Rudd, Gillard and the painful death of consensus
"Kevin Rudd has resigned his foreign ministry to fly home and contest the leadership of the parliamentary Labor party citing a need exterminate the influence of Labor's faceless men. "
"Really?
Gillard. Rudd. Crean. It is irrelevant who leads the parliamentary Australian Labor Party.
The catastrophic situation for the government and the ALP more generally is not now about leadership, truth, values, or whether Tanya Plibersek uses poor language judgement while driving.
It is about individuals hanging on to power no matter what the consequences for the economy or society.
When commentators called for Ms Gillard to call a leadership vote, or for her to stand down for the good of the party, they were off with the pixies — coercive power is all that matters in politics today and if you have it, you’re not going to let it go under any circumstances.
Gillard intends to hold on to power. Rudd wants to regain power.
One is left wondering, however, how close to the edge of democracy the present struggle to hold coercive power will take us."
Dr Richard Stanton is a senior lecturer in the Department of Media and Communications at The University of Sydney. View his full profile here.
22 Feb 2012 10:05:10pm
Both Gillard and Rudd intends to hold on to power, Dr!
After a lost of the gallbladder, and with a new Heart Rudd deserve - as well as the Australian people does - to be reinstalled as PM after his Election Win 2007.
Rudd shall win the next election.
Gillard should step down from her care taking job, and remain her last position no matter how disappointed she might be.
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