We now have a new Prime Minister in Australia called Kevin Rudd. He has got of to a quick start getting involved in the Climate Conference and looking to scrap the Workchoices Policy.
It will interesting to see if he can keep up the fast pace he has started with.
We will soon see!

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I like him, I think he is doing a great job so far, although I think the decision to say 'sorry' was a mistake.

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How can saying sorry be a mistake? The Australian government was responsible for implementing a racist policy which affected he lives of many people. KRudd, as the current leader of that government has now acknowledged that and apologised to the people affected on behalf of the government and the Parliament. It is common human decency and should have been done years ago.

Where is the mistake?

I can't understand how it can possibly be a mistake to apologise. And if your reasoning is all the compensation hype bullsh*t, then that's a real shame. That kind of rubbish propaganda is all The West Australian fed on for days after the apology. Made me feel sick to live in this state - and that's not the first time.

Rudd is a friggin legend. A politician who actually does what he says he will. Amazing.

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We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs, but we still can't just behave ourselves. Even if to save our own lives, we are a brutal kind. The Shins

I have to say I'm wary- ever read the Latham Diaries? Wasn't so kind to Rudd- actually behind Howard he gets the most page-time.

Man that book was kept quite, Howard taunted them with it for maybe two days then shut-up about it. That book, aswell as 'High and Dry" by Guy Pearce and "The best democracy money can buy" by Greg Palast- all point to the same thing: diseased government- correlataions with Lobbygate and Pearce's work are particularily interesting, seeing as they confirm the same thing is happening here and in Britain.

I would like to read it. Very much - because I really liked Latham and then he let me down horribly.

The MIL worked in both federal and state parliament for a VERY long time. She said that Rudd has been known for years around the traps as one friggin tough cookie, a bit of a quiet achiever, and not someone you want to cross. BUT so far so good - he's not done much wrong yet.

Except suggesting cutting the carer's allowance - woopsie on that one. First mistake the new government has made but I have to applaud them for actually listening to the people of Australia and scrapping that idea. If it had been Howard who came up with that he wouldn't have given a rat's what anyone in this country thought about it (hello Workchoices) and would have barged right on ahead regardless.

Fancy a government that listens to its people! The sky is falling!! The sky is falling!!

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We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs, but we still can't just behave ourselves. Even if to save our own lives, we are a brutal kind. The Shins

Hope he does yeah. Latham talked alot about being undermined by leaks like that, kind of a worry.

Latham did generally say Rudd was quite good on his portfolio- foreign affairs, his main concern was the public/vs private face of the party/system, including Rudd's. Maybe I'll tread copyright law and post the relevant bits here for you.

I just didn't feel that Latham (in the end) had the maturity to handle the office. I haven't read the book yet because I've wondered whether or not it was just going to be a bitter pile of sour grapes from a man who had a pretty spectacular and self-instigated downfall.

Rudd I think has the iron to stand up to the critics and the social conscience to do what the RIGHT thing is in the face of those critics. The right thing, not the easy one. We have a lot of stuff to undo from the previous government. I think it's going to take one tough cookie to manage it. I think he's the right man for the job - I really do.

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We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs, but we still can't just behave ourselves. Even if to save our own lives, we are a brutal kind. The Shins

Having read the insides working under Latham, I'd say he would have been better. He was rather thoughtful, and more honest. That maturity you mention for me is simply his disagremant with a system that demands people be less than honest in power, and unfortunate idea.

I do suggest you read it. Remember that while he could have selectively edited it to convey himself in a better light, the media has ultimately been responsible for controlling your views regarding him, and this book. When in doubt, read the book. Its not all sour grapes, and its not all rosy pictures of him.

Well you give it a good endorsement. I will read it.

I am interested in that you think he is more honest than Rudd. In what way do you mean? I think that Rudd is more of a `statesman' than Latham was (i.e. he's better at the public side of politics) but so far I haven't been able to detect that much dishonesty in him.

I know I sound all rose-coloured glasses about Rudd but I'm not really. I'm just far, far more hopeful about the future of Australia than I have been in, oh, about the last 11 years or so!

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We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs, but we still can't just behave ourselves. Even if to save our own lives, we are a brutal kind. The Shins