Julia Gillard as new PM. What doyou think?

[felixq78]

The only people who voted for Rudd were the constituents in his own electorate, the rest of the voters did the same, they voted for their respective member of parliament not Rudd.In reality they still have the MP for whom they voted. This isn't the USA where they have a system of Primaries through which the candidate moves until eventually he/she reaches the opportunity to be voted into power. Nothing has really changed just the positions in the cabinet. No one jumps up and down when cabinet portfolios are shuffled around do they? So they shouldn't complain about this move either.
In any case the dual party system is a sham. It's set up to give us the "illusion" of choice when in reality we have no choice, the two main parties take turns at power with the unpopular legislation being put into place by an outgoing party thereby taking pressure off the new party in power. The GST was a classic example. Both sides wanted it, they jockeyed back and forth with the public getting what they didn't want.
The major parties are controlled by the real owners of this country. The ACTU and its corporate infiltrators, mining companies etc calls the shots for labor with huge multi national entities, bankers etc calling the shots with the Libs. In many cases power is spread both ways with some corporate giants having control over both sides of politics, just follow the money.
We have no freedom of choice it is merely an illusion.
Don't vote! Could you imagine the impact that would have if at the next election NO ONE VOTED! That would give them a real message, they would go into cardiac arrest and they'd know just how much we hold them in contempt. Such courageous acts don't happen in this country, not anymore. The majority are barely awake and the handful of dissenting voices are ridiculed by them. We're enslaved by the corporate giants and we don't even know it, in fact the whole world is. If it wasn't for their privately owned weapons the USA would be under martial law, taken over by the 4th Reich who have been silently infiltrating the USA since the end of WW2 after the Vatican helped them escape Europe.

[GirlinOz]

I can't say she's my idea of a PM. Lacks substance ... personality ... credibility ...

I would love not to have to vote, Felix, but I'd prefer the $100 in my pocket, not as a fine in the gov's. I've never wanted to vote and was only too happy to say "no thanks" when I turned up to vote one time and found they'd dropped me off the Roll.

And I don't care if she's female. Its irrelevant. Labor comes across as a paper mache puppet with her toe on the party line and a voice like the Brown Note. I've never voted Labor in any event. Having known the Liberal deputy from my years slaving for her law firm before she went into public politics, I'd rather be dead in a ditch if it meant she had a chance of becoming PM (she would have no hesitation in doing a Gillard if the chance arose).

My view of most politicians is they are just there to feather their nests and bignote themselves.

[snickerdoodle]

It has been suggested that the people of Australia should refuse to go to the polls on election day. Couple this with a national strike it would send a very strong message to government. They are certainly not delivering value for the money that they take from our pockets. I don't see any kind of vision in anything that is being dished up by our policy makers. There is no intelligent leadership, just a lot of manouvering to garner public support on emotive issues come election time.

[listerstv]

It doesn't matter who we vote for politicians are only there to feather their own nests and as soon as they are elected they forget where they come from.

Gillard, if elected, will do exactly what the people in the Labor backrooms who gave her the job over Krudd tell her to do. She was only given the job because Labor knew that Krudd had lost the plot, plus Labour voters, and giving her the PM job was an attempt to fool voters (especially women) into returning to the fold.

I believe that if she is returned as PM she'll just follow the party line and the moment she doesn't, like Krudd, she'll also be kicked out.

I for one will be voting informal this time.

[Thing]

They're all the same ---- their list of importance
1st - themselves
2nd - themselves
3rd - the fat cats who donate & support them financially
4th - their party
5th - their party colleagues
way, way, way down the list near the bottom is the constituents who vote them in
& last is the community they represent....

[geewhizz]

Let me guess! listerstv is not female and not a labor party member. I hope you remembered to take your soccer flag off your Hi Ace. The games over

[reviresco]

The American political system concentrates on electing a personality, (not a party) to government. Thankfully it's not the same here, if you aren't a multi millionairre in USA you don't even get to the ballot box.

We seem to have lost track of the fact that we vote for a political party, not a personality. At the last election, we voted in the ALP, not Kevin Rudd.

Let's not go down the American path of voting for VERY rich personalities.

