Even Australia putting a woman to rule

[saltwater]

Political message from Australia
Today's Editorial
Published: 25 Jun 2010
Today's Editorial

In a stunning and swift reversal, Australia’s Labor Party changed its political leader and prime minister overnight, replacing Kevin Rudd with the country’s first female to hold the position, Julia Gillard.

Mr Rudd’s removal from office is even more startling because of his initial popularity. So well loved had he become that the feeling was that he would certainly get a second term. The BBC News reported yesterday that there was even talk of a “Rudd era” that could spread over a decade. He had even begun to be likened to the country’s legendary Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, who ruled the 1980s. Mr Rudd began running into trouble late last year and early this year when he first reneged on his campaign promise to develop strategies and policies to counter the growing negative effects of climate change. Australia is particularly sensitive to the damaging effects of climate change as large parts of the country have been turned into virtual deserts as a result of a withering drought that went on for years.

Mr Rudd made a good impression when he visited Trinidad last November for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, honouring Brian Lara, T&T’s most famous son, and advocating that 25 per cent of a US$10 billion fast-start fund aimed at addressing the effects of climate change should go to small-island developing states. Shortly after his visit to Port-of-Spain, Mr Rudd was perceived to have retreated on a carbon emissions exchange programme scheme and got into serious difficulties with Australia’s powerful mining lobby over a proposed new tax system. The system proposed would have earned the Australian Government an annual additional Aus$9 billion (US$8.3 billion) in tax revenue from the sector. In the tough Aussie culture, well-known to West Indian cricket, Mr Rudd’s reversal was seen as being “gutless.” To compound his unpopularity, Mr Rudd came to be known as “aloof” and not communicative with his cabinet members.

In a decisive move, senior members of the Labor Party initiated an election Wednesday night to vote for a new political leader, knowing that the political leader of the ruling party in Westminster democracies automatically steps into the prime minister’s chair. Mr Rudd did not even bother to contest knowing the level of his unpopularity in the party. In the circumstances Ms Gillard, who was Mr Rudd’s deputy in office, swept all before her and was catapulted into the prime ministership. The context of the decision by the Labor Party was the reality of a general election by October and with the party being conscious that with Mr Rudd in position it was almost certain defeat. There are a few contrasts with the political culture of T&T’s party and governance system, made very apparent by the PNM government and its prime minister, Patrick Manning.

The first is the obvious disposition of the Australian political and party system not to be dominated by one individual. Surely, too, the party did not give over control of the institutions of the organisation to its political leader. It controlled the system to call an internal election and to nominate the winner to the position of prime minister without the ability of Mr Rudd to intervene to preserve his crown.

Notwithstanding the fact that many senior officials and large numbers of people at lower levels in the PNM knew that Mr Manning was no longer politically good looking, they stood by and watched as the party pre-collapsed in office. The second significant lesson out of the Australian situation is the fact that the party continues to have a say in the governance process after electing its leader. In our political culture, it is unheard of that the party could intervene and dictate in any fashion what happens at the level of government. Mr Manning would not have tolerated any such attempt to dictate to him by the party, as indeed those who preceded him would not have done. The third significant difference with what happened here is the room for dissent within the party and government compared to what happened under Mr Manning, Mr Panday, Mr Robinson and Dr Williams. It is perhaps too early to say what will happen in the People’s Partnership.

The message must now be sent that the international political culture is changing from the dominant model of the past where the leader rules without question.
http://guardian.co.tt/news/editorial...sage-australia

[Razzman]

Even Australia???

Woman was Boss ever since Eve gave Adam the apple. Ask Denise.

[saltwater]

Even Australia???

Woman was Boss ever since Eve gave Adam the apple. Ask Denise.

And ever since Eve hv to take blame for Adam devouring the apple like if he didnt enjoy it.

[Sly1]

Upon being elected, Gillard said, "My values and beliefs have driven me to step forward to take this position as prime minister. I will lead a strong and responsible government that will take control of our future,"

Way to go girlfriend! You can do the job!

[mammadon]

Plenty countries getting women leaders now. Must be some plot for global female domination.

[Sly1]

U should see in the US where conservative women are beginning to win elections and climb the ladder in politics.

[saltwater]

Plenty countries getting women leaders now. Must be some plot for global female domination.

Women are excelling in education ie more women than men are graduating from universitites. Women are also climbing the corporate ladder and may have already broken the glass ceiling. Women have started entering politics awhile back but I think that when Hillary Clinton ran for the presidency, this ushered in a new era for women in power.
I think we will be seeing a lot more of this.

[Razzman]

And ever since Eve hv to take blame for Adam devouring the apple like if he didnt enjoy it.

Saltwater, I had nothing to do with it but isn't it interesting that the things we enjoy the most tend to be bad for us...ALL of us?

[saltwater]

I cyah see how apple is bad. The doctor say an apple a day is good. It prolly becomes bad if you teef the apple and then say Eve gave it to you.

