Picture: The Age 2 Dec 2006It is twelve months since Julia Gillard deposed a Prime Minister, as the Opposition wrongly puts it, who was democratically elected by the public. Very few Australians actually voted for former PM Kevin Rudd. Australia does not have a presidential voting system like America, we do not vote for the leader of each political party, we vote for our local member. The party chooses its leader, from amongst the members who won their local votes. The fact that the current Liberal and National Parties do not understand the most basic structure of the Australian political system demonstrates that the Coalition is not ready for government. The are barely ready for Opposition.
This means that only the people from the Queensland electorate of Griffith were able to vote for Mr Rudd and people from Lalor in Victoria had the opportunity to vote for Ms Gillard. For the record; Kevin Rudd received 43,957 votes (53.09% of the votes in his electorate), Ms Gillard received 57,208 votes (59.89%). By these statistics Julia is actually was more preferred by the public in 2007.
Over the past 12 months Julia Gillard has managed to not shake the sauce bottle, in fact she has shaken very little. She has stirred a few things however. Making her the James Bond of Australian politics. He was Kevin 07 she is Julia 007. She has stirred up the mining industry, stirred up carbon producers and users and stirred up refugees.
Kevin was criticism for the extreme level of his detail programmatic specificity when outlining any policy direction. Julia has not made this mistake. Instead she has gone the other direction limiting her policy statements to clichés and sound bites; something that did not appear to change from the old to the new Julia. Julia has also lost all intonation in her voice delivering all of her speeches in a remarkably consistent monotone.
It is worth noting that I have no political allegiances. I have voted for various political parties at both the state and federal level. I am a swinging voter – and they are right swinging, between consenting adults, can be a lot of fun. The past election was a difficult one, trying to decide which party I disliked and distrusted the least. Like trying to pick a winner in the footy tips when Collingwood play the Adelaide Crows…I know I will be disappointed regardless of the result.
Other events that took place on 24 June 2010 include the conclusion of longest tennis match in history; John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(7–9), 7–6(7–3), 70–68 at Wimbeldon. Any game of tennis feels like it lasts for three days, this one actually did. Surprisingly the longer the game lasted the more interesting the game became.
Ringo Starr commenced a North America tour in Fallsview Casino Niagra Ontario. Americans will go and see anything including a live recital of Thomas the Tank Engine scripts. Just as long as they do not ask the former Beatle for his autograph. Peace and love.
Neighbours episode 5954 premiered on Network Ten. Summer in attempt to prove her relationship with Chris is not boring, kisses him in front of the school. This ultimately lead to the couple ending up in a hotel room. This show is aired in family primetime viewing so what happened in the hotel room? Another kiss. OOOoooooOOOO sexy! Susan Kennedy, having returned to study as a mature age student, attempts to prove to her straight-from-high-school fellow students that she is cool. Inexplicably none of her younger fellow students accepted her invitation to a cup of tea! Makes a three day game of tennis sound like riveting viewing though.
Turns out 24 June 2010 was less memorable as the media would have us all believe.
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