Yep: Kevin Rudd Will Contest The Leadership

And now for the latest in all things ‘der’, Kevin Rudd has announced that he will indeed contest Julia Gillard for the Prime Minister’s gig this coming Monday, 27 February. Irregardless of who gets voted-in in this weird game of Survivor, the Labor caucus are choosing between two candidates equally lacking in integrity, so it is basically the political equivalent of choosing the carton of expired milk which stinks less.

The only real hope for the Labor Party is ironically the leader of the opposition, Tony Abbott, who would be the dream Prime Minister for conservative fuddy-duddies from prehistoric times. Hey Labor, how about considering a third candidate?

It’s fascinating and a little embarrassing watching the Australian government unravel at such speed!

Kevin Rudd threw down the gauntlet via this speech in which he (quite cleverly) focused his attention on Abbott instead of the fuckery going down within his own party.

Here you go:

“Today in Australia we face some serious challenges. All indications are we are heading for the rocks at the next election, leaving the country to ravages of Abbott, the most conservative, most right wing Government in Australian history. That’s why I am here today. Things need to change.

“Rightly or wrongly, Julia has lost the trust of the Australian people and starting on Monday I have decided to restore that trust. I have decided to contest ballot on Monday. I want to finish job the Australian people elected me to do when I was elected by them to become Prime Minister. Many of my colleagues have encouraged me to do just that. I was elected in 2007 to govern for all Australians and that is what we did. The record is a good record.

“I’ve spoken up for democracy everywhere in the world, but it’s most important we have one at home, in my party. Australia’s are sick and tired of outside forces calling the shots. Our greatest gift of democracy and to democracy is the secret ballot. And we should have that on Monday. We should have freedom of intimidation from factions. Their pre-selections should not be threatened by how they vote.

“No one should live in fear. I call for a secret ballot. A truly, secret ballot. I would call on the PM to ensure that candidates, and perhaps their might be more, have the opportunity to speak and address the party before the ballot is taken so people can make an informed choice.

“Let me tell you about one of number of things I got wrong. We removed the right of the party to elect the cabinet. I think I made the wrong call. If elected as Prime Minister, I will return that power to the party. We want the power of the factions to be transferred to each and every individual member of the parliamentary party. That’s the Australian way.

“I’m not prepared to stand idly by. If we don’t change, the Labor Party is going to end up in opposition. We will all end up on the Opposition backbench. That’s the cold, stark reality for everybody.

“Mr Abbott is a man who has proved he has neither temperament, the vision of the experience to lead. He has both feet planted firmly in the past. His view on climate change is from the 1960s. His view of the NBN from the 1990s. Then there is his attitude on women which goes back to 1950s. He’s not, as they say in The Castle, “an ideas man”. He is philosophically opposed to using Government to build a nation. His vision is just plain extreme.

“Beating Mr Abbott is achievable. I have never met a more negative man in Australian politics than Mr Abbott. This is the single, most negative force in Australian politics that we have ever seen. The importance of beating him is paramount. So much of what we have achieved is at risk, and what we will achieve in the future is at risk.

“A Labor Party with Labor values doesn’t need a Greens party to tell it how to protect the environment. If I should lose I would go to the back bench and I would not challenge Julia a second time. I would continue to work for my community in Griffith.”

THOUGHTS? Hit the comment section!

Via Mama Mia
Image by: Scott Barbour via Getty

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