Last week’s political assassination of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd epitomises the new Labor way. They are now governing for themselves, their factional warlords and their union mates. Rudd may well have been a public nerd and a private tyrant but he deserved a more dignified departure from the Prime Ministership.
Labor would not be in government today if it was not for Kevin Rudd. Kevin 07 was a marketing master-stroke. He would do everything John Howard was doing. He would be an economic conservative, he would tow the boats back out to sea and he would keep our troops in Afghanistan. He appealed to the inner-city chattering class by promising to say sorry and avowing to be a world leader in climate change. Younger voters and the guilt ridden middle class simply swooned and he went on to become the most popular Prime Minister of all time.
While Kev continued to surf the tidal wave of political popularity his Labor colleagues locked in behind him. Those who dared challenge his authority were met with the full forces of his dark side.
He surrounded himself with a small group of ‘trusted’ lieutenants, Julia Gillard, Wayne Swan and Lindsay Tanner, who effectively ran the country as ‘the gang of four’. Nothing happened without their imprimatur. They were united, focused and ruthless in pursuing their political agenda. They ruled from the mandate of self-interest rather than national interest. When one of their pet projects became unpopular they ditched it. Grocery watch, fuel watch and whale watch were early casualties.
These were nothing compared to ‘the greatest moral issue’ of our time at Copenhagen. Kev was exposed as a minnow on the world stage and he returned empty-handed. The ‘gang of four’ were in crisis mode as they discussed their options. Lindsay Tanner stayed true to his values and argued vehemently in favour of staying true to their commitment to fighting climate change. Rudd, Gillard and Swan voted to dump it. The rot had started. Kev would get the blame for the unforgiveable backflip and Gillard and Swan would fulfill their political ambitions.
The ‘gang of four’ went from one political blunder to the next as they plundered the funds bequeathed to them by the Howard Government. As the polls plummeted the ‘gang of four’ began to leak. Julia’s grin is a good indicator of the most likely source.
Her reason for assassinating Rudd was because the government had lost its way. But wasn’t she the co-pilot?
Kevin Rudd was elected by the people and should have been dispatched by the people – not by a bunch of factional thugs and union heavies with St Julia as their patron saint. At least we now know who is running the show!
