Archives For rudd

What’s In Labor’s Internal Polling Exactly?

March 1, 2010 — Leave a comment

SMH: Rudd mea culpas have shot party in foot, say ministers

THE Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has alarmed colleagues with what some believe is excessive criticism of the government’s performance as he seeks to lift it out of its slump.

ABC AM this morning suggested it was a play from Beattie’s handbook (remembering Rudd was the senior mandarin in the Beattie Government) but it begs the question: what is internal ALP polling telling Rudd about the position of the Government?

I don’t believe Rudd would be stupid enough to talk down the Government so much without it being poll driven…after all, everything he’s done so far has been part of a poll driven strategy, even on the run.

There’s definitely an anti-Rudd Government mood in the electorate, but big enough to warrant Rudd’s current strategy? After all, the chances of the Government being a one termer are very slim at best. If I had to place a bet, I’m guessing that they’re shit scared of losing at the next election…well, at least Rudd is.

The Labor Party is right to be concerned though, Rudd is delivering the Liberal’s ads for the next election.

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If you’re going to give 16 year olds the vote, why not take it further

July 27, 2009 — 11 Comments

WTF: Push to give 16-year-olds the vote in federal elections/ The Oz

The idea clearly reeks of Rudd looking for extra votes for the ALP given that under 18’s would be more likely to vote in that direction. But having said that I’m not dead against the idea: “young” people should have a say to some degree.

But if we’re going to give 16 year olds the right to vote, why not take it further. Reduce the legal age for alcohol and tobacco to 16 (note that it’s not that long ago that the legal smoking age was 16.) Why not give 16 year olds the right to obtain a full drivers license as well?

If we’re not, why offer the right to vote. If you’re not old enough to legally take responsibility of a car or old enough to buy alcohol, why would you be old enough to vote? Voting is an adult responsibility that doesn’t exist in a vacuum: as a society we’ve decided that 18 is the magic “adult” number for many things. It would only be fair then that if we were to redefine that age to 16 for voting, we should do it with the others as well.

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Dear Kevin Rudd, Re: The Car Industry

November 10, 2008 — 19 Comments

An open letter to the Prime Minister of Australia

Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister

I read with interest today your Government’s $3.4 billion proposal to bail out the Australian car industry. No doubt your Government is concerned about the welfare of the unionized employees at these plants, and in related parts industries.

While some may argue that the payment is corporate welfare, your decision follows the billions spent previously by the Howard Government, and before that under Keating and Hawke on the industry as well, so it certainly is not without precedent.

However, my concern as a taxpayer extends to the Government handing over money to these companies for nothing in return. Mitsubishi received significant contributions from both State and Federal Governments, and yet still closed their Australian manufacturing plant, and I take from the current round of funding that there is little or no guarantee that Ford, Holden (General Motors) or Toyota won’t do the same thing.

My suggestion to you Prime Minister is that instead of handing over this money without condition, that the Australian Government would be better placed acquiring one of these companies instead. Not the Australian concerns, but the American holding companies.

The market capitalisation as of close of business Friday for General Motors was $2.8 billion USD, and Ford $4.87 billion. General Motors would be the more appealing acquisition of the two, due to the lower acquisition cost, its historic relationship with Australia (producing the first locally made car) and the fact that it actually makes a half decent local product, unlike Ford over the last 20-30 years.

As taxpayers it is not unreasonable to expect something in return for the investment of our money. Despite being of the right, the American Government has taken stakes in banks as part of the financial bailout. For an Australian Government of the left to take a similar step in the car industry would not be difficult by comparison.

I look forward to your consideration of this idea, and hopefully one day seeing the Australian flag fly over the automotive plants of General Motors in Michigan.

Yours sincerely
Duncan Riley
CEO Nichenet Pty Ltd, Editor The Inquisitr.

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