We Might Ask - Just Why Did We Have A Leadership Change?

[Matilda]

Here we are, a month out from the ousting of Kevin Rudd, and, after an initial boost in opinion polls, in three successive polls released since then, Labor's lead first narrowed, then level-pegged with the Coalition, and has now fallen behind.

"Prime Minister Julia Gillard has taken another hit in what has been a disastrous week in the polls, with a Nielsen poll showing the Coalition holding an election-winning lead.

The latest poll, published in today's Sydney Morning Herald, shows Tony Abbott and the Coalition leading Labor 52 points to 48 on a two-party preferred basis."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/31/2969633.htm


With Abbott's biggest campaign promise being to cut government spending, which inevitably means cuts to welfare and hits the worst-off, how is he winning people over?

I think a major reason is that there is an increasing dislike of the way she took over – I don't doubt her ambition was always there, but perhaps she allowed herself to be taken over by the right-wing powerbrokers and used for their own ends. And in NSW, where we've had a gutful of the Sussex Street mafia, that's not going down at all well. And in Rudd's home state of Queensland, they're mad at was what done to their man. And there is a saying that nobody has ever won an election if they didn't carry Queensland.

And to top it off – nothing's changed. Apart from giving the mining industry what they wanted (which had to be done; it was hurting Labor too much), Julia has announced no new policy initiatives at all. She's announced a few things, such as increased funding for training for doctors and nurses, that were actually in Rudd's Budget anyway, but she'll do nothing substantial on climate change and hasn't a clue what to do about boat people. And one thing she will always now lack is a reputation for honesty and straight dealing.

And the unthinkable could happen - Tony Abbott could well be the next Prime Minister of Australia.

[Matilda]

1. Julia was good on Q&A last night.

The old Julia - able to think quickly on her feet, amusing and fairly natural. Still slid around the answers to some of the questions, but that's what pollies do.

But it was the best performance I've seen from her since she took over.