Who WILL Lead LABOR

[lennie]

Labor MPs declare allegiances
from ABC Online

Intense lobbying is continuing ahead of Monday's federal Labor Party leadership battle. Current leader Kim Beazley has called a spill of his entire front bench, after foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd declared he was challenging for the leadership.

Mr Rudd says a new leadership team, with health spokeswoman Julia Gillard as his deputy, would offer the party fresh ideas and energy. The Labor Caucus will vote for the leadership, deputy leadership and 30 frontbench positions.

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek says she will be voting for current leader Mr Beazley over Mr Rudd. She says she is worried about the effect the leadership stoush is having on voter confidence.

"We've had shadow ministers out talking about Labor's alternative in industrial relations and the environment and child care and education, in all of these areas that matter to people, and we've thrown that away because of a bitter and disgruntled minority within the party," she said.

Tasmanian MPs

Tasmanian federal Labor MP Duncan Kerr is eyeing a position on the Opposition's new frontbench. The former justice spokesman will not say how he will vote on Monday.

"I don't think it's been finally decided as to whether the whole shadow ministry will be spilled, but if that was to happen I would certainly give it some hard thought, and I'm certainly getting some encouragement," he said.

Fellow Tasmanian MP and long-time Kim Beazley critic Harry Quick hopes Monday will see a new leadership team. He is also expecting to see Peter Garrett promoted to the Opposition cabinet. "If he's not one of the first half-dozen elected, I don't know anything about politics," he said.

Lyons MHR Dick Adams and Senator Helen Polley will be supporting Mr Beazley. The remaining Tasmanian senators, Carol Brown, Kerry O'Brien and Nick Sherry, have not yet commented.

[aligator]

lennie said:

Labor MPs declare allegiances
from ABC Online

Intense lobbying is continuing ahead of Monday's federal Labor Party leadership battle. Current leader Kim Beazley has called a spill of his entire front bench, after foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd declared he was challenging for the leadership.

Mr Rudd says a new leadership team, with health spokeswoman Julia Gillard as his deputy, would offer the party fresh ideas and energy. The Labor Caucus will vote for the leadership, deputy leadership and 30 frontbench positions.

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek says she will be voting for current leader Mr Beazley over Mr Rudd. She says she is worried about the effect the leadership stoush is having on voter confidence.

"We've had shadow ministers out talking about Labor's alternative in industrial relations and the environment and child care and education, in all of these areas that matter to people, and we've thrown that away because of a bitter and disgruntled minority within the party," she said.

Tasmanian MPs

Tasmanian federal Labor MP Duncan Kerr is eyeing a position on the Opposition's new frontbench. The former justice spokesman will not say how he will vote on Monday.

"I don't think it's been finally decided as to whether the whole shadow ministry will be spilled, but if that was to happen I would certainly give it some hard thought, and I'm certainly getting some encouragement," he said.

Fellow Tasmanian MP and long-time Kim Beazley critic Harry Quick hopes Monday will see a new leadership team. He is also expecting to see Peter Garrett promoted to the Opposition cabinet. "If he's not one of the first half-dozen elected, I don't know anything about politics," he said.

Lyons MHR Dick Adams and Senator Helen Polley will be supporting Mr Beazley. The remaining Tasmanian senators, Carol Brown, Kerry O'Brien and Nick Sherry, have not yet commented.

What happens to the Labor Party if there is a close vote on Monday and
either win or even worse if Beazley wins with Rudd gaining 30% plus of the
vote wont that undermine Beazley? Will the Public tend to lose confidence
in the Party? Could the Party actually lose 5-10% of what polls have then
currently holding?

[aligator]

No one can say Kim didn't do his best. Maybe he even tried too hard. It
was all with a patriotic spirit I think. If he loses I think the ALP
would be wise to hang on to his experience and abilities. It's only a
team that will beat these bastards in government today. That means
everyone working in the same direction as much as possible. Putting
smaller problems aside or agreeing to disagree.

As Jose Ramos
Horta correctly said 'I am insignificant in the real scheme of things'
Paradoxically this understanding is why he can be trusted. We're all
insignificant KB in the real scheme of things. We just do our best.


Vale Kim Beazley as PM but maybe yet something just as important - a
bloke who is having a go. Keep having a go Kim. You're still relatively
young. Just reading the profile of the current GG in the weekend
Australian last weekend. Geddit? Stay fit KB, stay fit. It's an unhappy
world out there and all are needed.

One choice quote at page 22 "Now we're seeing people try to build up the army at a rapid rate because we are over committed."


That's Howard's military man saying that, the GG no less, tucked away
quietly in the Coalition's weekend reading fodder. Talk about bury the
lead

[lennie]

Labor ahead no matter who leads: poll
from ABC Online.

A new poll has put Labor ahead of the Coalition no matter who wins the party's leadership ballot tomorrow.

A confident Kim Beazley has been calling his Caucus colleagues all weekend, warning them now is not the time to oust him from the leadership.

