Rudd's Cabinet & Ministry

Cabinet and Ministry

Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister.

Julia Gillard, Deputy Prime Minister, Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Social Inclusion. [this is a good indication of things that are going to be important in a Rudd govt.]

Wayne Swan, Treasurer. [meh, just do what the RBA tells you]

Chris Evans, Leader of the Government in the Senate, Immigration and citizenship. [can't be worse than Andrews]

John Faulkner, Special minister of State, Cabinet Secretary, Vice president of the executive council. [excellent choice here. Faulkner is a real stalwart in parliament, streets ahead of the filthy Eric "aids and" Abetz.

Simon Crean, Trade. [I suppose we'll see what he can really do, can't be worse than Vaile, as long as he doesn't bribe Saddam again]

Stephen Smith, Foreign Affairs. [great tactic, Smith could kill a party in a whorehouse that backed onto a liquor store. Our foreign partners will sign anything to get away]

Joel Fitzgibbon, Defence. [let's see what happens when super hornet gate comes out...]

Nicola Roxon, Health and Ageing. [another good choice, much better than the former minister for asbestos].

Jenny Macklin, Family, Housing, Community services and Indigenous Affairs. [another good performer].

Lindsay Tanner, Finance and Deregulation. [well he is an articled clerk...]

Anthony Albanese, Infrastructure, Transport and Regional development, Local Government, Leader of the House.

Stephen Conroy, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. [a potential banana skin?]

Kim Carr, Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. [Another lefty, yay!]

Penny Wong, Climate Change and Water. [another stellar performer and organiser, she'll do well here I think]

Peter Garrett, Environment, Heritage and the Arts. [placed where he can't do too much damage]

Robert McClelland, Attorney-General. [should show slightly more signs of life than the previous occupant. Whatever you do Robert, DO NOT open that sarcophagus in the corner of your new office.]

Joe Ludwig, Human Services, Manager of Government Business in the Senate. [I worry that this guy could be Rudd's Downer... I hope not.]

Tony Burke, Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. [Has he ever even seen a cow?]

Martin Ferguson, Resources and Energy, Tourism. [Pro nuclear power energy minister... hmmm...]

Outer Ministry

Bob Debus, Home Affairs.

Chris Brown, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs.

Alan Griffin, Veterans Affairs.

Tanya Plibersek, Housing, Status of Women.

Brendan O'Connor, Employment Participation. [oddly renamed "Brenda O'Conner" by the SMH]

Warren Snowdon, Defence Science and Personnel.

Craig Emerson, Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation. [should do well]

Nick Sherry, Superannuation and Corporate Governance.

Justine Elliot, Ageing. [she isn't Christopher Pyne]

Kate Ellis, Youth, Sport.

Parliamentary Secretaries

Maxine McKew, Prime Minister and Cabinet. [Max the axe, is Rudd keeping his potential enemies close? That woman is a serious potential leadership threat]

Greg Combet, Defence. [he's probably as confused as we are]

Mike Kelly, Defence.

Gary Gray, Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development.

Bill Shorten, Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. [once single handedly rescued two Tasmanian miners using nothing more than a teaspoon and a video camera]

Bob McMullan, Foreign Affairs. [see, I told you boring people to death was our new foreign affairs policy position]

Duncan Kerr, Foreign Affairs.

Anthony Byrne, Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Ursula Stephens, Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector.

John Murphy, Trade.

Jan McLucas, Health and Ageing.

Laurie Ferguson, Immigration and Citizenship. [hmm...]

The Poll That Counts No.1: Around the booths

I represented YouDecide2007 as a citizen journalist at the Tallyroom on Saturday night. An amazing experience! During Howard's concession speech I videoed the people on the floor of the media centre watching him: Bill Hefferan, Steve Price, Penny Wong, Sharon Burrows and many more.

Still editing. First episode "The Poll That Counts No.1: Around the booths" is on Youtube.

All episodes will be posted to Youdedcide2007, and TeacherTube as well to get around the censors. Watch this space!

Original post at: Labor View from Broome

That’s the Right dealt with, now for the Left

Posted by the piping shrike at Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Friends, tomorrow the work begins. Australia's long-term challenges demand a new consensus across our country. I'm determined to use the office of prime minister to forge that consensus.