[Krystal]

They're all the same ---- their list of importance
1st - themselves
2nd - themselves
3rd - the fat cats who donate & support them financially
4th - their party
5th - their party colleagues
way, way, way down the list near the bottom is the constituents who vote them in eusa_doh.gif
& last is the community they represent....

I agree totally

[kiwi2768]

This woman was just on TV with her favourite football team and said, through her nose, "As long as they ween everytheeng is alright in the world." God help us. The country is being invaded by queue jumpers and she's saying crap like that.

[avint]

To Kiwi, get real...invaded by queue jumpers???...they are ASYLUM seekers. In the last 20 years there have been just more than 21,000 of these people seeking asylum...70% have been given visas' the others returned to their country of origin.
By any stretch of the imagination these numbers are infitesimal.
Figures last week from the USA stated that 10.000 illegals from mexico are attempting to cross into the USA daily.
This is an emotional subject which is used as a political football by all parties.

[Legless]

In spite of what anyone might have thought about Kevin Rudd, the way his own party treated him was nasty and underhanded. But then it is politics so why should we expect anything else? Kevin has his flaws as does Ms Gillard but God help us all if Tony Abbott and unliberal liberals get into power.

[Platycat]

Having watch all interveiws--Abbott continues to make a complete idiot of himself in everyone. I think he is the George Bush of Aussie

[Longinthetooth]

Prior to Julia Gillard becoming PM, who was it that was saying the Rudd wasn’t up to it, who was using every dirty trick in the book to degrade Australia’s then PM.

It wasn’t Julia Gillard, or any of the Labor Ministers, on the contrary. They were very upbeat about things, despite constant attention and negative polls.

The Media were constantly saying Julia would make a better PM.

What was Abbot saying about Rudd? Who was undermining Rudd, if it wasn’t Abbot?
Now Abbot and his supporters have got what they wanted, they are bleating about it, as if they are the innocent losers!!

During the Howard years there was constant talk of Costello replacing him, and if he had, would there be a beat up about him assassinating Howard, about being undemocratic, about we didn’t vote for Costello. Of course not. In fact The Coalition has had numerous leader hatchet jobs done in the last 3 years alone.

[bronhill]

I am wondering at what point the notion that the people voted for Rudd in the last election! At election time we vote for local contituents who represent a party rather than a leader.When Howard was Prime Minister entering second term, Australians didn't cast a vote for him but for local candidates or the party in general.
This country surely does not operate on a dictatorship with the leader having all the power, say and sway? It is a team effort which is why we need an eccelctic mix of Independents, Greens, Labor, Libs etal representing their constitutents in parliament or have we suddenly lost sight of democracy?.
At what point did Julia being a woman making any difference enter into the equation? Was it perhaps when the media presented a red worm and blue worm along with the white worm to display mood of the sexes?
At what point and by whom was it considered that Julia " knifed Rudd in the back?"
Was it perhaps someone who considered that Turnbull was knifed in the back or Hawke when deposed by Keating, Crean who was crucified by.. and so it goes on.
We the people do not elect the party leader or the countriy's leader- the party does that.
As Abbott ( a leopard never changes its spots) and the Liberals have had ten years of maintaining status quo- no pension increases, nothing for small business,etc, they have had ample time to make this country a better place- so whether it be giving Julia a go at it - or someone else - ANYONE ELSE- then bring it on- so long as it someone who moves this country along in a positive way- errr MOVING FORWARD??? Just a better quality of life- a richer country for all and less poverty especially for the elderly who have paid their dues!!
But.. stop batting on about how bad the opposition. Just bloody well get on with it and get back in touch with all us Australians!

[computerflyer]

The ALP has good ideas and poor execution as often as not, and the coalition does nothing but does it in a workmanlike manner. To bad the 1950's passed - I found them good even though I was but a young lad at the time. Bringing back the coalition might bring back the 50's, but the rest of the world is living in 2010, so it might not work out.

The coalition is as safe as an ostrich with his head buried. I wish I could write something great about the ALP, but the best I can do is they are the lesser evil, overall.

I'll vote Green - noting I am in a very safe Labor seat. Perhaps more Greens will keep the b******s honest? I am not sure any pollie in the world is up to raising the miserable standards in Canberra (or Sydney, Melbourne, Brissie, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, or Darwin for that matter).