STATEMENT BY THE HON K.M. RUDD, FOREIGN MINISTER
Many of you will be shocked by the release of a tape today which appears to demonstrate my short temper. Can I say this, my fellow Australians, we can all be hard on ourselves. And sometimes when we are trying to do our best, we take it out on others. Our loved ones, our co-workers – who are only trying their best to be supportive and helpful. Can I therefore apologise without reservation.
I make no accusation about how the media obtained the tape. Again, I will leave that to the better judgement of my fellow Australians.
Some of you may have noticed that, recently, I have made peace with my former school, Marist College Ashgrove. I think there may have been some misunderstanding – that I harboured much bitterness towards the school. Let me put that proposition to bed. To be sure, it was a difficult period of my life. My dad had died; it was a struggle for my mum. But the love and pastoral care afforded me by the brothers and other staff at Ashgrove will live with me always.
Can I also say at this stage that I have no current intention of challenging the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.
Of course, I was hurt by the events of some 20 months ago and I bristled at the idea that the government had lost its way. To be sure, I had tried to achieve too much. But I firmly believe with the passage of time, things would have settled down and the public would have realised the value of the many reforms that my government initiated. But it was not to be and I have endeavoured to perform to the best of my ability in the role of Foreign Minister, a role in which I have become quite the happy Vegemite.
So as I wing off from this fine country to attend a number of extremely important meetings – in Mexico, the UK, Europe and Malaysia – can I just reinforce with you that I have learnt my lesson and I have changed. I think I will leave it there.
(INAUDIBLE) GOT TO ZIP?
In a policy sense, this is all relatively unimportant.
What matters is this: has he changed his views about the economy, and of the role of government within it?
Does he believe in Keynesian macroeconomic activism, as stated in his Monthly essay and as practised during 2008-09, or will he be truly the economic conservative he promised to be during the 2007 election campaign?
What are his views about carbon taxation, mining taxation, industrial relations, NBN and all other manner of economic policy botches committed by him in his previous role, and that of his immediate successor?
Who is the real Kevin Rudd, the potential next Prime Minister, when it comes to economic policy?
Julie Novak
19 Feb 12 at 12:29 pm
Maybe,Julie, he is promising to defer or lower the carbon tax to secure votes. He was promising to ditch the pokies changes, so it is strange that Wilkie seems so pally with him.
Judith Sloan
19 Feb 12 at 12:33 pm
I think Wilkie is just playing the pay-back game over the pokie debacle.
C.L.
19 Feb 12 at 12:36 pm
I can tell this is not really Rudd’s statement because he only says “can i say this…” twice. Should be at the start of every sentence.
Les Majesty
19 Feb 12 at 12:41 pm
already using PM terminology of yore, well 2007 anyways.
Gab
19 Feb 12 at 12:41 pm
No current? Of course you can, Kevvie.
Reinforce away.
Er…..
JamesK
19 Feb 12 at 12:43 pm
Dennis Atkins is reporting that a leadership spill has been scheduled for Feb 28.
C.L.
19 Feb 12 at 12:47 pm
2 more weeks of high dungeon?
JamesK
19 Feb 12 at 12:59 pm
…and hyperbowl.
Gab
19 Feb 12 at 1:00 pm
Ugh, I thought this was a joke. But it’s real? FFS.
Entropy
19 Feb 12 at 1:25 pm
Peter van Onselen has a case of the sads for poor, innocent Julia.
Hopes she can prove him wrong so that Abbott doesn’t become prime minister and ruin his daughters’ lives.
?
C.L.
19 Feb 12 at 1:29 pm
“So as I wing off from this fine country to attend a number of extremely important meetings”, I’ll sing, sing, sing:
Swanee, how I love you, how I love you
My dear old Swanee.
I’ve been away from you a long time.
I never thought I’d miss you so.
Somehow I feel
Your love is real.
Near you I want to be.
The birds are singing it is song time.
The banjo’s strumming soft and low.
I know that you
Yearn for me too.
Swannee, you’re calling me.
Swanee, how I love you, how I love you
My dear old Swanee.
