My Gagged Adversary

Committed AFP checkers will recall that the former head of the Young Liberals and the currently preselected member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke, was recently nominated to be my nemesis. The combination scarecrow, tin man and cowardly lion (pre-wizard of course) seemed to have just the right mix of characteristics to play the VD to my penicillin (look it up). The challenge was issued - and while I know that Mr. Hawke is an avid AFP reader – he has remained uncharacteristically silent.

For a while there I considered that his non-responsiveness may have sprung from the nagging self doubt that must accompany the persecution of minorities, or from the guilt that stems from a life lived in an elitist bubble. It even occurred to me that he was (sensibly) lying low, after Michael Towke, a fellow member of the Liberals Right Wing (cult, sect, whatever) was publicly humbled after his failed attempt to usurp the Sydney seat of Cook. In reality though, it was none of the above and I should have known better. Earlier this month the Liberal Party issued a gag-order, officially barring Hawke from media interviews – and I presume, sparring with the future President of Australia.

In these pre-election weeks, muzzling one of your most notorious and controversial candidates is a fabulous idea – at least in principle. There is nothing worse that could happen to the government, than their youthful Mitchell candidate (described by Labor as "an extremist and a divisive character") espousing his anti-gay, anti-migrant, ultra conservative views – not to mention his contention that the concept of an Aboriginal Stolen Generation is a fallacy. Still, personally, it’s a shame. How would Spiderman feel if Dr Octopus had to fight in a straight jacket? Would it have been as impressive if David had slain Goliath, while the big man was on his knees? For the time being, this showdown is more whitewash than arm wrestle.

My personal disappointment aside, gagging a zealous partisan is only a short term solution. Eventually Alex will need to hit the campaign trail and leave the rarified confines of David Clarke’s (right) wing –powerless to hide his true self from the public any longer. The good people of Mitchell will then hopefully be given the opportunity to known the true extent of the conservative that they are voting for. In the meantime, given my desire for a worthy adversary, I may need to look for a new nemesis.

A Clear Winner

According to the word on the street, I was one of the few people under 40 to sit through Sunday night’s debate. For those of you that missed it, I can give you a one sentence summary: Rudd dominated. The collective press are putting Rudd’s emphatic victory down to his position as the challenger (his fresh ideas and ability to stand at the podium without collapsing) – but for mine his win was all to do with substance and very little to do with incumbency.

For starters, Rudd’s a hell of a debater. He’s a polished, articulate speaker who has taken great pains to de-nerdify himself and to reach out to the common man. In general, his points were peppered with optimism and a sense of looking forward. In comparison, Howard seemed to be stilted (and at times petty) as he tried to deliver the same script that got him over the line last time. Economic management, low interest rates, national security, economic management….and so on. It was heavy going. Without having to sift through the whole 90 minutes of dialogue, I thought Rudd’s debate win was sealed in 3 areas in particular, finally highlighting some differences between himself and the PM.

1. Workplace Relations

This is undoubtedly a defining election issue. The Work Choices plan the government have implemented has been generally unpopular, particularly with workers (not so much with businesses) – as it seeks to cheapen the cost of labour in this country. Of course, as President, I would scrap it. On the other hand, Labor’s close ties with Unions have hurt them in the past given wide acknowledgment of the problems associated with the balance swinging too far back in this direction. Rudd did particularly well in navigating the mine field that is his 7/10 likely Union Ministers, while quoting Costello’s view that a minimum wage is the only working condition that isn’t negotiable. The public have the choice between likely expansions to work choices (and less guaranteed benefits) and the familiar yet icy grip of the unions. Expect to see much more on this.

2. Economic Management

Interest rates were 17% last time Labor was in government… I realise that, but I'm over it. That was a long time ago, and the sins of the father shouldn’t be visited upon the son (Rudd also noted on the night, that they were pretty high when Howard was treasurer during the Fraser years). I also don’t like the method the Libs claim is best for keeping rates low – fat budget surpluses. I would gladly see interest rates edge a little higher, if the coffers could be opened and some of the billions could be spent on health and education infrastructure – the very thing the Rudd suggested would help to strengthen the economy into the future.

3. Working Families

The clearest difference on the night was the overwhelming perception that Rudd cared about us battlers. He used his closing remarks to emphasise his concerns about everyday pressures: the cost of education, groceries, petrol and child care. In contrast, Howard claimed that his generous tax cuts were relief enough. The Libs mantra of we’ve “never been better off” was successfully spun to portray them as arrogant and out of touch. For the record, Howards closing remarks focused on national security, and a greater emphasis on Australian history in schools. An oversight, I would’ve thought.

Given Rudd’s dominance, I still have some concerns. Costello is planning to debate Labor Treasurer Wayne Swan next week – a match up that is much more in the Libs favour (I got a funny feeling Costello is going to crush him). We’re still also five or so weeks out from the election and poll leads have a habit of disintegrating as the intensity of the campaigns increases. The Liberal fear machine is still working up its momentum, and Rudd is one gaffe (or punched cab driver) away from obscurity. Kevin’s doing well, but this election is far from decided.

Kevin 07

Well, it’s been a while; almost a month actually, and not a single post. Rest assured though, this President is alive and well – bracing himself for the flurry that the election season will no doubt bring. A big contributor to my leave of absence was the failure of my (until now) trusty Acer laptop. From its keys, this very Administration sprung to life – only to wither and die just when I needed it the most. In retribution I’m vowing never again to buy an Acer product, employ officials on my staff who use them, or to stop if I see an Acer employee crossing the road. The wheel of justice has turned.

Still, if I’m going to be honest, my new $1500 paperweight wasn’t the only reason for my time off. The same old news cycles had begun to wear me down: Bush is dumb and getting dumber (“the childrens do learn”); the UN bumble on, powerless to solve small problems, let alone global warming and Darfur – and here at home the Liberal election machine was firing up to dupe us again. It was this last point in particular, that weighed down on me. While many are saying that Kevin 07 is inevitable, I have the cold, horrible feeling the Howard may have one more in him.

At this time in the last election cycle the Labor faithful had cause for optimism. Mark Latham, the young firebrand was at the helm, promising fresh ideas and enthusiasm (not to mention a new take on using the term asshole in press conferences). Howard lagged in the polls and the ‘time for a change’ line was getting trotted out country wide. The leaders debated on channel 9 and as the ‘worm’ turned in Latham’s favour, even the doubters dared to hope that Howard’s time was up. History reflects though that the opinion polls weren’t worth the $13/hour call centre employees that had gathered them. The Libs refocused the campaign on the War on Terror and Interest Rates (they threw in a tax cut) and sprinkled in a bevy of spending promises for health and education. Levering off our fears and pandering to our hopes – Howard’s Libs were clear winners.

Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Put like that, its no wonder I’ve got déjà vu. Howards trails in all the opinions polls. We’ve already been promised our $20 a week tax cut, some action on Aboriginal reconciliation (finally) and the same increased health spending we were promised last time. Interest rates (which are out of the governments control of course) and economic management are again key issues. The occasional Terror Alert adds icing to what is starting to look like a (familiar) but edible cake. I guess I'd be laughing too.

Naively though, I’m back in the Oval Study, daring to hope that this time it’s different. Kevin Rudd is no Mark Latham and Peter Costello is no John Howard. Another term has passed and we’re all just a little bit sicker of the getting screwed over by ‘the man’. The next few weeks promise to be full of dirty, personal politics – but your President has returned, and we’ll get through it together.