Federal election 2010: The end of Paul Kelly's neo-liberal consensus
One day it would be interesting to research whether Paul Kelly was the first to proclaim the importance of the ‘narrative’ in Australian politics. Certainly, it’s been his leitmotif. And central to his two door-stopping tomes on recent political history [...]
ABC claims move against Rudd is on
ABC tv news has just claimed that a move against Kevin Rudd’s leadership is on tonight, emanating from Victoria and including “senior ministers”. Tomorrow is the last sitting day of this session of parliament. There’s nothing on the web so [...]
Marginal seat polling and the Rudd government's position
Paul Norton observed here at LP yesterday that we’re in uncharted psephological waters, with both major parties on low primaries and both leaders relatively unpopular. A host of questions have therefore arisen: about the likely flow of preferences from The [...]
So how about that media narrative now?
Over the long weekend, I noted the frenzy The Australian was stirring up about the purported deadline on Rudd’s leadership, built on a foundation of a self-serving article from mining company director Keith De Lacy and quotes from NSW Right [...]
Media narrative demands Rudd's head on a platter according to Newspoll timetable
By way of ‘progressing the story’ from Saturday’s round of demands for Kevin Rudd’s political execution from has been Labor figures and mining company director Keith De Lacy, The Australian‘s caravan has moved on. Over the weekend, the paper made [...]
Doom or salvation for Rudd Labor?
I continue to be quite surprised at the levels of panic about the Labor party’s current polling predicament, and some of the reactions. The government’s response to the Nielsen poll yesterday was to point out that Tony Abbott stands a [...]
Peter Van Onselen's war against Class Warfare
Apropos of the AWU’s Resources Super Profits Tax ad [reproduced here on LP], Peter Van Onselen has written a piece in today’s Australian warning Paul Howes of the dire consequences should he engage in that cardinal sin, appearing to advocate [...]
The state elections and federal implications
In tonight’s counts, it appears clear that the ALP has narrowly held on in South Australia, containing the swing against the government to 1.7% in the marginals, with much of the state wide anti-Labor swing washing through safe seats, while [...]
The media, social media and the Liberal thrills and spills
Having talked to a few friends over the last few days who aren’t political junkies (but are more taken with politics than perhaps the average voter), I’m not at all convinced that the Liberal leadership shenanigans are of anywhere near [...]
Crash through or crash? What Turnbull should do now…
In the wake of today’s extraordinary events in the Coalition party room, Malcolm Turnbull could put to good use the very qualities he’s usually been panned by his right wing colleagues and the commentariat for having – displaying some courage [...]




Rudd v. Gillard: Gillard's communication problem
By Mark Bahnisch on June 24, 2010
Those whose opinion needs to be taken into account when planning a leadership challenge are broader than Labor MPs, political journalists and tragics and the Twitterverse. It’s not an insignificant thing to tear down a Prime Minister in his first [...]
Posted in Politics | Tagged Alister Jordan, ALP, apparatchiks, commentariat, factions, health services union, hsu, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Kristina Keneally, Labor leadership, Labor MPs, Lateline, leadership challenge, News Limited, Newspoll, NSW Right, Paul Howe, Peter Van Onselen, political communication, Polls, press conference, press gallery, spill, twitter, union bosses | 158 Responses