Cop that, Donald Trump

[M61A1]

Well Turnbull sure screwed the pooch today. He's bending over well and truly for the lunatic right - Bernardi, Morrison and Dutton are taking turns behind him.All he had to do was say "Look guys, it won't hurt to endorse KRudd for this because he's about 12th in line anyway; the woman from Bulgaria is a favourite and it's Eastern Europe's turn, even if they wanted an ex-prime minister from Australasia the Kiwi would end up getting it.

 

So let's just endorse him knowing full well he'll get nowhere; if we don't, we look like small-minded pricks who put petty politics over supporting Australia, and leave ourselves open to the same treatment when Labor gets in and we want someone from our side in the UN...."

 

Unfortunately he chose to be the smaller man.

He would need to be way further back than 12th in line to risk that prick getting that job. Better to leave him off the list just to make sure.

 

 

[facthunter]

If you think that can be done in a decent way, considering all the circumstances , let me know how. Nev

 

 

[gareth lacey]

You think there is decency in politics, gillard lied, rudd the backstabber,tony too conservative,,turnbull to much money to understand ,shorten the union thug,keating the smarmy bxxtard,hawke the union thug,the list is endless,at least little johnny kept us in the black, pollies are mostly in it for the gravy and large super , and the greens loony tunes

 

 

[facthunter]

You are telling us more about you, and how you vote, than significant facts about the people you mention. Nev

 

 

[onetrack]

Rudd would be an embarrassment to Australia if he was punted into the U.N. leadership position. He was an embarrassment as a PM.

 

He's another Trump - a bloke who mistakes movement for action, he's nothing but a blue-arse fly.

 

His airfares bills when he was PM were utterly staggering, and he spent more time in the air, than on the ground.

 

Anytime there was a pressing decision to be made at home, Rudd was on a jet, tear-arsing around the world, pressing the flesh with every 3rd world tinpot dictator he could garner a photo session with.

 

He sees himself as a world leader to eclipse Winston Churchill - when the sad fact is, he's an arrogant, narcissisitic, bullying, divisive, intransigent prick, who is a complete arsehole to work under. And I'm looking at the descriptions from Labor people who had him as a boss, to form that opinion.

 

Turnbull may have broken with tradition - but a proposed appointee to the U.N. position has to show the necessary qualities needed, by way of leadership ability, ability to unite people, ability to work with others, and a calm and steady temperament. Rudd has adequately demonstrated none of those qualities.

 

I might add, I've employed many hundreds of people over a number of decades, and I've operated a business with up to 103 employees at the one time, so I think I've acquired some character judgement skills, when it comes to assessing peoples abilities, and employment suitability.

 

 

[facthunter]

So I suppose all the knowledge you have of Rudd is first hand and given in a calm manner in a proper analytical forum. Your "over the top" analysis of him,(which must be slanderous, really in it's content) doesn't impress me as to how you would manage things, generally in a fair and considered manner. Maybe you are having a bad day. I'm sure Kevin had some too. Forgive me for being direct but I am making a point, which I have the right to put straight. Nev

 

 

[gareth lacey]

Yes Nev, i come from a Welsh background who mostlty were labour and union, my father always voted conservative in UK a war veteran he was dismayed how labour treated them after WW11, till his dying day was a staunch conservative ,me i am liberal in my thinking and as you say lean that way , but labour has only ever made monumental stuff ups for us, pollies of all colours say that they will be for the country and people BUT always toe the party line, all political parties are this way and the loony greens would always be lefties,i have little faith in ANY pollies ( i have worked for one years ago, ) they start out fresh and with vigour but soon become pigs at the trough

 

 

[onetrack]

Nev, I don't need first-hand knowledge of Rudd's temperament and modus operandi - plenty of Labor people close to him have already outlined it clearly.

 

And there's nothing slanderous (definition of slanderous - "false and malicious") about my assessment of him, the precise same words have been used by others to describe him, and I used them with no malicious intent. The words are an accurate description of his character flaws.