I give the world to be
Among the folks in Lilley
Swanee, how I love you, how I love you
My dear old Swanee.
JamesK
19 Feb 12 at 1:32 pm
Oh what twaddle
If all they do is change the deckchairs–well same old iceberg and same old Titanic, same old sinking….
Jazza
19 Feb 12 at 1:35 pm
Very true, Jazza, but really would a Rudd government be worse than the Gillard government has been?
Gab
19 Feb 12 at 1:37 pm
I’d almost welcome a spill at this stage. Rudd will get trounced, inevitably, and then maybe the media will move on.
m0nty
19 Feb 12 at 1:45 pm
From CL’s link.
.
I get no joy out of reading this as I believed so was about to break a few weeks ago. I honestly think she could be heading for a break down.
What to make of it?
At the personal level someone should remind her that this is only just a job. She needs to become accept the fact that she’s failed at it and move along in life.
She simply wasn’t good enough nor respectful enough to the people otherwise she would not have lied to us so often.
Jc
19 Feb 12 at 1:51 pm
….She…
Jc
19 Feb 12 at 1:52 pm
Monster,
Can I ask you a questIon?
Have you ever had a self reflecting moment and thought to yourself …
Ummm. Maybe I’m not very good at this politics stuff and ought to focus more on say the website which is still a dogs breakfast.
Jc
19 Feb 12 at 1:56 pm
You’re a true gentleman, JC.
m0nty
19 Feb 12 at 1:56 pm
Monster
Stop being an idiot. I go through that sort of crap very often in my line of work…knowing that the position I’ve taken is wrong.
I see my failures foickering at me in red on a computer screen.
She needs to be honest with herself, accept she failed miserably at this job and move on in life. Failure is okay. Wallowing in it is not.
And yes, I am a gentleman, you fat headed child. Always was.
Jc
19 Feb 12 at 2:01 pm
“…and then maybe the media will move on.”
Why Monty?
Don’t you enjoy the sight of the Marxist cockroaches running around in the full glare of the media light?
Perhaps we should pass a law making the exposure illegal?
Winston Smith
19 Feb 12 at 2:04 pm
I need your advice on Web site design, JC, about as much as you need mine on which stocks to short.
Did you end up buying much Fairfax stock, btw?
m0nty
19 Feb 12 at 2:05 pm
It would be much better for the nation if we moved on to talk about policy, of which there is a fair bit of new stuff going on. Not that you’d know it from reading the press.
m0nty
19 Feb 12 at 2:06 pm
You should, Monster. It’s bloody awful. When I last looked at it I almost choked.
Why, it’s a shit business with far too much debt.
I bought Gunns instead as 10 cents, it will have no debt in 4 months and I doubled my money since the start of the year.
You’ll be pleased to know I made my entire trading year in January and Fed, so will be be devoting a lot more time to blogging for the rest of the year, as I feel I’ve let that side go a bit.
JC
19 Feb 12 at 2:13 pm
We do know how to walk and chew gum at the same time, Monster.
JC
19 Feb 12 at 2:14 pm
Julie, Labor party and Kevin do not need policies…or outcomes…or past performance for that matter – because they are still seen as the compassionate and generous party who will look after us.
Many Australian voters are the 35 year olds still ‘living at home’ with Labor parents, they are captured and institutionalised and resigned to almost any amount of abuse by the Labor institution – thus even now, 30% still vote for Labor.
LNP is seen as the adults who will turf us out to fend for ourselves – individual contracts and all. The irony is that the LNP is barely right of centre.
Lets see just how gullible the Australian public really is when psychopath Kevin is recycled.
michaelc58
19 Feb 12 at 2:16 pm
Got to get it out of the way before March 15.
Mother Hubbard's Dog
19 Feb 12 at 2:17 pm
I don’t feel sorry for Gillard at all. She loved nothing more than trashing the Coalition in Parliament – including with personal invective – and she loved pulling stunts like that motion to celebrate the end of Workchoices.
Speaking of which, a flashback video:
Says Ms Carbon Dixoide Tax.
