Latham Quits.

[Matilda]

Mark Latham has announced he is resigning from the Labor leadership
and from parliament, saying he is too unwell to continue the job.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/


Kim Beazley has announced that he will run again for the leadership.
Jenny Macklin says she will not contest the leadership, but expects
to remain as Deputy Leader.

[anakie]

1. and Beazley is acting as if he already will be unopposed

Back to the future eh. I truly hope he goes on to become one of Australias great PMs.

[Kire]

10. Did Laura Bush name her new dog after Kim Beazley?

hmmmm

[nashville_brook]

2. phew -- i read laplam! as in lewis. i was crushed for moment!

[Gusto md]

3. Kim Beazley has what it takes

to be a great PM. I have been saying that for years, and hopefully it will come to fruition.

If only the Aust public wake up and smell the instant coffee, that is...

[Ken Burch]

4. Didn't Beasley blow the election before this election?

From my admittedly limited knowledge of Australian politics, I'm not sure why he would be considered an improvement. Could someone offer an explanation?

[Matilda]

6. He's been beaten twice by Howard.

The first time, he did cut into Howard's leadership, and the second
time he was making quite a good showing, but the election was just
after September 11, and Howard milked that for all it was worth.
Plus we had a boatload of refugees heading our way, mainly from
Iraq and Afghanistan, who were picked up by a Norwegian ship. and
Howard pedalled the "ME terrorists posing as refugee boat people"
line and the sheeple fell for it. Bad timing for Beazley, he
just had no chance after that.

I can't get excited by Beazley - he's likeable and competent, knows
how to play the game, but I'd like to see someone who'd rattle the
bars of the cage a bit. It seemed that Latham was that man, but
he's clearly not as strong as he looks. So we're back where we
were a year and a half ago.

John Howard must be laughing fit to bust.

[Matilda]

5. Kevin Rudd may challenge ...

he wanted to run in 2003, but was persuaded not to. Kim has a
higher profile, so maybe Rudd will settle for Deputy.

I'd love to see Julia Gillard move up to the Deputy's role, but I
don't know how she gets on with the Beazley camp. But I do hope
Macklin goes, she's a total nonentity.

[Ken Burch]

8. Could you place all three of those people on a left-right spectrum for me?

As a non-Australian who is sometimes interested in Australian politics
it would help me to understand the significance of those names.

Also, is there any chance Peter Garrett, the former Midnight Oil lead singer who, as I understand it, is a newly elected Labor MP, might try for the job?

At least he'd shake things up a bit, seems to me.

[rooboy]

11. Peter Garrett isn't an option and may never be.

You have to be able to command a military and deal with dictators to become a PM. Garrett would never do that, and he's too honest to play fast and loose with the truth, which is really a requirement in Australian politics. You can't shield the leaders from the media like the republicans hide *.

[theresistance]

13. Garrett for PM? I don't think so...

The selection of him as a candidate sort of sums up Labor's failed efforts in the last election.

[Matilda]

15. Okay, here goes ...

Kevin Rudd is opposition spokesman for foreign affairs, very smart,
an intellectual, articulate, with a good grasp of affairs. He's
been described as "to the left of the right" if that makes sense.
He's highly regarded for his intelligence, but his personality is
awfully dull, and although he's very ambitious, there's doubt about
whether he can get the numbers because of worries about his ability
to connect with the public.

Julia Gillard is relatively young (early 40s), daughter of a Welsh
miner with a strong trade union family background. Very left-wing,
which is difficult for her because the power brokers are the NSW
Right, while she's Victorian Left. One of the best parliamentary
performers in a long time, intelligent, feisty, articulate and
ambitious. The Right know her ability and have tried to woo her to
their side, but she's not buying. She's only been in parliament
seven years, and probably isn't quite ready for leadership, but
definitely has potential. But neither major party has ever appointed
a woman as leader at Federal level, and her left-wing views will
make it harder for her. But right now I think she'd be a great
Deputy.

The current Deputy Leader is Jenny Macklin, NSW left-wing, who really
has said or done very little since her appointment. She's not
regarded as a serious contender for the leadership, but seems to be
the general favorite as an almost permanent Deputy Leader, perhaps
because she toes the line and isn't inclined to voice any opinions
of her own. Unbelievably dull.

Hope this helps a bit.

[soaky]

9. I second the motion

I like Beazley, but enough already!

Kevin Rudd is the best person for the job IMO. And with Gillard as deputy I'd *almost* be tempted to direct my next vote to Labor instead of the Greens... *almost*. But it wouldn't make any difference my seat (very strongly held Labor seat.)

[Matilda]

16. I also like the idea of a Rudd/Gillard combo.

Rudd for the high intelligence, and Gillard for the spunk.

[no safe haven]

14. Hi Gusto

And welcome. I like Kimbo a lot too. He's affable, competent and does have the hallmarks of a statesman. But he seemed too willing to appease Washington both on the Iraq War and the FTA, and so for me he went off the boil a bit.
I agree with Matilda that Julia Gillard has what it takes, but the men's club that is the ALP would never stand for a woman as Labor leader. Plus, she is on the left wing faction, which, sadly, does not stand a hope in hell of getting a look-in on the leadership. (Oh for the days of Hawkie and the old lefties <sigh>)
The only person I would hate to see challenge for the leadership and is Laurie Ferguson - not likely - he makes ** sound eloquent.
But basically, anyone who has the bottle to take on Howard and win in '07 has my stamp of approval. No more dullards in Aussie politics! Time to kick arse.

[Matilda]

17. I don't think we've had a real lefty since Gough Whitlam.

Hawke and Keating seem like lefties in comparison to what we have
now, but they tried to get into bed with big business and to
accommodate the media moguls. They also decimated the tertiary
education system and the trade unions, which I can't really forgive
or forget.

I thought Keating had a good intellect and a great kick-arse
personality, but in time he lost his left-wing soul. If he hadn't,
we might not have John Howard where he is today.

[grasswire]

7. agh!

I thought you meant Lewis Lapham. That would be so, so wrong.

[theresistance]

12. Anyone can lead Labor

As long as they actually offer some opposition to Howard. The ALP over the last few years have been a joke, especially when Latham took over. Even I went to the Greens Party because they clearly opposed the Iraq war, unlike the ALP.

[Moderator]

18. duplicate topic, please discuss here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1160476