 

What amuses me, is Tanya Plibersek seems to have done a complete about-face in her opinion of Rudd. She needs to have the footage replayed to her where she described working with Rudd as difficult, and how flawed his personality is.

 

Here Nicola Roxon (former Labor A-G, in case you forgot) calls Rudd a bastard, and for him to quit Parliament, in a John Button lecture ..

 

Nicola Roxon calls on 'bastard' Kevin Rudd to quit Parliament in John Button lecture

 

How not to be a boss like Kevin Rudd (SMH) ..

 

How not to be a boss like Kevin Rudd

 

 

[facthunter]

Intense dislike of the British Colliery owners was common in Wales. I never understood why the Welsh miners

 

struck during a war till I studied what had happened at the time in detail. Miners were dying regularly in pit accidents and the wives evicted from the little miner's cottages immediately. Pit ponies (Clydesdales ) were more valued than the life of a miner, because they were harder to replace. One rock fall killed 400 miners and nothing in the enquiry did a thing for the miner's conditions or paid any compensation. The owners were not made accountable in any way, so the workers struck during a war and good on them. Something had to be done. My ancestors are Scottish miners who came to Australia in the 1860's. My Grand father died slowly of Silicosis in the front room of the house we lived in. I don't in any way accept your generalisation of unionists as "thugs". That's the popularised mantra with this LNP but it's part of their desire to remove union influence so wages can go lower and standards of safety/conditions reduced to increase profits. A GOOD employer will not be able to compete with CROOKS who allow people to die to make more money. Cutting corners on safety issues. Still happens . Just get around ... and look....Cheaper Airfares?? What are they cutting costs and corners on? Anything they can get away with. I know what I'm talking about, because I still have a lot of friends in (and Leaving in disgust) the game. Large building sites are some of the most dangerous places to work. Two of my sons work there. I don't get my facts from the notoriously misleading MSM newspapers either. Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

You think there is decency in politics, gillard lied, rudd the backstabber,tony too conservative,,turnbull to much money to understand ,shorten the union thug,keating the smarmy bxxtard,hawke the union thug,the list is endless,at least little johnny kept us in the black, pollies are mostly in it for the gravy and large super , and the greens loony tunes

Gareth your post disappoints me greatly. EVERY politician lies. Churchill was one of the biggest liars. Instead of simply regurgitating the hateful tripe from the crazy right, why don't you calmly and deeply analyse what you hear?

 

 

[facthunter]

Think about this. Unions are legal in any country worth the name and under UN statutes . Would you really like the unions to have no ability to call a halt to bad/ unsafe practices? When I first went teaching , If your girlfriend, another school teacher, married you, she had to resign her job. When I left Teaching to go flying, it took me nearly 12 months to get back my super contributions (without interest). Do we need to go back to those conditions?. You will, without worker representation. There's no floor under anything. No right to expose unsafe practices. You do it and you get sacked and no one is game to stand up. Good employers exist but they won't be able to compete with the "Smart" guys. I've done psychology Courses at Univ of NSW with business managers and I am quite familiar with their attitude to the ordinary workers, and it's not getting better. What sort of mayhem do you want your kids to have to live in? I've got grandkids who have been exploited and robbed of money by Big name corporations who know they won't object as they need the money. Nev

 

 

[gareth lacey]

Unions have thier place but politacal parties shoud not be involved with them and there are thugs in unions

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

The first time I saw Rudd speak I predicted he would be the next Labor PM. In opposition he was elequent and made sense. He brought a freshness and drive that our country needed. Unlike many in parliament, he worked bloody hard. In government he achieved much, and did things that should have been done long ago.

 

He wasn't the first leader to cultivate a public persona totally at odds with reality- this is one country where his colleagues could spill the beans in safety.

 

His prodigious talent ended up being wasted as his even larger ego took over.

 

It's true that Labor governments have shown commendable bipartisanship, appointing former opponents to important positions. On this occasion, however, Turnbull's assessment of Rudd's unsuitability seems to have been confirmed by Kevin himself. What statesman/diplomat would release private correspondence to the media the day after getting a knock back?

