Nightmare for Julia
From the “You Could Not Make It Up” department. Just weeks after savagely knifing Kevin Rudd in the back and stealing the prime ministership, Julia Gillard is now relying on Rudd to rescue her disintegrating campaign:
THERE are now three leaders in this election campaign.
The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard; the alternative prime minister, Tony Abbott; and the former prime minister-in-exile, Kevin Rudd.
In his intervention, Rudd presents himself as the saviour of Labor’s fortunes – an event of far-reaching and unpredictable consequences.
There has never been an election like it. With each day it’s more about Kevin.
Gillard, who assassinated Rudd as prime minister six weeks ago, has been reduced to asking him to salvage her prime ministership. It is a huge risk and reversal, but Gillard had no choice.
Rudd, the recently detested and vanquished former PM, now returns to centre stage as potential saviour. Indeed, it seems only Rudd might resurrect Labor in Queensland and that he is dictating terms to the party. Labor MPs do not know whether to laugh, cry or cheer.
Read it here.
See also: “It takes two to tango but one to lead” and The Australian’s editorial on the subject.
Australian Climate Madness 
This could be an opportunity for the Coalition to have some fun. They
could deliberately make this an Abbott versus Rudd contest and hardly
give Gillard any mention. In other words, afford Rudd – who has already
been defeated – the primary importance. I think this would put a quick
chill on a Rudd/Gillard reconciliation. It would also ensure that the
focus is taken off Labor’s fresh face and Labor’s ‘real’ fresh face.