Simple Simon - Wake Up

Simon Crean, Minister for Trade, (God help us all) was back on ABC Radio's PM program tonight, complaining about the failings of "This Government".

Wake up Simon. You were actually complaining about the Previous Government. Learn your lines, Mate!. Its not that hard.

Call them "the Howard Government", or even "our incompetent predecessors". But do learn that THEY are no longer "THE GOVERNMENT". For Heaven's sake, get it right.

Photo: NineMSN (Sunday Program)

I know Simon is stuck in the past, but he needs to get over his obsessive hatred, or at least re-train his tongue (IF HE CAN!). Personally I doubt he can manage that task, and ought never have been given another chance in the Ministry.

Ambassador to the ILO would be good posting, surely? I wonder how soon that job is due to be filled?

Oh, and why was he appointed to a Ministry?
Here's a clue - a cartoon which I published on a now-deleted blog site. Clearly the issue was Crean's support of Rudd for the leadership, over Kim Beazley, who Crean had despised for a number of years.

So - the answer to why he was appointed is simple - the payment of a political debt.

And for a brief memory refresher on Crean's faction war history, and his bitter battle for pre-selection in his own seat of Hotham, have a look at this interview from the Sunday Program from 5 March 2006. My how the world has changed - in Simon Crean's favour, in the last 20 months.

No wonder Crean seemed to enjoy the swearing in ceremony more than anyone else, the other day. And today I learn he is the first of the Rudd Ministers to go on an overseas trip. It fits a pattern - one which I for one, do not wish to see repeated - an abuse of the privileges of offices.

Blog closed and deleted

I had a Blog which ran for more than a year and a half, which most recently carried the name "Rudd for PM - Beazley for GG (maybe)". It started out as "When will Kim Beazley resign?"

The "maybe" was added some time ago, after it became Kim Beazley was partaking in an early retirement from public office, (while still on the public payroll).

Well, tonight I have taken down that entire Blog - as I am afraid I no longer believe in where Kevin 07 is taking the Labor Party.

The latest proposal for watering down of the Labor Party's IR proposals is the last straw.

See what Miss Eagle thinks - on her Blog (today). Miss Eagle is an experienced industrial representative (former union official). She knows how this stuff works, in the real world (or doesn't work). If she is calling for changes to policy, its because she is aware that what is proposed is just rubbish policy.

*****

Australia needs the Labor Party to stand up for what it is meant to believe in.

Gutless is as Gutless does.

Peter Garrett was whining hopelessly a few days ago, saying, in effect, when will people realise that I am a member of the Labor Party, and am following its policies? Leave me alone - I am no longer a rock singer. What he should have said was "I am no longer a political activist". I'll leave you alone, Peter. As Joh Bjelke-Petersen used say: "Don't you worry about that!"

Its "Sell-out City" at Labor Party HQ, these days.

My response is to cancel and delete that old Blog (which I had not added to since about February or March - such was my lack of enthusiasm for "the Rudd Cause"). But now I have gone the whole hog, and deleted it entirely - because having the title up on my side bar was becoming an embarrassment. I no longer believe in that cause - because Kevin 07 appears not to believe in the Labor Party's heritage and traditions.