 

 

[facthunter]

He is forced to do that. The spin by the Turnbull group is he has no right to be surprised by this outcome, inferring he was never given any assurances That is clearly NOT the case.

 

Kevin is not my kind of bloke. He's a bit too Messianic, but I still defend him in this instance, He has been deceived and humiliated unnecessarily. He has talents. Most of us only know by what we have been fed by people with vested interests. Turnbull wouldn't meet him face to face. that's a bit weak really since he was around to do it. Turnbull is forced to change his tack by Dutton, Abbott, Bernardi mainly because he has such a tenuous grip on the Party, and needs them all onside.. This could herald BAD government, and instability. Nev

 

 

[Yenn]

Kevin is a failed PM, I think that would make him a shoe in as leader of a failed UN.

 

Much as I see Malcolm as a failure, he seems to have got it right this time.

 

 

[facthunter]

It's a pretty bad look for an opposite side of politics person to Rudd to Dud him so completely .In these appointments party politics should be kept out of it. The abbott couldn't care less what the UN want. even though we sign human rights treaties etc (same as George W Bush) and the LNP rubbished Gillard for paying the usual and time tested amount to them so it's a bit precious to ((supposedly) protect the UN from embarrassment by finishing of his aspirations internally. The UN are quite capable of doing these things on their own if needed I reckon it's petty and nasty, and I agree with Anthony Albanese. Nev

 

 

[Marty_d]

rudd just wanted to get on the gravy train, he cannot get a job because he is a career pollie and that means he useless for anything in the real world

As an ex-prime minister he's getting a pension for life of 70% of his wage while PM. That was in the region of $500,000 so he's pulling down around $350,000.

 

Added to that he's got free travel, staff, office and (I think) a car.

 

Do you really think he needs to work or is doing this for the money?

 

He would need to be way further back than 12th in line to risk that prick getting that job. Better to leave him off the list just to make sure.

Think what you like of him, he and Swannie pulled us through the GFC in better shape than pretty much every other country on earth. If Abbott (or even Turnbull, looks like) was in power in 2008 they would have fiddled while Rome burned.

 

Rudd would be an embarrassment to Australia if he was punted into the U.N. leadership position. He was an embarrassment as a PM.He's another Trump - a bloke who mistakes movement for action, he's nothing but a blue-**** fly.

His airfares bills when he was PM were utterly staggering, and he spent more time in the air, than on the ground.

 

Anytime there was a pressing decision to be made at home, Rudd was on a jet, tear-arsing around the world, pressing the flesh with every 3rd world tinpot dictator he could garner a photo session with.

 

He sees himself as a world leader to eclipse Winston Churchill - when the sad fact is, he's an arrogant, narcissisitic, bullying, divisive, intransigent prick, who is a complete ******** to work under. And I'm looking at the descriptions from Labor people who had him as a boss, to form that opinion.

 

Turnbull may have broken with tradition - but a proposed appointee to the U.N. position has to show the necessary qualities needed, by way of leadership ability, ability to unite people, ability to work with others, and a calm and steady temperament. Rudd has adequately demonstrated none of those qualities.

 

I might add, I've employed many hundreds of people over a number of decades, and I've operated a business with up to 103 employees at the one time, so I think I've acquired some character judgement skills, when it comes to assessing peoples abilities, and employment suitability.

You may see him as an embarrassment, I reckon we've had far more embarrassing PM's - Little Johnny for a start and the farcical Tony Abbott completing the circle of incompetence.

 

If his character is so bad, how come Brendan Nelson, who is from the opposing team, stated that some people are perfectly suited for some positions and he thinks Rudd is perfectly suited to Secretary General?

 

KRudd had his faults but he's also done some sterling work for this country. It's a disgrace that Turncoat doesn't have the balls to stand up to the lunatic fringe and do what he knows is right.

 

 

[M61A1]

KRudd didn't pull us through anything.....it was sheer luck, and we are still struggling with their efforts, not that Malcom is doing much to fix anything.

 

Sterling...hardly.