C.L.
19 Feb 12 at 2:19 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I can see it now. Little Stalin Joe Ludwig calls for another series of emergency powers to support the lying slapper.
.
19 Feb 12 at 2:21 pm
Yea, forgot about that, Screw her. Let her sort those problems with her psychiatrist.
JC
19 Feb 12 at 2:29 pm
Feb 28, eh?
Events are proceeding apace.
I’ll be surprised if she lasts that long – the meeja reports certainly seem to be getting more strident by the minute.
Rabz
19 Feb 12 at 2:31 pm
Or more importantly before March 24 and the Qld election.
PM Rudd will surly turn things around for Premier Bligh!
Entropy
19 Feb 12 at 2:34 pm
Please let an adult like Simon Crean stand. Please!
Entropy
19 Feb 12 at 2:35 pm
Damage control.
Rabz
19 Feb 12 at 2:52 pm
Hey Rabz;
How’s the headache?
Drink lots of water after a big night on the turps as it does get rid of it.
JC
19 Feb 12 at 2:53 pm
JC,
Thanks mate, I’ve had a big day.
Mowed the lawn, done a weights workout, gone for a swim and done the groceries.
Couldn’t get that breathylizer device for the keypad, yet.
Rabz
19 Feb 12 at 2:59 pm
Ah, but Rinehart must be in it for the profit…
m0nty
19 Feb 12 at 3:05 pm
Sounds like a stiff G&T is in order before an afternoon nap.
JamesK
19 Feb 12 at 3:07 pm
monty is a telco analyst but unaware that large stakeholders in firms can actually influence management practices.
bravo, minty.
.
19 Feb 12 at 3:10 pm
I do not have an ounce of sympathy in me for this devious, lying witch who attacked my country with her Destroy Australia Policy. I fervently hope you are right, and I do hope self absorbed Comrade Dear Leader (in exile) suffers something similarly personally destructive.
Those kids from Nambour High and Marist Ashgrove who continually refused to choose him in the schoolyard cricket team all those years ago have much to answer for.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
19 Feb 12 at 3:11 pm
James, thanks for the suggestion but I avoid spirits like the plague.
And siestas as well.
Unless I’m planning on going out and partying all night – sans Meth, they are a help in that regard.
Rabz
19 Feb 12 at 3:13 pm
I was just perusing vexnews. It appears Rudd has been briefing journalists on his plans for sometime, and only now getting around to the ALP.
Kevin Rudd, the Canberra Press Gallery candidate!
Entropy
19 Feb 12 at 3:15 pm
Don’t care. karma is a beautiful thing.
I care more about the people who have died as a result of her policies.
Gab
19 Feb 12 at 3:17 pm
A good siesta is a beautiful thing.
m0nty
19 Feb 12 at 3:18 pm
So what? She understands mining, although she had no impact on the price moves in commodities. She was just there and took advantage. Good for her, but she’s yet to prove she understands other businesses.
And to be frank, if she says up the bet to a $billion that’s still 1/20ish of her net worth. She could drop all of that on Fairfax and still be up $19 billion.
In fact she could drop $19 billion, still have more money that 99.9999999999% of the rest of us on earth and still be considered hyper wealthy.
Fairfax has been an investors graveyard since the late 80′s and I wouldn’t even touch it with you money, Monster. It’s shit businesses, with shitty management, with shitty employees. You’d have to get the ball wreckers in and start again.
JC
19 Feb 12 at 3:21 pm
No, you’re wrong JC, that won’t make money, nor will holding the stock and going for a ride. Fairfax needs to become MORE elitist, and MORE left wing, then it will be profitable, says “telco analyst minty”.
.
19 Feb 12 at 3:23 pm
That’s what happens when your edifice fails and all the lies come crashing in on you. Oh dear. how sad, never mind…
ar
19 Feb 12 at 3:24 pm
“Fairfax has been an investors graveyard since the late 80′s…”
LOL – wazza fauxfax – one of this country’s greatest business geniuses, evah.
