damian1 year on, what has Rudd Achieved?
November 28th 2008 04:58
It is now over one year since the Australian electorate chose to send John Howard packing as a result of his continued failure to break into the Australian Test Cricket team. In his place they elected the Bollywood Heartthrob Kevin ‘07’ Rudd. In this exclusive interview with the PM, Urban Telegraph asks him to reflect on the achievements of his first year in power.
Urban Telegraph: Kevin Rudd, thanks for being here. How is everything at the moment?
Kevin Rudd: Well there’s no doubt that we’re in difficult economic times. Rest assured though, the economy is in good hands. With myself and Wayne Swan at the helm, we will steer this country through these troubled waters.
UT: Well sailing may be one thing, Mr Rudd, but surely there are more important matters deserving your attention, such as the continuing dramas surrounding the Australian Test Cricket team.
KR: Yes, well I can say that they are performing an excellent service for this country under difficult circumstances.
UT: Mr Rudd, in India they did not win a test.
KR: Well, India is a vital trading partner of ours and if we are to emerge relatively unscathed from this current economic turmoil, it will be due to the strength of our relationship with emerging economies such as China and India.
UT: Prime Minister, I wish you would stay on topic here. I’m trying to ask you serious questions about what has been achieved in the past year. Because while we may have beaten New Zealand, it was not altogether a convincing victory, let’s be honest. And as for our selection policy… what do you make of that; do you have confidence in the board?
KR: Yes, I agree that in these uncertain times we must select the best people for the job. Personally, I have complete confidence in Glenn Stevens and the entire board of the reserve bank and feel they are appropriately equipped with the necessary expertise to negotiate this current economic climate.
UT: But Mr Rudd, surely you don’t mean to say that you support this ‘horses for courses’ attitude?
KR: Well, I think it is self-evident that the situation here is different to the situation overseas. You mentioned India before, and it is certainly true that India as an emerging nation will experience the credit crunch in a different manner from Australia, or England, or for that matter the United States.
UT: The United States? Are you serious? Did you see how badly they fared when they actually made it into the World Cup? Let me ask you honestly, Prime Minister, do you know anything about cricket?
KR: “Cricket”? Don’t you mean to say “credit”?
UT: You’re a disgrace to this country.
Urban Telegraph: Kevin Rudd, thanks for being here. How is everything at the moment?
Kevin Rudd: Well there’s no doubt that we’re in difficult economic times. Rest assured though, the economy is in good hands. With myself and Wayne Swan at the helm, we will steer this country through these troubled waters.
UT: Well sailing may be one thing, Mr Rudd, but surely there are more important matters deserving your attention, such as the continuing dramas surrounding the Australian Test Cricket team.
KR: Yes, well I can say that they are performing an excellent service for this country under difficult circumstances.
UT: Mr Rudd, in India they did not win a test.
KR: Well, India is a vital trading partner of ours and if we are to emerge relatively unscathed from this current economic turmoil, it will be due to the strength of our relationship with emerging economies such as China and India.
UT: Prime Minister, I wish you would stay on topic here. I’m trying to ask you serious questions about what has been achieved in the past year. Because while we may have beaten New Zealand, it was not altogether a convincing victory, let’s be honest. And as for our selection policy… what do you make of that; do you have confidence in the board?
KR: Yes, I agree that in these uncertain times we must select the best people for the job. Personally, I have complete confidence in Glenn Stevens and the entire board of the reserve bank and feel they are appropriately equipped with the necessary expertise to negotiate this current economic climate.
UT: But Mr Rudd, surely you don’t mean to say that you support this ‘horses for courses’ attitude?
KR: Well, I think it is self-evident that the situation here is different to the situation overseas. You mentioned India before, and it is certainly true that India as an emerging nation will experience the credit crunch in a different manner from Australia, or England, or for that matter the United States.
UT: The United States? Are you serious? Did you see how badly they fared when they actually made it into the World Cup? Let me ask you honestly, Prime Minister, do you know anything about cricket?
KR: “Cricket”? Don’t you mean to say “credit”?
UT: You’re a disgrace to this country.
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Comment by Norm
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Comment by Lilla
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You know I enjoyed this post, it touches on one of my Big issues with people who slag good governments, because they thought their vote for the new idealist was really going to make difference.. Pah, Fooy, Humbug!
Firstly no one wins in a bi~polar two party system.
Secondly, they ruling elite pick the candidates they want to suit their Agenda...
Having said that, I would answer your question directly in my second griipe. People who forget the thirteen years of absolute boot licking and selling out, which the previous government did with Australia putting it very far behind the eight ball. It takes more than a year to resolve all that... They sold off half of Queensland, Canberra and W.A. and God knows what else to foreign interests. They sent all our inventors packing overseas. deflated our economy, dropping our standards of living by 27% to suit us becoming the Asian Super Centre for the One World Order, flooding our markets with cheap Chinese crap that doesnt last two days... all in exchange for what? More environmental degredation?
To expect a puppet (albeit an atruistic one) to come in and make changes *to free us from the slavery of the monetary system itself* (to which they are enternally endebted just by having money itself), is naieve in the extreme, yet that is what people expect every time in reality... expect ..... WHAT exactly?
There is no other recourse for the world to STEP BACK into recession because what Blair, Bush and Howard did was criminal... I think Rudd is as good a puppet, and doing as good job of anyone in sorting it out in a time of complete global recession as any of them. They are all relying on India and China now, fighting for the continued afluence their populace has been progammed into thinking they need...?
Basics: In keeping promises, Rudd has shown to be a man of his word. Rare in pollies.
I feel for any politician who inherits such an economic disaster as he has (or his successors will do). Lets face it, not much of Australia belongs to Australia anymore, all tied up in foreign trade deals ... *chuckle* The only thing left that is Australian perhaps is the Cricket Team?
I blame the mindless masses who buy foreign because it is cheaper without considering what that 20 cents is dong to their childrens future... Worse because so many of those 20 cent pieces are not gained through hard work, but welfare...
Oh I could go on and on, but I wont bore you.
Again, great post, it got me fired up and I wrote this to just remind people to remember, but they dont.
Lilla ...
Comment by damian
Urban Telegraph
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Lilla,
thanks for your comment - if only that much thought went into the post itself! I Agree with your sentiments about cheap crap from China - if for different reasons perhaps.
For me the issue is not so much about sending jobs overseas or anything like that. I think, to put it slightly simplistically, that manufacturing and other low or semi-skilled jobs moving over to China really benefits us in the end. It helps build the local economy over there which in turn results in an increased desire for our minerals and other raw materials.
While this may be great economically, the repercussions in terms of the environmental impacts and labour conditions seem to be somewhat more serious. Enforcement of environmental standards in China and India seems to be patchy at best, and moreover the cheapness of the products contributes to a 'use-by-date mentality' where we must continue to produce increasing amounts of shiny goods at prices that allow us to simply throw them away when they no longer interest us.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth... After such serious thought I simply must go and watch the John and Jeanette sex tapes