I don't understand how the last card is played/but somehow a vital connection is made
What a weekend.
John Howard quits as Leader and appears he will lose his seat (although Maxine still won’t call it). In retrospect, there was an awful lot of ink devoted to speculation about the longevity of Howard’s tenure post-leadership, perhaps some of this was slightly unnecessary?
Peter Costello quits as leader before he can even be elected leader (no one told Alexander Downer though). One also wonders how long before the by-election is called there, I’m assuming it will be swift.
The leadership battle is already interesting – Pyne vs. Abbott vs. Turnbull must be a relief for the ALP. While ascendancy of moderates might be something that Liberal moderates* want to see, in an adversarial system it doesn’t do the Left any favours. The question really is whether or not the current leader will make it all the way through to the next election, or whether those with real aspirations should keep their heads down until the recovery and recriminations are done**.
Mark Vaile quits as leader. The Nationals must be drawing the short straw to see who DOESN’T get a shadow ministry. Will Vaile stick around the full term? Anderson did, although he too is now gone.
Lyn Allison and Andrew Bartlett lose their seats. No need to elect a leader when there is no party to lead.
In state politics, Clare Martin and Syd Stirling have announced that they are standing down as Leader and Deputy Leader.
You asked for generational change, by gum, you’ve got it.
In my own world, things are decidedly brighter. There’s nothing like an election to flush your your natural allies (post-election Mondays can be interesting like that).
I got two text messages from people I didn't have in my phone - however as both were "Yay change of government" I daresay I will find out who they were soon enough.
I was walking casually (one might say, sauntering) down the hallway at work this morning and came across two of my work colleagues chatting. They were silent as I went past, before one of them yelled out “Look at Gigglewick!!!! Could she grin any wider?????”
The answer is, of course, no.
* Liberal moderate readers are, of course, more than welcome to join the ALP or the Greens. In fact, if Lib moderates had put their money where their mouth was they would have joined the Democrats and maybe they would still have a party.
** Why bother? If this isn’t the beginning of the most poisonous, back-biting horror that the Libs have seen in a decade I will eat my hat…but any grief counselor will tell you that now is the time to do it, not let it bubble up accidentally during a press conference to announce your "awesome new policies"***
*** Although I wouldn't hold your breath for those, either.
John Howard quits as Leader and appears he will lose his seat (although Maxine still won’t call it). In retrospect, there was an awful lot of ink devoted to speculation about the longevity of Howard’s tenure post-leadership, perhaps some of this was slightly unnecessary?
Peter Costello quits as leader before he can even be elected leader (no one told Alexander Downer though). One also wonders how long before the by-election is called there, I’m assuming it will be swift.
The leadership battle is already interesting – Pyne vs. Abbott vs. Turnbull must be a relief for the ALP. While ascendancy of moderates might be something that Liberal moderates* want to see, in an adversarial system it doesn’t do the Left any favours. The question really is whether or not the current leader will make it all the way through to the next election, or whether those with real aspirations should keep their heads down until the recovery and recriminations are done**.
Mark Vaile quits as leader. The Nationals must be drawing the short straw to see who DOESN’T get a shadow ministry. Will Vaile stick around the full term? Anderson did, although he too is now gone.
Lyn Allison and Andrew Bartlett lose their seats. No need to elect a leader when there is no party to lead.
In state politics, Clare Martin and Syd Stirling have announced that they are standing down as Leader and Deputy Leader.
You asked for generational change, by gum, you’ve got it.
In my own world, things are decidedly brighter. There’s nothing like an election to flush your your natural allies (post-election Mondays can be interesting like that).
I got two text messages from people I didn't have in my phone - however as both were "Yay change of government" I daresay I will find out who they were soon enough.
I was walking casually (one might say, sauntering) down the hallway at work this morning and came across two of my work colleagues chatting. They were silent as I went past, before one of them yelled out “Look at Gigglewick!!!! Could she grin any wider?????”
The answer is, of course, no.
* Liberal moderate readers are, of course, more than welcome to join the ALP or the Greens. In fact, if Lib moderates had put their money where their mouth was they would have joined the Democrats and maybe they would still have a party.
** Why bother? If this isn’t the beginning of the most poisonous, back-biting horror that the Libs have seen in a decade I will eat my hat…but any grief counselor will tell you that now is the time to do it, not let it bubble up accidentally during a press conference to announce your "awesome new policies"***
*** Although I wouldn't hold your breath for those, either.
posted by gigglewick at
4:19 pm
2 Comments:
Hate to be the cynic but I've seen it all before. After Blair's election landslide and a night of very long knives for John Major's government when half the cabinet lost their seats.
Now in the UK we have the major two parties reversed as the Conservatives take the green and social agendas up and Labour position themselves as the party for the economy and business.
I hope you don't end up as disappointed as I became with your own New Labor...
(Fantastic and heartening to see the Greens perform so well, Bob Brown is the only poli I could bring myself to trust.)
Oh, lordy yes. We need to be vigilant. Costello's Victorian Liberal wets are at least as leftie as Rudd's Queensland Labor right. Costello would have an apology on the agenda now if he was prime minister. Or soonish, anyway.
I think the onus is on us types to make our government prove their Labor credentials. I expect my local member and I to futher develop our fledging correspondence. (Unfortunately I have Lindsay Tanner – he always replies promptly along the lines of "I entirely agree. Please find enclosed a book I wrote on the subject". No real fun in that.)
Alternatively, I could just be speaking out my arse. Maybe Peter "everything-will-change-when-we're-in-power" Garrett was right, and now that Rudd's won the election he's going to turn Australia into an agricultural collective. I hope so, because I like spuds.
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