Sathius005
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- 2008
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- 2018
John Howard once described himself as “the most conservative leader the Liberal Party has ever had.” Similarly Kevin Rudd branded himself as an “economic conservative” in the 2007 federal election and John Howard’s title as an economic conservative. Then Julia Gillard usurped Kevin Rudd’s title to conservatism by branding herself as a “border protectionist” in the 2010 federal election.
The Labor government from 2007-2013 was the most conservative Labor government in Australian political history. Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female Prime Minister, became the most right wing PM in Australian history until that time period concept. She advocated punitive border protection policies on asylum seekers (such as the Malaysian Solution, moved single parents from the single parent pension onto the New Start Allowance, introduced tough Disability Support Pension points based system and extended the Northern Territory intervention,
The Rudd and Gillard governments were an era of social conservatism, but not as we know it. The highlighting was on embracing fast internationally driven political, economic, social cultural, technological and legal changes. Furthermore getting rid of uncompetitive institutions that shaped Australia over the past decade, together with a willingness to dangle the rule of law, the self rule of the public service and the honesty of the parliamentary information management, all to protect mainstream values.
The 2010 Australian federal election became the un-winnable election for the Australian Labor Party. The best case scenario for the ALP election forecast, which was predicted by opinion pollsters (such as Newspoll, Galaxy, AC Nielsen, Roy Morgan and Essential Research) was 53 per cent to the Coalition and 47 per cent to the Australian Labor Party had Kevin Rudd stayed on as Labor leader and PM of Australia. As a Labor insider I have seen private Labor polling that indicates that Labor could have seen the biggest landslide loss in Australian political history 60 per cent to the Coalition and 40 per cent to the Labor Party. Kevin Rudd was simply unequipped with the legal skills to get the correct political outcomes he had aspired. Kevin Rudd as a university student at the Australian National University (ANU) had failed to study Bachelor of Laws. Instead as university student Kevin Rudd had chosen to do Bachelor of Arts (Politics and International Relations) at the ANU. Kevin Rudd and Labor had lost the public policy debate on two broad fronts: border protection and taxation/ welfare reform. Kevin Rudd was physically exhausted after winning the 2007 federal election and destroying two Leaders of the Opposition (Brendan Nelson and Malcolm Turnbull).
Kevin Rudd had dismantled the very effective Pacific Solution that stopped the flood of asylum seekers and boat people. There was a massive rise in asylum seekers coming to Australia. Kevin Rudd had put the sugar on the table for people smugglers. Kevin Rudd had embraced open door immigration policy. Kevin Rudd wanted to show compassion credentials by helping asylum seekers and refugees fleeing persecution come to Australia. People were coming to Australia from the Middle East (Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran) and from Sri Lanka. The pull factors of Labor’s weakened border protection were drawing people in massive numbers onto leaky boats. However, it was the push factors that were deteriorating in the Middle East and in Sri Lanka. There were millions of internally displaced people in the Middle East and Sri Lanka as a result of war. Refugees were being let down by the Australian government. What refugee advocates were calling for was an increase in the refugee intake rather than dismantling the Pacific Solution.
Tax reform and welfare reform are elements where the Rudd government failed big time. Most Australians had been fed up by Peter Costello’s reckless cuts to the corporate tax rate from 36 per cent to 30 per cent and by Costello’s huge cuts in the personal tax rates. The Australian people wanted a society where the less fortunate were not neglected and wanted the Australian government to spread opportunity to all Australians. National crime was increasing under the Howard government as a result of a neglected welfare payments system. More people were joining organised crime syndicates as a result of the Howard government incompetence on welfare benefits. Kevin Rudd in 2009 increased the Pension system including the Disability Support Pension, Carer Pension and the Aged Pension. But the increase in the pension system was too little too late for many who had become homeless. Moreover, high school education investment and the National Disability Insurance Scheme had been neglected.
In early 2010, there were few signs that the coming election would be so hotly contested. The Coalition was very unstable, Kevin Rudd was very dominant. Things changed as Rudd lost support within the community and the Australian Labor Party. Gillard took over as PM and returned the Australian Labor Party to 55 per cent 2PP. Only to see swings of up to 12 per cent against Gillard in the aggregate Australian electorate in the days leading up to the 2010 federal election as a result of Kevin Rudd’s leaking of confidential information against Julia Gillard. However, Julia Gillard managed to overcome the huge swing against the Labor Party and minimize the swing to just 2.58 per cent. Labor managed to win the 2010 election with a majority of the Two Party Preferred Vote i.e. 50.12 per cent against the Coalition’s 49.88 per cent.
