Saturday 20th of April 2024
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table for one .....

table for one .....

Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey says Labor's deception over Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's mid-air meltdown is worse than the actual incident itself.

Mr Rudd has publicly apologised for verbally abusing a flight attendant and reducing her to tears on a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) flight in a row over food earlier this year.

However News Limited has reported that Mr Rudd's media adviser, Lachlan Harris, initially denied the incident happened when first asked about it.

Mr Hockey has told Channel 10 Mr Rudd's delayed admission shows he only tells the truth when he has to.

"What was more alarming out of that entire incident, not just going off the handle at the RAAF staff, but the fact that his office was lying to the Australian people about what actually happened," he said.

"This illustrates a pattern of behaviour out of his office that they are prepared to mislead the Australian people as to the truth of the matter."

Lies worse than Rudd's mid-flight spat: Hockey

lack of people skills...

From the SMH letters ( 25/06/10)
If only Rudd had people skills on his side

Kevin Rudd became the leader of the Labor Party when the majority of caucus believed he was their best chance to win the 2007 federal election. He lost the leadership when the majority became convinced he would lose the election due this year.

For all Rudd's protestations that he was undermined by factional leaders, he was elected with cross-factional support, and the loss of that support has led to his demise.

Rudd defeated Kim Beazley by only 10 votes in the leadership caucus ballot. Had six members changed their vote, Rudd would not have become leader. So even when the party was desperate to find someone to lead them from the political wilderness, he did not receive overwhelming support.

Rudd has never been popular in caucus. When Mark Latham successfully challenged Beazley for the leadership, Rudd initially sounded out his colleagues to gauge his level of support. Within 24 hours he decided not to contest as it was virtually nil.

To be successful in politics you need a broad skill set. Rudd has many of those skills. He is intelligent, determined, passionate, articulate (although less so in recent times) and has an unrivalled work ethic. But he does not have the most important characteristic: the ability to engender loyalty by working with people.

It was only a matter of time before members of caucus came to the collective view that they could not continue to accept Rudd's management style, and the recent polls convinced them their previous electoral asset had become a liability.

It is truly sad that a man of such great intellect will not have a more significant place in Australian political history, and that this is largely due to his lack of people skills. Let's hope current and aspiring politicians learn from Kevin Rudd's mistakes.

Ian De Landelles Hawker (ACT)

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Meanwhile the "people-skill" thug on the other side of politics is rubbing boot polish on his bloodied boxing gloves, knowing fully well that this country is full of thugs — his power base — who profess the belief that one does not get the loot by being a caring sissy... as long as one goes to church on sunday to expiate this blackest of sins... see "hot pickle" toon at top.