[Sly1]

Dem stupid doctors! What do they know? They should be talking MANGOES! MANGOES! MANGOES! And the more mango U tief it better for you. Why because U have to get up before dark so U could sneak under the fence or in dey yard. Don't forget U might have to climb another tree to climb ah fence and do so quietly, so U know U using dem nice muscles to be stealthy. An if U pelting dong de mangoes think of those arm, back and leg muscles U does have to use.
NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL HEALTHY....LEADING UP TO EATING ONE OF THE WORLD'S HEALTHIEST FRUIT. apple my eye.

Then if U bring home green mango is ah WOMAN who go cook it so sweet.
Ah wonder of all these WOMEN in power or climbing to power how many of them know about MANGO...hmm I wonder if there is ah connection. I bet there is!

[snowbird]

The worm is turning

IN AUSTRALIA.....THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT SO !!!


A display of democracy at it's finest....very gutsey move by the Australian Labour Party, and a very classy move by the outgoing Prime Minister.

Contrast that with the dirty politics T&T went through just to get a change in the Leadership of the then ....'Opposition'; and later on, all the mud slinging in order to get Kamla voted in as PM.

.... I wonder how Dictator Patos would have handled his party rising up against him.....but then again, we will never know as those 'gutless' politicians opted to just go along with his bad policies rather than stand up with integrity like the Australian politicians and do the right thing...... Kudos to Australia, Good luck to Julia.

[riverlime4so]

Things looking good for Sarah Palin.

[revelation]

Listed as one of 16 women taking over the world....guess who's #15?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...mment-58740612

[atma]

Things looking good for Sarah Palin.

for a career in porn

[saltwater]

That was a nice reveletion. Thks.

[riverlime4so]

for a career in porn

You ent find she nice?
All dat moose she eatin.

[Sly1]

for a career in porn

ATMA: I hope no one says that about your sister or mother...that would not be nice.

[riverlime4so]

Wha happen, Sly. Like you and Zack hah competition fuh medal, or wha?

What you think about Palin chances vs Hilary & co.?

[Sly1]

Wha happen, Sly. Like you and Zack hah competition fuh medal, or wha?

What you think about Palin chances vs Hilary & co.?

RIVERLIME4SO: Da is a pictcha of my Chacha so I celebrating he some nah.

Palin vs Hilary and co.....gawd NO! Dem is real killers....long list of killings and missing people...I fraid dem real bad.

Buh back to women on the rise, You seen one in South Carolina http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...QHJ_AD9GH7H480

Rep. Nikki Haley. Rep. Haley advocates fiscal conservatism and limited government. S.C. needs responsible leadership in the governor's office to rein in the reckless spending by the General Assembly. Rep. Haley is the Republican nominee. To her credit, Rep. Haley works well with her fellow legislators. Rep. Haley is looking forward to becoming S.C.'s governor in November!

[mammadon]

Well good for Aussie they have a woman PM. But our female PM is better looking than she.

[atma]

ATMA: I hope no one says that about your sister or mother...that would not be nice.

Well neither of dem think foreign policy mean dey could see Venezuela from Trinidad

[Sly1]

Well neither of dem think foreign policy mean dey could see Venezuela from Trinidad

ATMA: you are doing ah very good TINA FEY
She said one could see Russia from some places in Alaska...

Big Diomede, which sits in Russian territory, and Little Diomede, which is part of the United States. At their closest, these two islands are a little less than two and a half miles apart, which means that, on a clear day, you can definitely see one from the other.
if you stand on high ground on the tip of St. Lawrence Island—a larger Alaskan island in the Bering Sea, southwest of the Diomedes—you can see the Russian mainland, about 37 miles away. http://www.slate.com/id/2200155
The mountains (which are quite high) in far eastern Russia are easily visible from Gambel, on St. Lawrence Is., AK. You may not be able to see the ground in Russia from mainland AK, but high mountain peaks are easily seen, especially from SLI. http://geography.about.com/b/2008/10...rom-alaska.htm

[riverlime4so]

Jeez. And I thought MY geography was good!

So you agree that women do (in politics) (most of the time) a better job than men?

BTW, Tina didn't say that, originally. She was echoing Palin.

[Sly1]

When talking about what she says is her foreign policy experience, Sarah Palin told ABC news "...you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska."
That quote made us want to go to that island. from Anderson Cooper http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/3...sia-from-here/

and then TINA FAY took off....yes she was very good and funny, I enjoyed her.

As a leader, I do believe that she is good. she was very good as a politician in Alaska. Her record speaks for its self. As a VP she had plenty growing and learning to do. For one she had not knowledge or backing when it came to the media...they had her for lunch, they make chopped meat of her, yes most of it was her own fault as she was a novice.

[guyguy]

The hand that rocks the cradle .... rules the world

.

I say: More Woman Power. I'd like to know that my daughters and granddaughters could become anything if they put their minds to it - even President of the USA!