What Julia Gillard did to secure an election victory was to aim to stop the boats, stop the toxic debate on the Resources Super Profits Tax and stop the uncertainty over climate change policy.
The Labor government from 2007-2013 was the most conservative Labor government in Australian political history. Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female Prime Minister, became the most right wing PM in Australian history until that time period concept. She advocated punitive border protection policies on asylum seekers (such as the Malaysian Solution, moved single parents from the single parent pension onto the New Start Allowance, introduced tough Disability Support Pension points based system and extended the Northern Territory intervention,
The Rudd and Gillard governments were an era of social conservatism, but not as we know it. The highlighting was on embracing fast internationally driven political, economic, social cultural, technological and legal changes. Furthermore getting rid of uncompetitive institutions that shaped Australia over the past decade, together with a willingness to dangle the rule of law, the self rule of the public service and the honesty of the parliamentary information management, all to protect mainstream values.
The 2010 Australian federal election became the un-winnable election for the Australian Labor Party. The best case scenario for the ALP election forecast, which was predicted by opinion pollsters (such as Newspoll, Galaxy, AC Nielsen, Roy Morgan and Essential Research) was 53 per cent to the Coalition and 47 per cent to the Australian Labor Party had Kevin Rudd stayed on as Labor leader and PM of Australia. As a Labor insider I have seen private Labor polling that indicates that Labor could have seen the biggest landslide loss in Australian political history 60 per cent to the Coalition and 40 per cent to the Labor Party. Kevin Rudd was simply unequipped with the legal skills to get the correct political outcomes he had aspired. Kevin Rudd as a university student at the Australian National University (ANU) had failed to study Bachelor of Laws. Instead as university student Kevin Rudd had chosen to do Bachelor of Arts (Politics and International Relations) at the ANU. Kevin Rudd and Labor had lost the public policy debate on two broad fronts: border protection and taxation/ welfare reform. Kevin Rudd was physically exhausted after winning the 2007 federal election and destroying two Leaders of the Opposition (Brendan Nelson and Malcolm Turnbull).
Kevin Rudd had dismantled the very effective Pacific Solution that stopped the flood of asylum seekers and boat people. There was a massive rise in asylum seekers coming to Australia. Kevin Rudd had put the sugar on the table for people smugglers. Kevin Rudd had embraced open door immigration policy. Kevin Rudd wanted to show compassion credentials by helping asylum seekers and refugees fleeing persecution come to Australia. People were coming to Australia from the Middle East (Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran) and from Sri Lanka. The pull factors of Labor’s weakened border protection were drawing people in massive numbers onto leaky boats. However, it was the push factors that were deteriorating in the Middle East and in Sri Lanka. There were millions of internally displaced people in the Middle East and Sri Lanka as a result of war. Refugees were being let down by the Australian government. What refugee advocates were calling for was an increase in the refugee intake rather than dismantling the Pacific Solution.
Tax reform and welfare reform are elements where the Rudd government failed big time. Most Australians had been fed up by Peter Costello’s reckless cuts to the corporate tax rate from 36 per cent to 30 per cent and by Costello’s huge cuts in the personal tax rates. The Australian people wanted a society where the less fortunate were not neglected and wanted the Australian government to spread opportunity to all Australians. National crime was increasing under the Howard government as a result of a neglected welfare payments system. More people were joining organised crime syndicates as a result of the Howard government incompetence on welfare benefits. Kevin Rudd in 2009 increased the Pension system including the Disability Support Pension, Carer Pension and the Aged Pension. But the increase in the pension system was too little too late for many who had become homeless. Moreover, high school education investment and the National Disability Insurance Scheme had been neglected.
In early 2010, there were few signs that the coming election would be so hotly contested. The Coalition was very unstable, Kevin Rudd was very dominant. Things changed as Rudd lost support within the community and the Australian Labor Party. Gillard took over as PM and returned the Australian Labor Party to 55 per cent 2PP. Only to see swings of up to 12 per cent against Gillard in the aggregate Australian electorate in the days leading up to the 2010 federal election as a result of Kevin Rudd’s leaking of confidential information against Julia Gillard. However, Julia Gillard managed to overcome the huge swing against the Labor Party and minimize the swing to just 2.58 per cent. Labor managed to win the 2010 election with a majority of the Two Party Preferred Vote i.e. 50.12 per cent against the Coalition’s 49.88 per cent.
What Julia Gillard did to secure an election victory was to aim to stop the boats, stop the toxic debate on the Resources Super Profits Tax and stop the uncertainty over climate change policy.
