My political malaise

Lots of things about today ordinarily would have made me euphoric. A huge poll bounce in newspoll for the ALP, a record number of women installed as Ministers in the Government and record number of women in Cabinet. All great news stories in their own right, and worthy of celebration.

But, you can probably tell by my tone, I’m not jumping for joy. Sure, I am still pleased about those things, but in an ‘oh good’ way, not in an ‘Oh, that is bloody fantastic and about time’ way.

You see, I’m still in the hazy, cant believe this has happened aftermath of the change in Prime Minister that happened last Wednesday. It gutted me, such was my disappointment.  Not only did we lose an awesome Prime Minister, who also happened to be one of the best parliamentarians around, and a good person, with compassion, and skills to bring people together, not to mention skills on the international stage where she was respected far more highly than here at home, we also lost her to parliament full stop, as she vowed to not contest the next election. As promised when she called the leadership spill on Wednesday afternoon, in losing the leadership vote, she agreed to leave politics. Respect Julia Gillard, respect. What a shame Kevin Rudd didn’t do the same thing in 2010. Kevin wasn’t even brave enough to test his numbers in 2010 to show the Australian people just why we had to have a change of leader.

I’m still angry with Kevin and angry that his white anting and destabilization have been rewarded, and the destablilisers and white anters behind him have also been rewarded.  What a sorry message that sends out. It further shows me that Julia Gillard truly is a wonderful person that she will not do the same back, that she will give him clear air. Respect Julia, respect.  

Following on from Julia Gillard’s departure is a list of decent and hard working politicians, who will also not contest the 2013 election, people like Craig Emerson, Peter Garrett, Greg Combet and Stephen Smith, and others. I feel sad knowing that this collection of Labor people will no longer be a part of Federal politics. I’m feeling a bit of a dull federal politics malaise.  

For the past 3 years I’ve been passionate and enthusiastic about politics and the future of our country with such ground breaking reforms coming through; things like the NDIS, the Gonski education reforms, carbon pricing to finally tackle climate change. It was like we were doing things that are good for our nation as a whole and our nation’s future, and not just for individual groups or interests. We were fighting the big fights, the difficult battles that have always been put in the too hard basket.  Anyone else leading this hung parliament would have done one of two things

1) gone to an election sooner rather than later, or

2) nothing, just plodded along.

The fact that Julia Gillard took on some of the huge challenges facing our country, and actually passed the legislation makes me burst with pride.

So, whatever Julia, and Craig, Peter et al decide to do post politics, I trust it will be good and worthwhile and I’ll keep a keen eye on the direction they take.   I’ll play along with the political discussion leading up to the election, because no, I don’t want Tony Abbott to become Prime Minister, but I’m not about to march in the street for a Kevin Rudd led ALP…but I would have for Julia.

Reflections on Julia Gillard becoming Prime Minister

It's pretty obvious I'm a Julia Gillard fan. I credit her ascendancy to Prime Minster as the reason I reignited my interest in politics, which I once had as a student in the 1980's but had let lapse through the last few decades. As a teen I would tell people I wanted to be the first female Prime Minster of Australia. Ha! As if! I wonder back then if I really thought it might happen; that we would have a female Prime Minster in my lifetime. I wonder how many now would seek the job. The attacks have been brutal, personal and constant.

I wasn't as horrified by the ousting of Kevin Rudd as some. My main recollection of his early years as Prime Minster are the 'Sorry' speech which I remember watching live, and being quite emotional and proud and having some semblance of the significance of it to the indigenous peoples,  and also the stimulus that got us through the GFC. I was involved in my kids primary school as we excitedly planned for a BER building to house a library and 5 classrooms. Our school is over 100 years old. It hadn't had major works for more than 40 years. It was amazing and to this day I am incredibly grateful that when our Government decided to stimulate the economy by ensuring building industry jobs were maintained, they chose schools and kids to be the beneficiaries.

