Kevin Rudd, new leader Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party (ALP) which is a sister party of the British Labour party today elected their fourth different leader in as many years in Kevin Rudd. If anyone thought that blood letting was bad in the British Labour party, it is calm in comparison to the ALP.
As a person who takes a slight interest in Australian politics, mainly because as an English-speaking nation the country has many similarities and knowing people through the union movement who have been involved in the ALP, it really is a pretty ruthless party in disposing of leaders. While it would be long drawn out process to remove a leader here, in the ALP when Kevin Rudd decided on Friday to challenge Kim Beazeley the previous leader the contest along with the Deputy leader contest was arranged for Monday. Everything seems to be very clear-cut Down under and it only involves the Parties elected members (called caucus) unlike here. Politics within the ALP is also very factionalised with left and right wings in the party with individual members aligning accordingly.I have enclosed a link below to the BBC story.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6206576.stm
In 2007 John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister who has won four terms will be seeking his fifth term. Hopefully 2007 will see his demise, on 30th November 2006 it was the first anniversary if the implementation of union Laws that are amongst the strictest in the western world and leave trade unionists with few rights in the workplace. Over 300,000 turned out to demonstrate against the laws against the country, which shows the strength of feeling to the reforms. The laws are far more restrictive then any British employment law.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-12708-f0.cfm
Hopefully the ALP will now unite behind their new leader Kevin Rudd and win the federal election due in Australia next year. Currently the ALP runs every state government in Australia and hopefully they will now go on and win the federal election. John Howard is one of the most obnoxious right-wingers in western democracies and Australia will be very well served by his demise. If the ALP is not united party, then John Howard re-election is inevitable. Australia is a very political country where people engage far more in politics then in this country, turnouts in elections always over 90%(it does have compulsory voting) along with compulsory preferential voting and parliaments are elected for only a maximum of three years. I will be watching developments closely.
As a person who takes a slight interest in Australian politics, mainly because as an English-speaking nation the country has many similarities and knowing people through the union movement who have been involved in the ALP, it really is a pretty ruthless party in disposing of leaders. While it would be long drawn out process to remove a leader here, in the ALP when Kevin Rudd decided on Friday to challenge Kim Beazeley the previous leader the contest along with the Deputy leader contest was arranged for Monday. Everything seems to be very clear-cut Down under and it only involves the Parties elected members (called caucus) unlike here. Politics within the ALP is also very factionalised with left and right wings in the party with individual members aligning accordingly.I have enclosed a link below to the BBC story.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6206576.stm
In 2007 John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister who has won four terms will be seeking his fifth term. Hopefully 2007 will see his demise, on 30th November 2006 it was the first anniversary if the implementation of union Laws that are amongst the strictest in the western world and leave trade unionists with few rights in the workplace. Over 300,000 turned out to demonstrate against the laws against the country, which shows the strength of feeling to the reforms. The laws are far more restrictive then any British employment law.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-12708-f0.cfm
Hopefully the ALP will now unite behind their new leader Kevin Rudd and win the federal election due in Australia next year. Currently the ALP runs every state government in Australia and hopefully they will now go on and win the federal election. John Howard is one of the most obnoxious right-wingers in western democracies and Australia will be very well served by his demise. If the ALP is not united party, then John Howard re-election is inevitable. Australia is a very political country where people engage far more in politics then in this country, turnouts in elections always over 90%(it does have compulsory voting) along with compulsory preferential voting and parliaments are elected for only a maximum of three years. I will be watching developments closely.
posted by Martin Whelton at 10:43 pm
3 Comments:
Ozzies don't trust any MP and are as apathetic as they come when it comes to stuff other than low brow concerns such as sport and more insular jingoism.
As long as Howard doesn't boil any babies in front of the avergae tax payer then he will be carried out of Parliament in a box in about 10 years. By then Elections will be only for whites and the rich, in a way they already are if you look at who really wields power in Oz and how the Aborigines are actually treated..
Let us hope Rudd can wake up the sleeping sheep.
Who is David Rudd, does bookish Kev have a double?
Thinking of another Rudd called David, anyway it has been amended though I mention Kevin further on.
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