 

 

[Birdseye]

Kevin pulled for himself, just like every other politician and unionist. Last sort of person I'd like to see as head of the UN.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Think about this. Unions are legal in any country worth the name and under UN statutes . Would you really like the unions to have no ability to call a halt to bad/ unsafe practices? When I first went teaching , If your girlfriend married you, she had to resign her job. When I left Teaching to go flying, it took me nearly 12 months to get back my super contributions (without interest). Do we need to go back to those conditions?. You will, without worker representation. There's no floor under anything. No right to expose unsafe practices. You do it and you get sacked and no one is game to stand up. Good employers exist but they won't be able to compete with the "Smart" guys. Iv'e done psychology Courses at Univ of NSW with business managers and I am quite familiar with their attitude to the ordinary workers, and it's not getting better. What sort of mayhem do you want your kids to have to live in? I've got grandkids who have been exploited and robbed of money by Big name corporations who know you won't object as you need the money. Nev

I used to think that too, Nev.

When I made the mistake of raised safety issues and challenged mismanagement in my workplace I discovered how easy it is for sociopathic administrators to abuse the system and destroy my career.

 

I had given nearly four decades of very active support to my union -one of Australian's strongest. I asked them for help. After a brief window- dressing response the silence was deafening. Many letters ignored.

 

It has been my painful experience that union officials too often have their eye on the big prize, and forget why they have been appointed.

 

.

 

 

[facthunter]

OK same with me. When you have a curly one you are on your own. That's just gutlessness No shortage of it. Unions are made of people. Nev

 

 

[facthunter]

A lot of economists all around the world, don't agree with you, M61A1. It was a radical move. Back up the banks and keep the economy liquid. Ask a lot of businesses to keep staff on and not panic and it worked whatever you want to believe. Naturally the LNP don't want to give him any credit, They continue to quote figures without ever mentioning the GFC ever existed. The rest of the world knows it existed. They print money and have zero Bank interest which is not NORMAL and austerity that makes recessions . Doesn't fix things at all. We have not had a recession during the entire period. The current low inflation figure is probably due to low oil and gas prices flowing through the economy and reducing costs, but it's not doing particularly well. Heavy Dependence on China is bad long term, Gas and Coal are in a slump and Iron ore isn't a lot better. Nev

 

 

[M61A1]

A lot of economists all around the world, don't agree with you, M61A1. It was a radical move. Back up the banks and keep the economy liquid. Ask a lot of businesses to keep staff on and not panic and it worked whatever you want to believe. Naturally the LNP don't want to give him any credit, They continue to quote figures without ever mentioning the GFC ever existed. The rest of the world knows it existed. They print money and have zero Bank interest which is not NORMAL and austerity that makes recessions . Doesn't fix things at all. We have not had a recession during the entire period. The current low inflation figure is probably due to low oil and gas prices flowing through the economy and reducing costs, but it's not doing particularly well. Heavy Dependence on China is bad long term, Gas and Coal are in a slump and Iron ore isn't a lot better. Nev

I have read different opinions on whether or not it worked. Some say it did, others say it did nothing except increase debt, others say nobody really knows whether it did or did not. However, there are an awful lot on the did nothing positive side.

 

 

[red750]

No problem with them fighting for members rights and and conditions. It's when they get greedy and employ standover tactics and threats is when they lose me.

 

Example. Demanding raincoats on wet days. Sounds fair. Get the raincoat. Next day, wet again. Oh! I forget the raincoat. I won't work till I get another one. Same the following day. One guy ended up with 17 raincoats.

 

Example . A builder on the Olympic Stadium. DEMANDS best tickets to the Games or he doesn't work. How would that work elsewhere? Oh! I work at the Note Printing Works. I DEMAND free money.

 

 

[red750]

Labor inherited zero debt and money in the bank from Howard, Costello et al and spent it willy nilly (school halls whether needed or not, pink batts, etc). Ended up with large national debt and no balanced budgets. Swann promised them, but never delivered. Softened the GFC blow, but just about bankrupted us in the process.