While refusing to speculate on actual numbers, Mr Beazley says he has spoken personally to most of his Labor colleagues and is confident of their support.

"We have been competitive in the polls all year. Why, when you've been competitive in the polls, would you change leaders?" he said.

"Why would you do that when you know that the circumstances of the last year of economic prosperity in the country would normally lend weight to a government support?"

Now an AC Neilsen poll for Fairfax newspapers puts Labor's primary vote two percentage points ahead of the Coalition with Mr Beazley as leader, and 9 per cent up with Kevin Rudd at the helm.

Mr Rudd is also lobbying his colleagues for support in tomorrow's leadership vote.

"We're confident that we have a majority of the votes in the parliamentary party, but we've now got a lot of work to do," Mr Rudd said.

Both sides say the party will be unified after the ballot.

And Mr Beazley says the winning margin will be irrelevant.

"It doesn't matter whether it's between one or 30. The simple fact of the matter is tomorrow we unite," he said.

"Tomorrow we refresh, unite and refocus again on the issues of difference between us and the Government."

Heavy heart

Meanwhile, a long-term supporter of Mr Beazley, Senator Michael Forshaw, has revealed he will switch his support to Mr Rudd.

He says he will vote for Mr Rudd because the Australian public will not vote for Labor with Mr Beazley in the top job.

"I'm voting for Kevin Rudd, but with a heavy heart, because I think Kim Beazley deserves great tribute, great admiration from the party," he said.

"I hope that he will understand the decision of many people who have supported him in the past, still respect him, but we have to move on."

[Flash]

lennie said:

Labor ahead no matter who leads: poll
from ABC Online.

A new poll has put Labor ahead of the Coalition no matter who wins the party's leadership ballot tomorrow.

A confident Kim Beazley has been calling his Caucus colleagues all weekend, warning them now is not the time to oust him from the leadership.

While refusing to speculate on actual numbers, Mr Beazley says he has spoken personally to most of his Labor colleagues and is confident of their support.

"We have been competitive in the polls all year. Why, when you've been competitive in the polls, would you change leaders?" he said.

"Why would you do that when you know that the circumstances of the last year of economic prosperity in the country would normally lend weight to a government support?"

Now an AC Neilsen poll for Fairfax newspapers puts Labor's primary vote two percentage points ahead of the Coalition with Mr Beazley as leader, and 9 per cent up with Kevin Rudd at the helm.

Mr Rudd is also lobbying his colleagues for support in tomorrow's leadership vote.

"We're confident that we have a majority of the votes in the parliamentary party, but we've now got a lot of work to do," Mr Rudd said.

Both sides say the party will be unified after the ballot.

And Mr Beazley says the winning margin will be irrelevant.

"It doesn't matter whether it's between one or 30. The simple fact of the matter is tomorrow we unite," he said.

"Tomorrow we refresh, unite and refocus again on the issues of difference between us and the Government."

Heavy heart

Meanwhile, a long-term supporter of Mr Beazley, Senator Michael Forshaw, has revealed he will switch his support to Mr Rudd.

He says he will vote for Mr Rudd because the Australian public will not vote for Labor with Mr Beazley in the top job.

"I'm voting for Kevin Rudd, but with a heavy heart, because I think Kim Beazley deserves great tribute, great admiration from the party," he said.

"I hope that he will understand the decision of many people who have supported him in the past, still respect him, but we have to move on."

Kevin and Julia now lead the ALP ;D

As Cheif of Staff to Wayne Goss, Rudd
was required to sit accross and be fluent with any number of
portfolio's. He lead the Goss opposition to Government in QLD as CoS to
Goss. He was expected to have more than a handle on the national
economy when representing his state at CoAG meetings. He was a career
diplomat, fluent in Madarin and Cantonese. He won the seat of Griffith
by a 2% margin and now holds it by 17% at the last election.

He's a politician who understands the mechanics of the carreer he's
chosen, young enough to challenge Howard for a hit at the PM position
without the baggage of losses that plagued Kim. He's been extremely
smart at self-promotion with regular appearances on Morning TV. And
carried this through during the last few days as he and Gillard were
inseperable - showing a fully united Leadership team. The same could
hardly be said about the incumbents who weren't seen together once
during the internal Labor campaign. Rudd will be ridiculed as just
another leader by the Government in parliament but the reality is their
(Liberal) polling would have already begun.


The latest polling has the oposition in a position to threaten the
government at the next election, Rudd should be able to run with this
given his profile, lack of baggage, history and education.


My only fear is that he may come across as too intelectual to be of
much interest to the masses, then again, John Howard became Prime
Minister...

[lennie]

The result was of no surprise to me. Kim Beazley clearly didn't have the ability to woo the masses in the popularity polls and it was time for him to go. A nice bloke apparently but that doesn't always matter in Politics.

Personally, I would have thought Julia Gillard would have been the one for the top job but I guess if marketed as a Rudd/Gillard team effort, Liberal could well lose alot of the female vote.