I want to put aside the old battles of the past: the old battles between business and unions, the old battles between growth and the environment, the old and tired battles between federal and state. The old battles between public and private.

K Rudd 24 November 2007

It will be some time before the significance of Rudd’s highly revealing victory speech becomes apparent. The basis of what he was saying hinged on his idea of a new consensus. Andrew Bolt got this 100% wrong on Insiders when he said Rudd was doing me-tooism with Hawke on this. Rudd’s consensus is utterly different from Hawke’s.

Full post at The Piping Shrike

Entry Poll: First Votes for Labor

Bardi Dancers at Stonehenge 2006

The Bardi Dancers from Western Australia's Ardyaloon (One Arm Point) community, who performed at Stonehenge last year, were among the first Australians to vote in the Federal election. Mobile polling booths visited there and Lombardina/Djarindjin communities on Tuesday.

My entry poll taken while handing out ALP how-to-vote cards at each place, confirmed overwhelming support for Labor. The One Arm Point polling took place in the open air in high 30's temperatures. Hopefully an omen for more open government in the near future. We have to keep trying!

Original Post at: Labor View from Broome

Dear Readers!

Having been absolutely blown away by the sheer numbers of people madly clicking the contribute link and sending their thoughts our way, we've decided to do something different.

Take five minutes to think about the last election. Who did you vote for? Why did you vote for them? How about now? Who will you vote for? Why will you vote for them? Click on the contribute link and email us your thoughts. You can remain anonymous if you like and your email address won't be posted anywhere, scouts' honour!

Last election I voted Labor and preferenced the Greens, putting me among a group of about 12 people who were impressed by Latham's lack of bullshit and relative honesty. I couldn't care less that he got into fights and drank lots (wholly un-Australian activities if I ever heard of any). I liked his policies and it wasn't as if I was going to be inviting him over for dinner.

This time around I'll probably vote Green because job 1 is making sure no single party controls the senate. Also the Greens are the party least likely to restrict my freedoms, probably because they don't have any power but I'll cross that bridge if we ever get to a Greens government.

Your turn.

ps thanks to those that have posted comments, it's always good to get feedback.

Ross Daniels, Labor candidate for Ryan, happened to be campaigning outside Toowong Village shopping centre when we went there a couple of hours ago. He happily posed for a photo, which one of the ladies with him took using our camera (making sure to get the shopping centre tower in so people could tell where we were!).

We wished him luck -and boy do we ever, even though we'll probably both vote Green- but he'll need more than that to overturn Michael Johnson's massive margin and grab the seat. Too many wealthy Howard-lovers here... in fact, whenever a bitchy, expensively-dressed housewife tries to run us over with a shopping trolley in Coles, Gam and I often look at each other and say "Liberal voter!".

Ask a Polly

I say my good man, is this a good time to ask you a few questions?

Ross Daniels, Labor candidate for Ryan, has replied to the email we sent out, asking about his opinion re: Andrews and Sudanese migrants. He directs us to his blog post on the issue and says he'd be happy to meet us. Right. so here's your big chance to ask a real live Labor party candidate a few tough questions! Stick them in the comments and we'll ask them and post the replies (within reason)! Thanks to Mr Daniels for being so generous with his time. Here's his blog post on the Sudanese migrants issue. Have a look at the rest of his blog, the bloke seems to have his own opinion.

Election fun

Howard's announcement from yesterday:



"...the right leadership is the leadership that delivers the team that knows how to do the job. The right leadership is the leadership that has the experience to further expand the prosperity of the Australian economy and to ensure that everybody gets a fair share of it."

That made me snort. If he thinks that people are currently getting their fair share of it, then he's just having a nice old wank for the cameras.

"The right leadership is the leadership that is willing to take unpopular decisions in the short-term that have a long-term benefit for the Australian community."

Tell me, what unpopular short-term decisions have been made so far that have a long-term benefit? I cannot think of one myself.

This my favourite though:

"The right leadership is a group of men and women who will govern for all Australians and who will not be beholden to a narrow section of the Australian community."

While we know exactly what he thinks he's talking about (those scary, mean unions), lets just sit and think of all the people in the Australian community who have been repeatedly fucked over by the current government. Let's think of the LARGE section of the Australian community who has been.

