Oz blogosphere on Gillard's fightback

What is the Oz blogosphere saying about Gillard's fightback? My post for Global Voices:

There have been very mixed reactions to Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s decisive victory over former PM Kevin Rudd in the leadership challenge. The vote amongst Australian Labor Party parliamentarians (the caucus) was 71 – 31, despite opinions polls showing Rudd having much higher popularity with voters.

Can she unite the party and make sure that her only opponent is Opposition leader Tony Abbott?

...the inevitable sports satire came from the White Maggot (the name refers to umpires who traditionally wore white) in Rudd set to challenge Gillard as Bulldogs Number 1 Ticket Holder. The Western Bulldogs is an Australian Football League club located in Footscray, part of Julia Gillard’s electorate. The prime minister will be hoping that her bark is at least the equal of her bite.
Australia: Prime Minister Julia Gillard Wins Big in Leadership Dogfight

More

Now also available in French.

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Twitterville: Political Paralysis Before Leadership Vote

From my latest Global Voices post:

Australia’s governing party will decide between current Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the one she deposed in 2010 Kevin Rudd. Following months of speculation, Australian Labor Party parliamentarians will vote after a very self-destructive confrontation this week.

As well as bloggers such as Lavartus Prodeo and their legions of commenters, tweeters have taken to the task with gusto. #respill has been the tag of choice for many whilst the somewhat bizarre #kevenge seems to capture the mood of many others in twitterville.

...A new pro-Rudd user appeared @Vote4Rudd which asks, “Follow us if you want Kevin Rudd back!” Despite Kevin’s supposed popularity it had only 141 followers after two days.

...Parliamentarians who have not yet indicated how they will vote are being hounded on twitter. Journalists such as @ABCNews24’s reporter Latika Bourke seem relentless. After stalking Anthony Albanese MP for days she live-tweeted his whole radio interview
Australia: Political Paralysis Before Leadership Vote

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Video: Julia Gillard announcing leadership spill

As promised, video of Julia Gillard announcing leadership spill.

Unfortunately, it does not have the questions section when she gets really feisty. If anyone knows where to get a copy, please let me know.

Update: From Sunriseon7 - the long version

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#ISupportGillard

Julia Gillard's press conference was one of her best performances. Will post it when it's available.

She gave journalists carte blanche to reveal any instances of her undermining Kevin Rudd before the coup that toppled him in 2010. Kevin Rudd should give a similar undertaking to the press gallery, given the accusations that he has been leaking against Gillard since the 2010 election campaign.

My view: #ISupportGillard

More later.

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Three posts about our parlous planet

Three of my latest posts about our parlous planet:

Rio +20: Earth Mover or Green Economy Carnival

We shall not be moved: Nobel Peace Prize winners 2011

Durban: Gen Y women doing it for the planet

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Andrew Robb Takes Credit for School Halls

You can't underestimate Coalition Shadow Finance spokesperson Andrew Robb’s cunning. Our Goldstein Federal member stopped mentioning school projects for fear of endorsing stimulus funding under the Building Education Revolution (BER). For some time they had disappeared from his website.

But being a politician, he just can't help trying to take some of the credit. His latest ploy is to 'congratulate' recipients:

Federal Government funding highlights since 2004

I would like to congratulate everyone who has approached both the Coalition Government and the Labor Government over the last six years to secure this funding.

He lists BER projects by sub-program only e.g. National School Pride. So he is taking some credit for the “waste” he’s always harping about.

Incidentally, of the 35 NSP projects, only one mentions a school hall and it was an extension to create a gymnasium. So much for the so-called 'school halls' program!

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Gen Y at Durban

In case you missed my report at AllVoices on Gen Y women doing it for the planet at Durban:

Durban: Gen Y women doing it for the planet:

This week in Durban young citizen journalists are challenging the popular stereotype of Generation Y. Gen Ys are supposed to be: self-obsessed; apathetic; disengaged; with limited attention spans; shallow online chatterers and gamers; little concerned for the future of the planet they’ll be inheriting. 

Move over baby boomers! The twentysomethings are at the gates, in particular a new generation of committed and skilled young women activists. Many of them are in South Africa to cover the current United Nations COP17 climate change conference. 

These web warriors are not just reporting the story. Increasingly they are the story, as they lobby to bring about climate action. Meet three of them.

Please click the link to meet Andrea, Kodili and Gemma in Durban.

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John Howard: Still a Dead Parrot

 

Since his head keeps popping up on TV lately, it seems an appropriate time to reprise John Howard's Dead Parrots Society. Enjoy!

 My apologies to all the copyright toes that may have been tread on.

No pythons were harmed during the making of this video.

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Andrew Robbed of Our Say on Same Sex Marriage

Locals in Andrew Robb's House of Representatives seat of Goldstein should be asking what happened to his consultations about same sex marriage.

The latest 8 page glossy Robb Report that is distributed to every residence doesn't mention it. It does have room for 7 photos of Andrew. Now he wouldn't want to be a waste of space, would he. His website doesn't seem to have anything about it. In fact his online survey Have Your Say about 'what's important to you?' doesn't include it as one of the loaded issues.

 The Robb Report also has a law and order page 'Tough Action Needed on Graffiti'. It's a State issue but the Shadow Finance Minister "recently called on the Gillard Government to reinstate the National Community Crime Prevention Program and commit more funding...". This comes from the same Opposition that are supposedly combing the budget "line by line" to find $70 billion dollars in cuts if they are elected.

Will Andrew give us a guarantee that this program will be quarantined from the razor gang's work? It is part of The Plan For Hope that promises to "cut wasteful spending" and spend billions on new programs. Perhaps the shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey will be able to put rabbits back in the hat. It will certainly be a mad hatter's tea party.

Liberals don't tell lies they just make non-core promises.

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Cartoonists Capture Oz Politics

A couple of cartoons reflecting on Oz party politics this week: The first is from Laberal: Coalition plan to slash $70bn from budget

The second, from Fiona Katauskas, is posted at Eureka Street: A Lack of Opposition

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