I remember the rumblings that Kevin had a fiery temper and was difficult to work with. I sat up and took notice when my local member, Darren Cheeseman said in a door stop that Julia Gillard would be Prime Minister one day.  The night 'it' happened, exactly 3 years ago to the day*, I was on twitter. It was like watching a wave come through.  Twitter in 2010 had quite a few people on board in Australia but not as many as now, but still it seemed huge. It was like a crescendo and was completely unbelievable. I was fascinated.

I had to drive to a funeral the next day. I was pretty emotional and as I drove I listened to Kevin give his farewell press conference with his family around him. I felt sadness for him and shed some tears. If you've read this, you'll know that's normal for me. I then listened to Julia Gillard's 'moving forward' speech. It wasn't the greatest start in terms of speeches but I felt confident that she would grow and move forward ;)  And I definitely think she has.

I expected Kevin to resign. He didn't. I wish he had. His staying has been lethal for Labor. Some will argue that the removal of him was the beginning of the end, but for him to be so loathed from within would certainly have been Labor's undoing anyway. I see him now take on some of Campbell Newman's Queensland fights and think he should go to State Parliament. Queenslanders love him, let them have him and let Labor re-grow up there. Surely the Queenslanders are learning the hard way how much austerity bites. That they'd vote for more of that with Abbott confounds me.

I listen to the Prime Minister speak about education and the Gonski reforms and I hear her passion. Education is the fire in her belly. Her emotion when the final NDIS bills were brought to Parliament demonstrated to me how crucial and life changing that legislation is. Regardless of what happens on September 14, the legacy of those two reforms, alongside carbon pricing will be enormous. Along with her notorious negotiation skills. That this hung parliament has brought forward so much legislation is a credit to her ability to bring the cross benches with her and with Labor to legislate important reforms.

I sometimes wonder if Julia Gillard wishes she had come to the Prime Ministership differently. I kind of do, but what happened has happened and there's no changing it. Do I think the ALP should change leaders again? No. I hear the 'experts' saying annihilation is ahead unless they go back to Rudd, but I cant fathom that. If he truly had stayed quiet and loyal and worked for the good of his electorate, the country and the Government and still the polls were bad, I might have a different view, but I honestly feel that handing him the Prime Ministership on the back of disloyalty and a campaign of white anting would be wrong and would absolutely send the wrong message. Not to mention the perception that the ALP leadership is a revolving door.

Hopefully after Parliament rises this week, and the election campaign begins more earnestly we will see proper scrutiny of all policies and less focus on leadership issues. If Q and A continue with their themed events and have a health themed program with Plibersek and Dutton, a finance themed program with Wong and Robb, I just know the ALP can shine. Perhaps pressure might come to Tony Abbott to actually appear on Q and A and face the questions of the Australian public, or even a long form interview on Lateline.  Debates will show the strength of Julia Gillard. The snippets of Parliament's question time that are seen on the nightly news don't do justice to how well she performs in Parliament.  It took her misogyny speech to show her at her finest; in Question time, with no script and passionate about what she was saying. Let's see more of that!

Maybe journalists will really arc up when Tony Abbott walks away from a press conference just when the questions get interesting  Maybe an investigative journalist will follow up on some unanswered questions he has managed to avoid...his involvement in Ashby/Slipper, whether he was at the LNP fundraiser dinner with Joe Hockey and Mal Brough to name but two. Maybe we'll start to see what our real choices are on September 14.

The past 3 years have been one hell of a ride but I'm enormously proud of Julia Gillard and what she has achieved.  I would say to her: Stay Strong Prime Minister.  You have my continued respect, admiration and support!

Feel free to express an alternate opinion in the comments but please don't just express hate. Go write your own blog if that is what you want to do.


* I've ended up publishing this after midnight...the rumblings on twitter were on the evening of June 23, 2010. She was confirmed as Prime Minister on June 24, 2010 when Kevin Rudd did not contest the leadership ballot. Sources say it would have been an overwhelming majority to Julia Gillard.