But then we get right down to it, just in case you were too stupid to realise what he was getting at:

"...70% of whom are former trade union officials."

Hmmmm...wonder what card is going to be played ad nauseam over the next 6 weeks. Jesus christ. Everyone knows the ALP was founded on the backs of the workers! Of course former union officials are going to be high-ranking members! You have to be a member of a union to be in the ALP!

"Is it a government that is offering stability in it's key personnel..."

This from the man who has publicly stated that he will stand down partway through the term should he be re-elected! So, is the PM position not a key position?

He bangs on about balance? Robbing the country of the necessary checks and balances? How about a majority in the Senate Mr Howard? How about the fact that you have used your majority to force through legislation that would never have passed had there been a decent balance in the upper house? What about the concept of the Senate estimates committee? Forgotten about that, haven't we?

I can't talk anymore about his comments. It just makes me want to vomit.


On to Rudd:



"...new leadership with fresh ideas..."

Ideas that have yet to be announced. Far too much metooism in the ALP at the moment.

"...a goverment that's lost touch..."

They never had it to begin with.

He speaks of how the Liberals won't make changes. They will. That's the problem. The changes that they make are never for the better for the majority of people. So their problem isn't that things won't change, it is that things will continue to do so, to the detriment of the country.

What really shits me about both of them (Howard and Rudd) is that they only seem to think that families count in Australia. And by families they mean a married mum and dad and their kids. Not everyone wants kids. Not everyone can have kids. Hell, not everyone can get married!

Anyway, there are the speeches if you didn't get to see them yesterday. Please don't forget that there are other political parties in Australia. Certainly, the PM will end up being from one of the major two parties, but that does not mean that a vote for the Greens or the Democrats is a wasted vote, provided you vote correctly. That's the beauty of the preferential voting system.

McClelland Fucks Up

I'm trying not to fuck it up, but some people really aren't helping...

Robert McClelland, a man who's been a front bencher for nearly ten years, recently decided Kevin was having it a bit too easy and decided to attack John Howard. The problem with this is that Robert chose to attack Howard's strongest point, uphill.

Let's face facts. We need Rudd to remove the Liberal majority. This is the primary goal at this election. McClelland has had several opportunities to break ranks and make principled statements on govt. hipocrisy re: human rights. the 2001 election and the Pacific solution come to mind. Why now, on the anniversary of the single biggest issue that cost Labor the last election, would he choose to make noises on the issue?

Yes he's just stating Labor party policy but he's a fucking idiot to do it now. The death penalty wasn't an election issue. Now it's an issue that will only hurt Labor. The sections of the electorate Labor needs to win the election are not exactly known for their principled stands on human rights. He may as well have come out and said he wanted Osama to have a fair trial. Now the media have the sort of silly he said she said bullshit issue they love to keep going and the govt., with a desperation born of impending doom are pounding away at the issue, lying away about Labor supporting Bali bombers. If anything the govt.'s hysterical, overblown reaction might minimise the damage.

If Rudd hasn't issued an order to party members to shut their yaps, he's an idiot. When you're in government you can make all the quixotic statements you want. Until then, shut up and do what it takes. I don't buy the argument that Rudd's leaning towards the dark side. Would you rather have a principled opposition wandering the political wilderness while we get 3 more years of a bigger liberal majority? No? Didn't think so. It's not as if anyone is under the delusion that Howard would ever be more likely than Rudd to allow his ministers to listen to their consciences.

This post seemed to piss people off so I've reproduced it here. Flame away lurkers!

Labor View from Broome: A Good News Story

I have spent this week interviewing people in Broome for the YouDecide2007 project. The first was Neil Gower, CEO of Mamabulanjin Aboriginal Corporation. It is an organisation with more than $14 million in assets, providing housing, water and power supplies for community and outstation developments, gardening and landscaping, business facilitation services and bookkeeping and a tourism enterprise. It also coordinates the Night Patrol in Broome.

Its innovative approach includes the provision of solar power systems to aboriginal communities. It is involved in the development of cutting edge, web-based software that will allow organisations to manage and access their administrative data online. It is a good news story at a time when aboriginal people are being marginalised by our politicians yet again. (Outback tracking, Sydney Morning Herald, 2 July 2007)

The video is still a work in progress so watch this space.

Labor View from Broome: A Good News Story