Rabz
19 Feb 12 at 3:26 pm
Oh yea, sorry Dot. You’re right. Fairfax needs to get to it’s roots of serving up even more leftwing crapola to its readership thereby focusing on its core customer base.
David Marr, Betty Farrelly, Mitch Grattan are all too right wing.
I used to laugh reading the Age. They would have all these ads for expensive shit like top brand Swiss watches, Prada handbags and crap like that on the front page… But I used to think to myself the advertisers were advertising to the wrong readers. The basket weavers were more likely to steal that stuff than buy it.
JC
19 Feb 12 at 3:29 pm
Could it actually become more of either or both of those things?
Its current business model is dictating that it only panders to inner city scumbags anyway, so how can they keep the gravy train on the rails?
Simple – gubberment subsidies.
However, a change of gubberment may cruel that cunning plan.
Bluddee Yabbott.
Rabz
19 Feb 12 at 3:31 pm
hahahahahahahahahha
That family continually keeps dipping their bodies into that battery acid to the point where only the torso’s left.
JC
19 Feb 12 at 3:33 pm
I make the following prediction: Prime Minister Gillard resigns on March 3rd. In the December issue of Picture Magazine one Jools from Altona features in Home Girls sent in by her loving partner Timbo.
You read it here first.
Infidel Tiger
19 Feb 12 at 3:33 pm
Maybe she’s just really annoyed, and doesn’t really care about the billion dollars it would cost to crush the cockroaches under her heel?
After all, she’d make the money up in a year or so.
Winston Smith
19 Feb 12 at 3:33 pm
Bloody ‘ell, you’re cruel, IT.
I was enjoying dip and crackers when you put that image in my head.
Gotta see if I’ve got some Ondansetron in the medkit…
Winston Smith
19 Feb 12 at 3:41 pm
That was the Bunyip’s hypothesis. There was a hatchet job done on Gina in the boring weekend recently and her share purchasing swoop followed shortly afterwards.
Hell hath no fury like a billionairess traduced, as those vile fauxfax scumbags will hopefully soon discover.
Rabz
19 Feb 12 at 3:42 pm
Her purchase has really inspired other investors hey?
The dog is down 4 cents from where she bought her 10%.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=FXJ.AX&ql=1
The problem is that they have around $1.3 billion of debt and from what I hear the banks aren’t going to roll over that size debt.
My guess is that Gina will be acquiring the debt with an equity kicker.. in other words she’ll do a deal with the firm for a convertible preference deal.
That would dilute the present equity holders into oblivion.
If she plays her cards right and is smart about it, she’ll sit there with her 13% and wait for the knock at the door for the chairman begging her to do something about the debt.
Monster, you’re a fucking idiot thinking that because Gina bought the stock it would be a good idea to go in with her. It may actually be a good idea to short the stock as it’s quite likely, in fact more than likely, she’ll buy the company as a result of a debt exchange through a preference share issue that has an equity kicker.
If she goes in through that door the present stockholders are rooted.
JC
19 Feb 12 at 3:43 pm
Yes, I agree. But Wilkie has proven to be quite the pillow biter and helpless catamite in any political negotiating, so if his revelation today about Rudd’s aspirations helps Rudd it would not be because Wilkie had thought things through.
What a fucking dunce. It’s amazing he ever worked at ONA.
Abu Chowdah
19 Feb 12 at 4:01 pm
Wilkie and the truth are barely acquainted.
Gab
19 Feb 12 at 4:02 pm
Yep and it’ll only take an iceberg lettuce to hole the hull of this limping Titanic.
Abu Chowdah
19 Feb 12 at 4:03 pm
I was trying to count the lies in that statement from Rudd but lost count. What a farce.
Mark
19 Feb 12 at 4:04 pm
Bolt’s convo with Kroger and Costa very entertaining.
Good television.
C.L.
19 Feb 12 at 4:07 pm
FFS Dot, you make up some ridiculous lies. I have never said anything like that.
m0nty
19 Feb 12 at 4:09 pm
For people like Wilkie (independents only there until the next election) you can bet that his conversation with Rudd would have involved a discussion on whether or not Rudd would go for an election straight away.
