and see no benefits at the end. With the cost of everything rising well past what we’re getting paid – we need our benefits!

Anyway, when I think of Rudd I think of a politician who knows enough to get our country moving again. To remember it's the people that make up a good country. Rudd has a young family and he's a lot more in-touch with the everyday Australian then Howard could ever be in the future. Rudd also has this huge likeability factor to him and he comes across as honest.

I dunno, this is all just a novice voters opinion .. I do know I'm voting Rudd next election though.

I am torn, between voting against Howards IR laws, but to do so now means voting for a man I despise, I think independants will get my vote.

No doubt a johnny supporter responsible for this. Sums up the calibre of some of them.

As much as I and many others despise Howard, I don't recall anything like this happening to him.

Quoted Text

Paracetamol sent to Kevin Rudd's office
Wednesday Feb 14 14:04 AEDT

Federal Labor leader Kevin Rudd's Brisbane office was evacuated after the discovery of a suspicious-looking substance, police say.

Emergency crews evacuated Mr Rudd's Morningside office, in Brisbane's east, after a staff member found a suspicious white substance in an envelope addressed to the building about 9.20am (AEST) on Wednesday.

"Initially it's indicated it's paracetamol and it's been sent away for further tests," a police spokesman said.

He said the investigation had been handed over to the Australian Federal Police and it is unknown whether charges will follow.

Emergency services cleared the building and Mr Rudd's two staff members were allowed to return to the office about two hours later.

No adjoining buildings were evacuated.

©AAP 2007

Quoted from x452

No doubt a johnny supporter responsible for this. Sums up the calibre of some of them.

Yeah right. It's probably just some idiot living in brisbane, is their a shortage of them?

Rudd would be a weak leader for Australia - he just goes with flow, no one really knows for sure what he believes in or what he stands for - anyway, my frog is gunna win the next election. Move over Rudderless and Johnny.

I suspect something more sinister akin to the “horses head” used by the mafia as a warning to toe-the-line.  Could it be the CIA?

Quoted from pebble

Rudd would be a weak leader for Australia - he just goes with flow, no one really knows for sure what he believes in or what he stands for - anyway, my frog is gunna win the next election. Move over Rudderless and Johnny.

...and Howard who only responds to polls, popular opinion and the US administration is his own man?

At least Rudd has clearly stated what his views are, makes his points succinctly instead of Howard's now wishy washy back flipping stuff, and Rudd has been acting like a leader instead of a tired old man who should have retired when he promised Costello he would (just another of his long line of broken promises).

Anyone here get the news that Pauline Hansen is back and running in the next election. Im sure boomslanger will be positively thrilled with these latest developments.

go Pauline Hansen , she will keep the gov lively

Quoted from chris

go Pauline Hansen , she will keep the gov lively

Given she's been on a TV series it's a wonder the ALP didn't ask her to join the crew

Howard has stolen her voters and he's more ignorant and redneck than she'll ever be.

I love the way she professed to be a changed woman after her prison term becoming best friends with a young Aboriginal girl and then apologising for being a redneck. Now she's done an about-face and is banging on about disease ravaged Africans and democracy hating Muslims. Ahh, welcome back Pauline, glad to see you still have your spots. Good luck to you.

Quoted from boomslanger

At least Rudd has clearly stated what his views are, makes his points succinctly instead of Howard's now wishy washy back flipping stuff, and Rudd has been .

How can Rudd support the expansion of uranium mining but not support nuclear power. What does he think other countries are using it for? Does that come under the title of wishy washy politics?

Like any or at least the majority of opposition leaders, Rudd's opinion is simply the opposite of whatever the government puts on the plate. If Howard chose not to comment on an issue he wouldn't know which way to go

Quoted from The_Pragmatic_One

How can Rudd support the expansion of uranium mining but not support nuclear power. What does he think other countries are using it for? Does that come under the title of wishy washy politics?

How limp is that line of argument. What Rudd has clearly stated, as did the Australian of the year is that some countries have no choice but to go nuclear and those that are now relying it so heavily must be kept supplied until alternates are implemented over the decades (which is what Sweden is planning).

Australia has absolutely no need for nuclear energy. We have an abundance of renewables, leading renewable technologies (that have mostly been sold offshore because Howard won't support them, like plastic solar cells instead of silicon) and can have clean coal up and running as a stop gap at one tenth the cost of nuclear energy until renewable technologies are established.

Nothing wishy washy there, unlike Howard who does secret deals with a Liberal power broker and failed businessmen to setup a nuclear power plant even before he called the enquiry.

Quoted Text

Like any or at least the majority of opposition leaders, Rudd's opinion is simply the opposite of whatever the government puts on the plate. If Howard chose not to comment on an issue he wouldn't know which way to go.

What bull. The mark of Rudd has been his leading and being on the front foot whilst it is Howard government who are making all the personal attacks, retractions and negative comments. As one of the Canberra press gallery said, they have never seen Howard have a worse week in parliament of being on the back foot whilst putting his foot in it.

When even Andrew Bolt has a go at Howard, as he did twice on The Insiders last Sunday, then you know Howard is on the outer.

What are you doing giving Bolt publicity on this forum; this is a family friendly place, scrub your fingers with soap immediately.

What has Rudd come up with that we haven't heard from the ALP before? Building a high speed rail link in Sydney's west is about all I've heard. Of coarse you have to wonder why he's proposing this rather his NSW counterparts who have been in power for the last 12 years (and have achieved nothing apart from selling Sydney to Macquarie Bank for the last 11 years and 11 months. Do all of them have mac happy jobs lined up yet). Of coarse it's the rail links to Sydneys North and South that are falling apart anyway....

Is Medicare Gold back on the agenda yet? That was a big hit, lets make it cheaper for a group of people who go to the doctors twice a week for a checkup to get medical assistance

Strange that you mention Medicare Gold, Howard has taken many of the things in it and Abbott has announced he will be implementing them, but of course under a different name and of course saying it is all their doing. Medicare Gold was universally accepted across the medical community as a good policy in basis, and it was yet again a Howard hatchet and scare campaign that had it denigrated. In fact many of Howard's policies over the last 10 years have been Labor ideas or policies denigrated by the coalition at the time and then implemented at a later date under a new name.

Looking at failed policies (which the Howard government is littered with) what about the latest data from the ABS on the new IR legislation, what a turkey that is turning into?

boomslanger I work in the medical community it WAS NOT accepted, bulk billing changes put in after the last election (promises made during the election) such as Medicare plus bulk billing insentive items have nothing to do with anything the ALP have come up with. And Medical industry aside the public, the one's who chose which bunch of liars get control laughed at Medicare Gold. The only problem with healthcare is as Mike Gibson put it the governments minister for health is the person most in need of a heart transplant!

Oh on scare tactics lets look at the ALP's constant bey-atching about declining bulk billing rates!!