Gillard's Gloss Wearing Thin?

[Matilda]

The Herald’s economics writer, Ross Gittins, has posted a very good article on Julie Gillard. Well, I think it’s good, because he expresses exactly what I’m feeling. It’s well worth reading and thinking about, because I have an awful feeling that the more we see of Julia Gillard, the less credible she’s going to become.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/show-us-your-ticker-gillard-before-you-force-us-to-vote-20100713-109ch.html#poll

"Excuse me, but what's the tearing hurry? We've had a new Prime Minister for five minutes, but we're being rushed off to an election before we can get her measure. Why? Is there a fear, if the election were delayed until October, the gloss would have worn off and we'd see Julia Gillard in a less hopeful and flattering light?"

(snip)

"So what are Gillard's priorities? What does she plan to devote most of her attention to at the expense of all the other things she could focus on? Does she know but doesn't want to tell us, or hasn't she had time to think about it? Will she work it out as she goes along?"


Julia Gillard is a better communicator than Kevin Rudd, and she’s also a very good Parliamentary performer. But already I’m thinking there’s little of substance there, beyond her own drive for power.

I began to have doubts when she stitched up a hasty deal with the mining companies that shredded the proposal that had been laid out by Rudd and Swan. And while economists were all agreed that Rudd’s proposal would bring in valuable revenue while not really hurting the resources industries, they are now agreed that the figures are being fudged – there will not be the revenue that Gillard and Swan are claiming, and the mining companies will in fact pay very little more in tax. Julia was beaten hands down by the mining industries and the Coalition.

As for East Timor – that was a pathetic debacle in every way. Gillard spoke in haste, with no agreement in place at all, then proceeded to weave a series of lies and distortions to try to disguise the fact that she’d committed a diplomatic faux pas. She’s now desperately trying to find somewhere – anywhere – that will take boat people off her hands fast so she can call the election. Not going to happen. This kind of deal takes months to stitch up, even with good will on both sides.

And climate change? Her only plans there are to mimic Abbott’s “direct action” proposals. There will be no major attempt to deal with carbon pollution in the life of the next parliamentary term. It was Gillard and Swan who advised Rudd to dump the EST, and they’re not backing away from that.

Julia has one thing going for her, and one thing only – she’s not Tony Abbott. If the Coalition had a credible leader, she'd be toast.

[depakid]

1. Not being Tony Abbott counts for a lot