Rudd would have told him whatever he wanted to hear.
Entropy
19 Feb 12 at 4:12 pm
No monty, you think that JC cannot make money because he disagrees with you, and that actually rationalising is also a loser.
You are the lying prick here minty. You made up an obscene lie that the PC had stopped issuing reports before the GFC. Again, why would one make up such an outrageous and egregious lie?
.
19 Feb 12 at 4:12 pm
Here’s the trap Gina is setting up I think.
The big gal owns 13% of the company, so that immediately gives her a bib at the dining table in the event of a restructuring.
Fairfax has $1.3 billion in current Liabilities and $1.1 in non-current liabilities. The banks have roughly 50% of the non-current and the rest in comprised of a bond issue and there is no hope for these turkeys are going to be able to roll over that portion debt with another issue as that market is basically closed to them.
There are 2.38 billion shares on issue and it has a marker cap of $1.8 billion.
The banks have basically said they won’t finance the debt and the bond market is not going to be available to them.
If she gets in through the debt she will end up owing at least 60% of the firm at around $1.1 billion totally avoiding a take over premium and she will decide on the make of the board and senior management, as that would be an obvious demand.
Bolt could end becoming chief editor to the howls of the inner city public sector workers. That would be ROTFL kinda stuff you could just dream about.
Conversation overheard between Editor Bolt and newly demoted junior reporter David Marr.
JC
19 Feb 12 at 4:17 pm
Alternative endings No 1:
“Good morning Mr. Bolt. Are you going to publish my story on the provision of gay adoption services for newly arrived boat people?”
“No and BTW, we need a junior correspondent in Zimbabwe. Off you go.”
Rabz
19 Feb 12 at 4:23 pm
That is not what I was implying at all. As I recall our original argument in the “Entrepreneurial Media control” thread went like this:
1. I accuse Rinehart of wanting Fairfax for political clout.
2. You claim Rinehart could be in it for pure commercial profit reasons.
3. I reiterate my reasons why no one could ever think of investing in Fairfax for profit.
4. You shut up.
Now in today’s thread, after me asking whether you backed up your silly assertion that Rinehart could be in it for profit, you have backflipped entirely. What’s the point of her eating all that debt to gain control of, as you say, a “shit business”? You have contradicted yourself. Either it’s an undervalued profit-maker, or it’s a turd. Pick one.
Also, as you well know, her paper value is a lot different to her liquidity. Technically she may be the richest person within three oceans, but she doesn’t actually have that much in the way of readies.
m0nty
19 Feb 12 at 4:25 pm
Are you actually mentally challenged, Dot, or just trolling really hard? I said the last PC report on the auto industry was pre-GFC, that’s all, not the last PC report ever. Seriously, go back to high school and take some remedial English classes. Maybe primary school.
m0nty
19 Feb 12 at 4:28 pm
m0nty, you certainly seem to be hoping so…
Rabz
19 Feb 12 at 4:29 pm
So you disagree that she can take control of the firm and and that a business strategy of starting anew can work.
The only reason why you assume she can’t make money out of it is that you insist that the status quo is good or can be improved on by further alienating itself.
You’re an insane whacker.
Really minty, tell us how liquid she is and what her real liquid wealth is. Tell us how you derived that figure. I mean who in their right mind wants shares of her newly developed QLD mines? The mining boom is going to end in a couple of years, as you= forecast, isn’t that right minty?
.
19 Feb 12 at 4:31 pm
…and I was referring to the trade and assistance review in the first instance with regards to mining ERPs and you never mentioned “auto industry”.
Stupid prick.
.
19 Feb 12 at 4:34 pm
CL – great interview but I ask Michael Kroger – and I know he reads this, Australia’s greatest policy blog – not to use ïnside the Beltway to refer to Canberra.
Abu Chowdah
19 Feb 12 at 4:36 pm
Alternative endings No 2:
“Good morning Mr. Bolt. Are you going to publish my story on the provision of gay adoption services for newly arrived boat people?”
