Gillard replaces Rudd as Aussie PM

[Don]

After Howard's long tenure, this three year stint as PM for Rudd seems pretty quick. Wow.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_p ... 393918.stm


Australia's Julia Gillard has become the country's first female prime minister after former PM Kevin Rudd stood aside from a party ballot.

The change in the leadership of the ruling Labor Party comes just months ahead of a general election.

Correspondents say Mr Rudd did not stand in the vote, knowing he would suffer an embarrassing defeat.

The Labor Party has suffered a sharp drop in support in recent opinion polls.

Ms Gillard's swearing in as prime minister will be a formality.

Mr Rudd had called a late-night news conference on Wednesday to announce the ballot after Ms Gillard said she would stand.

[Rockindeano]

Goddammit this is BREAKING News. Who gives a flying shit about the Aussie PM? Just do what we tell you and shut up already Australia.

[7 Wishes]

And stop trying to swindle us into believing Foster's ISN'T the Aussie version of Pabst Blue Ribbon. It tastes like carbonated deer piss.

[Arianddu]

After Howard's long tenure, this three year stint as PM for Rudd seems pretty quick. Wow.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_p ... 393918.stm


Australia's Julia Gillard has become the country's first female prime minister after former PM Kevin Rudd stood aside from a party ballot.

The change in the leadership of the ruling Labor Party comes just months ahead of a general election.

Correspondents say Mr Rudd did not stand in the vote, knowing he would suffer an embarrassing defeat.

The Labor Party has suffered a sharp drop in support in recent opinion polls.

Ms Gillard's swearing in as prime minister will be a formality.

Mr Rudd had called a late-night news conference on Wednesday to announce the ballot after Ms Gillard said she would stand.

Yup. The labor left finally got sick of Rudd playing footsie with left-of-centre issues the party got elected on, and kicked up, and the rest of the party has been troubled by the growing perception that Labor is just "Coalition Light", and followed suit.

Personally, I'm chuffed - I think she should have stood as leader at the last election, but the party king makers thought she was too far from Howard's stand and would scare off the voters, hence why she was put in as deputy PM: "Look, look, we're not too left wing, we've got this nice centre-line leader, but you can't call us the same as the others, our Deputy is a known lefty. See? See? We've got credentials!"

No idea how she'll do, but at least the government will finally knock of the creeping timidly to any policy action and we'll get something more than point scoring in debate from Canberra.





VIVA LA REVOLUTION!

[Arianddu]

And stop trying to swindle us into believing Foster's ISN'T the Aussie version of Pabst Blue Ribbon. It tastes like carbonated deer piss.

Carbonated Deer Piss is being kind. Any Aussie who doesn't work for Fosters or an ad agency will tell you - don't drink that shit! It's easily Australia's worst beer - that's why we ship it out of the country, so we don't have to tolerate it on our shores. We hate it so much, if you buy Fosters in Europe, it was brewed in the UK. True.

[Andrew]

And stop trying to swindle us into believing Foster's ISN'T the Aussie version of Pabst Blue Ribbon. It tastes like carbonated deer piss.

No one in the entire country drinks that shit. We export it so we don't have to.

As for the PM - it's a big day here...a big deal...lots of shennanigans going on.

[squirt1]

Australia can be no where near as screwed up as to what the U S did to itself in the last election ! In many ways it also hit the world economy, but most countries politicians are of the same ilk. November will be interesting in the U S . Some rats have already jumped ship because of the polls. Voters NEVER put the same party in charge of the White House and Congress or you get this rubberstamped spending spree to buy votes.

[Arianddu]

Australia can be no where near as screwed up as to what the U S did to itself in the last election ! In many ways it also hit the world economy, but most countries politicians are of the same ilk. November will be interesting in the U S . Some rats have already jumped ship because of the polls. Voters NEVER put the same party in charge of the White House and Congress or you get this rubberstamped spending spree to buy votes.

That's because Australia is a)less partisan in its politics and b)doesn't hyperventilate every time someone suggest a policy that is left of centre. We're also less likely to confuse radical right wing policy with conservative policy. I suspect it also helps that we have an electoral and political system that is based on the Westminster system, and not an 18th century approximation of democratic monarchy.

[7 Wishes]

What percentage of the Australian Parliament is comprised of the sons and daughters of 18th- and 19th- century convicts?

j/k

[Arianddu]

What percentage of the Australian Parliament is comprised of the sons and daughters of 18th- and 19th- century convicts?

j/k

Sons and daughters? None. Decendents of? No idea, and don't particularly care; it's Britain's shame, not ours. BTW - you do know that the only reason why convicts were sent to Australia is because America was no longer available to ship convicts to, right? AFAIK, about three times more convicts were sent to America than were sent to Australia.