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The Paved Straight Road, Won't Always Get You Farther Than The Winding Dirt Road...
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Can You Run Your Game??? Click Here And Find Out...
*Note, Not All Games Have Been Tested & Therefore May Not Be Listed...
I've been watching a lot of the media coverage surrounding this and Australia's response doesn't surprise me. As with Barrack Obama, Julia Gillard's promotion is a celebration of social standing, not political credibility. From how she presents and speaks in the media and also in Parliamentary Question Time (yes, i'm amongst the 0.02% of Australian's that actually watch it) I'm sure as a person and a politician she has fine qualities to offer. But most of the excitement, if not all, is related to the fact that she is a female.
It's been less than 24 hours since she's been in the role and already Australian's seem to think there's a breath of fresh air in Australian political policy - wrong. Even politicians are falling into the trap. Green's Leader, Bob Brown said on the news that today was a momentous occasion in Australian politics and felt it deserved the "popping of champagne corks". That to me is reverse sexism. I admit, I am not a Labour voter so my own personal political bias will certainly be playing a role to some extent, but I can't help it feel that Australian's reply to this new commission is on gender, not fit and proper character.
That said, i'm sure Julia and her family are excited (they have every right to be). I should also say that it's a mistake to think that the next few weeks will be easy on her or the next election for Labour is a winner. She has a lot of mess to clean up on her side of the Parliament which puts her party under the most pressure than they have ever had. I wish her luck, but leave you with the words of Liberal front bencher, Julie Bishop:
"New face, same old Labour policies"
It's been less than 24 hours since she's been in the role and already Australian's seem to think there's a breath of fresh air in Australian political policy - wrong. Even politicians are falling into the trap. Green's Leader, Bob Brown said on the news that today was a momentous occasion in Australian politics and felt it deserved the "popping of champagne corks". That to me is reverse sexism. I admit, I am not a Labour voter so my own personal political bias will certainly be playing a role to some extent, but I can't help it feel that Australian's reply to this new commission is on gender, not fit and proper character.
That said, i'm sure Julia and her family are excited (they have every right to be). I should also say that it's a mistake to think that the next few weeks will be easy on her or the next election for Labour is a winner. She has a lot of mess to clean up on her side of the Parliament which puts her party under the most pressure than they have ever had. I wish her luck, but leave you with the words of Liberal front bencher, Julie Bishop:
"New face, same old Labour policies"
<controversy>
Joel, I wondered that myself. I mean, I understand there being some historical significance in these things -- we like to pat ourselves on the back when we allow a woman or a black person to be in the highest positions of authority. But unfortunately, focusing on such social significance tends to have a couple bad side effects:
1) deflecting attention from the individual's actual performance
2) the inevitable charge of prejudice when the person or his/her agenda is challenged
If I had a dime for every time I've heard someone called a racist when he accuses Obama of the some of the same things everyone (usually legitimately) accused Bush of, I'd be able to fund the next Tex Murphy game. I hope Australians are spared a similar fate, and Gillard's merits/demerits are judged apart from the historical precedent her election sets.
</controversy>
Joel, I wondered that myself. I mean, I understand there being some historical significance in these things -- we like to pat ourselves on the back when we allow a woman or a black person to be in the highest positions of authority. But unfortunately, focusing on such social significance tends to have a couple bad side effects:
1) deflecting attention from the individual's actual performance
2) the inevitable charge of prejudice when the person or his/her agenda is challenged
If I had a dime for every time I've heard someone called a racist when he accuses Obama of the some of the same things everyone (usually legitimately) accused Bush of, I'd be able to fund the next Tex Murphy game. I hope Australians are spared a similar fate, and Gillard's merits/demerits are judged apart from the historical precedent her election sets.
</controversy>
well I am not a labour voter either but I hated rudd, good laugh julia bishop or better still
julia hansen.....
" why does pauline like the State of origin" because they go back from where they came from!!
Only in australia can someone be booted out of office- the people should really vote him out.
Sounds like the dismissal all over again.
julia hansen.....
" why does pauline like the State of origin" because they go back from where they came from!!
Only in australia can someone be booted out of office- the people should really vote him out.
Sounds like the dismissal all over again.
Lynne
tex murphy is back in town
tex murphy is back in town
I liked Rudd... he became unpopular because he dealt with the hard issues that we as a country needed to address, and it was a struggle. The fact of the matter is, the cycle continues:
Liberals will be in power, act all conservative and not take any risks, and subsequently allow the country to fall behind the times compared to the rest of the world, but remain stable. Labour will come in, spend the money, take the risks, develop the infrastructures and let us catch up with the rest of the world. The people will resent this in the short term because of taxes and deficits, and vote the Liberals back in for another 10 years of not going anywhere, but remaining stable.
Rinse and repeat. It's amazing that the one thing that can be the downfall of any system of government is their own, and subsequently the people's, lack of foresight.
-Cub. =o)
Liberals will be in power, act all conservative and not take any risks, and subsequently allow the country to fall behind the times compared to the rest of the world, but remain stable. Labour will come in, spend the money, take the risks, develop the infrastructures and let us catch up with the rest of the world. The people will resent this in the short term because of taxes and deficits, and vote the Liberals back in for another 10 years of not going anywhere, but remaining stable.
Rinse and repeat. It's amazing that the one thing that can be the downfall of any system of government is their own, and subsequently the people's, lack of foresight.
-Cub. =o)