“Absolutely. Oh, have you met our new fact-checkers? They’ve updated a par or two…”
ar
19 Feb 12 at 4:44 pm
I saw this and couldn’t believe it was real.
I posted this vid on Facebook. I rarely post anything political on Facebook due to good manners but I just couldn’t help it.
To think that this $##hole was running the country at one stage and millions of us didn’t see through the fascade (I luckily did).
Alex Pundit
19 Feb 12 at 4:48 pm
I agree that she can take control of the firm. The share register is a rabble. JC’s scenario of buying out the debt seems reasonable.
I disagree that any business strategy can work with the newspapers as the mastheads of the company. It only makes sense if she wants to adopt the Murdoch strategy of cross-subsidising the losses at the papers to lobby for policies which are profitable for her other interests.
All I’m saying is that she might be worth $20B in notional value, but up to now her income has been around $3B. But hey, sure, that’s still a lot of money, and a lot more than is needed to eat Fairfax.
m0nty
19 Feb 12 at 4:49 pm
I dunno about that. We were set up as a Washminster nation. House of Reps, Senate etc… We’ve long use ‘gerrymander’ and various other idiosyncratically American terms.
C.L.
19 Feb 12 at 4:53 pm
It’s just… gay.
IMNSHO.
Abu Chowdah
19 Feb 12 at 4:55 pm
Monty
How in this Universe does: “….All I’m saying is that she might be worth $20B in notional value, but up to now her income has been around $3B. But hey, sure, that’s still a lot of money, and a lot more than is needed to eat Fairfax.
is in any way consistent with
“…Technically she may be the richest person within three oceans, but she doesn’t actually have that much in the way of readies…”
m0nty, do you make it up as you go along, much like the incompetent government you cheer for?
oil shrill
19 Feb 12 at 5:03 pm
No doubt about Rudd, he’s good at heartfelt apologies that mean absolutely nothing.
But what a skin-crawling piece of writing!
Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.
19 Feb 12 at 5:03 pm
If Julia was in a lads mag she’d be Bag Girl, not homey.
Pickles
19 Feb 12 at 5:05 pm
So what do you think she is REALLY worth, minty?
An annual profit (after tax) of 2.8 bn is worth around 16 bn even to the most miserly of value investors of bears.
Ten billion is a reasonable figure you dolt.
.
19 Feb 12 at 5:05 pm
If she pays 40% tax and cannot minimise PIT, she still earns 1.4 billion in profit before takings as dividends etc.
Given her mines may have a future value of 100 billion, she can easily dilute here to basically do an LBO on FXJ.
“Not much in the way of readies”
$1 bn in dividends on top of convertibles and a good credit rating – not much cash says minty.
.
19 Feb 12 at 5:08 pm
I don’t want either Gillard or Rudd
I don’t care what either of them say
I used to be a swinging voter but I don’t think I’ll ever vote Labor again
This Labor Govt starting with Rudd is the worst Govt I recall in my lifetime
I’m not voting Green or Independent either in any future election
So I think I’m decided for the next election
And I’m in Qld
val majkus
19 Feb 12 at 5:09 pm
I solemnly declare
I did not have sexer.. I did not make that statement.Kevin07
19 Feb 12 at 5:10 pm
and we’re currently paying $300 MILLION A DAY ON THE RUDD/GILLARD GOVT DEBT
There are better economists than I am on this site
If this is wrong please let me know
This Gov’t is great on spin but not on anything else
val majkus
19 Feb 12 at 5:16 pm
The kiddie / adolescent / undergraduate ideological dogmas welded onto Julia’s and Lu Kewen’s psyches can only be treated via long term psychiatric help.
Into analysis boys and girls…..and don’t worry guys, some poor SOB taxpayer will wear the bill.
Dougy
19 Feb 12 at 5:16 pm
and to excuse myself I never voted for Rudd or Gillard or any Green or Independent supporting their Govt
val majkus
19 Feb 12 at 5:22 pm
3 is a lot smaller than 20.
m0nty
19 Feb 12 at 5:24 pm
Can I therefore apologise without reservation.
In the words of Graeme Bird, we’re willing to accept repentance but it’s gotta be genuine.
[Italics mine]
Adrien
19 Feb 12 at 5:29 pm
If you’re in your 50s and you still carry on like that you haven’t learnt your lesson and will never change.
Adrien
19 Feb 12 at 5:31 pm
3 is a lot smaller than 20.
even 3 is a lot of “readies”, when you said she didn’t have that much.
so in what universe is 3 “not much”?
Ah! In the Gillard/Swan/Rudd world of government finance with wasting someone else’s money, probably not. In the deluded state of this government, $260b is “not much” ….really. /sarc
oil shrill
19 Feb 12 at 5:32 pm
YOU DULLARD
I cannot believe you have the goddamn temerity to pontificate here on economics (which you dropped out of, dummy) and “teclo analysis” and you don’t even understand the time value of money.
You are valuing a mining magnate’s net wealth the same way as some fish and chip shops are valued – one year’s cash profits if you employ no one else.
Your assertion that you must treat us as children is simply an expression of the Dunning-Kruger effect.
.
19 Feb 12 at 5:34 pm
You’re becoming shrill, Dot. It happens when you have a bad week. You’ve had a pretty bad week at the hands of Les Maj.
Tell me again how liquidity is the same as net wealth. That’s the only point I was making: that they are different. You make such a mountain out of every molehill.
m0nty
19 Feb 12 at 5:57 pm
Monty, your strawman shows you are ranting nonsense.
Is the last refuge of the guilty to change the subject when losing.
oil shrill
19 Feb 12 at 6:11 pm
If the Marist Brothers taught Kevin to start sentences with “Can I”, he was perfectly justified in hating them.
2dogs
19 Feb 12 at 7:05 pm
Oh Jesus mOnty, you are such a kack.
Winston Smith
19 Feb 12 at 7:32 pm
No, he made two retractions the other day and dodged other questions. You are simply lying. Again.
I never said that, you are confusing liquidity with net liquid assets. Gina’s total net wealth however is highly liquid. Her wealth can be cashed out fairly quickly.
No it wasn’t dummy, unless you call cash the only liquid asset.
You are totally out of your depth and nothing but an overpaid and undereducated political hack.
You also inferred Gina couldn’t raise the cash for an LBO because she didn’t have all of the cash on hand that it may take.
You are living in pre renaissance Europe in terms of finance you dropkick.
.
19 Feb 12 at 7:43 pm
Um to get back on track:
Does anyone else think the Showdown at the Canberra Corral might lead to a third party stepping into the ring and er, er,
“doin a Mr Rabbitt” leader election trick?
(Not that they have a Tony Abbott doll as far as I know)
The Pardee of dirty tricks has a few cunning rats in it after all, and they must see what it is the people absolutely hate, so a REAL new leader with changed policies being the closest they might pretend as a
sop to the plebs?
Jazza
19 Feb 12 at 10:02 pm
“Can I also say at this stage that I have no current intention of challenging the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.”
Current is in the next 5 minutes.
Considering how bad Gillard has been Rudd will seem like a saviour. Labors re-electability problem solved.
kelly liddle
19 Feb 12 at 10:59 pm
I think I recognise the inspiration for this piece of logical and ethical ambiguity and the iconicity. Remember this?:
“Now, I have to go back to work on my State of the Union speech. And I worked on it until pretty late last night. But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I’m going to say this again: I, did, not, have, sexual, relations, with, that, woman, (pause, sigh) Miss-Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time- never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you.”
Cliff Maurer
19 Feb 12 at 11:38 pm
I just cant believe that speech by Rudd. Tell me it’s a fake.
Incredible that a jerk like that was Prime Minister of Australia – and might be again.
They have to go with a third choice.
Bill
20 Feb 12 at 9:36 am
“But I firmly believe with the passage of time, things would have settled down and the public would have realised the value of the many reforms that my government initiated.”
Did he borrow this from Juilas next speech? Or maybe from Anna (Stay With Me) Bligh.
dakingisdead
20 Feb 12 at 3:52 pm