I was told the date of the federal election, but I forgot to write it down

I hang around Canberra a fair bit. As I work there, its literally and figuratively an occupational hazard!

Anyway, last week, before Jerlia became PM, a Canberra insider, in a fit of unexpected candour, told me when the next election would be held. This is where I should have been concentrating more closely, or had a dictaphone handy (negative to both) - and I can't for the life of me remember whether he said it would be August 21 or October 16. It was definitely one of those.

Apparently dates for these things are decided months in advance, and even so-called 'snap election' dates are decided on well before they are announced.

Either way, I expect the next Conservative federal government to be sworn in by a dispirited-looking Governor General well before the first Tuesday in November.

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Masterchef sparks Sydney vs Melbourne rivalry

There is talk that next year will see the third series of Masterchef move from Sydney to Melbourne, ostensibly because the show is somehow "more Melbourne." Apparently Masterchef is more popular in Melbourne than Sydney. Another reason slated for the move was that the show's three judges, Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston are all Melbourne-based. Well bully for them. They are all probably delighted to get out of the joint for seven months of the year.

Really, this Sydney versus Melbourne rivalry is childish and inane. What difference does it make where Masterchef is filmed? It is primarily shot inside a custom-built warehouse, for crying out loud!

In spite of the awful over-acting by Calombaris and Preston, I have really enjoyed this year's Masterchef. The contestants seem much more likeable, and, the food they have produced, light years ahead of the fare from series one. And I really hope Callum wins, btw.

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The Gillard & Rudd thing

Sorry was not able to blog today during the momentous events in Canberra - I was at work, where blogging is not sanctioned!

So we finally have Madame Gillard installed as Prime Minister. Will she be the beacon of fiscally conservative light that the electorate and the markets want? Or is she simply Kevin Rudd in a skirt? I fear the latter. Very much so.

The dim-witted comment of the morning, however, must surely go to Labor Senator Kate Lundy who said on radio, and I'm paraphrasing, that Julia Gillard would be the most effective weapon against a coalition who wanted to bring back WorkChoices.

Um, Kate, dearie, are you so out of touch with the sentiment of the community, and did you pay no attention to last weekend's Penrith by-election, whereby at the three booths where ALP workers wore Your Rights at Work t-shirts, the swing against Labor topped 30 percent? Oh yes, WorkChoices will give you great traction, no doubt about it. In fact, keep talking about it, because I would love to see a federal swing against Labor of thrity percent. Absolutely.

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Rudd to hand over the keys to the Lodge tomorrow?

I said on June 1st that Kevin Rudd's days were numbered.

Rudd has just announced at a press conference that Julia Gillard has told him she wants his office, and, as such, Rudd will be contesting the leadership of the party tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow we will see Julia Gillard as Prime Minister of Australia.

God help us all.

UPDATE

BS of the night award goes to a non compos mentis Laurie Oakes, who just called Rudd's press conference a "brilliant performance."

UPDATE 2

Friend just emailed to say that Labor would be better off talking to Turnbull than Julia! Somehow I don't think the Labor caucus can wait for Malcolm.

UPDATE 3

Andrew Bolt makes a good point:

Global warming a year ago was seen as the policy supported by everyone of sense, and by all political parties. Since then the leaders of the both the biggest parties have lost their jobs essentially over this issue. And had Tony Abbott not won the Liberal leadership by a single vote…

UPDATE 4

Kevin Rudd has absolutely no one to blame but himself for the predicament he is now in. Over the past three years he has proved to be one of the most disappointing prime ministers Australia has ever had. I simply don't think the position suited him. He was never a leader. He thought too much, talked too much, and tried to be too many things to too many people - and failed. His disproportionate arrogance belied his human side, and his lack of economic credentials showed him up for the doctrinaire socialist he always was.

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Labor died in western Sydney tonight

I find general elections truly fascinating. Funny thing is, I have never been able to get my rocks off on by-elections: to me, they can be as interesting as checking the pressure in one's tires.

The Penrith by-election was held today, and, as predicted, the Labor Party got an absolute thrashing.

What was interesting with this one was not the result (which everyone predicted), but the scale and consistency of the swings against Labor.

ABC election analyst Antony Green, a paragon of caution early in the evening, ended up speechless:

20:56 - I'm running out of things to say. I have never seen a table of swings like the one I've published on the results page. This result is unprecedented.

Here is the table he's talking about (data courtesy http://www.abc.net.au/elections/nsw/2010/penrith/result.htm). You will notice that after preferences, every single booth recorded a swing against Labor of more than 20 percent.

Rethink whether Australia should bid for soccer world cup

After Australia's disastrous opening round soccer match where Germany pounded the living sauerkraut out of us, people are starting to mutter whether Australia should even be bidding at all for the rights to host the world cup in 2018 or 2020. For if the result of the last few days were to replicate itself on home soil, the sense of national embarrassment would be almost unendurable.

On the positive side, none of the current Socceroos will be playing for the national side in 2020, and the current coach won't be around either. So, while there may be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, I believe the money that this bid will cost should be spent on far more pressing concerns.

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The joys of winter

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.” - Stanley Horowitz

I have been away for a few days, travelling up to the central west of NSW, and enjoying the terrific scenery around Cowra, Canowindra and Orange, before heading over the Blue Mountains to Sydney where I spent and a couple of days visiting rellies.

I love this time of the year. The colder the better, as far as I'm concerned. The best thing about winter is that it enables one to fashion a warmth for one's body and soul that just feels so damn good!

Victorian government should not reward Woods

In paying a huge sum (they won't admit how much it is, but it's seven figures) to get Tiger Woods to return to Victoria in November to defend his Australian Masters title, the Victorian government is both condoning Woods' bedswerving, and betting on his pulling power ('scuse pun) remaining undiminished to draw in the crowds and the dollars to Melbourne later this year.

ABC News Radio's Tracee Hutchison* (rightly) grills aggrandising Victorian Tourism and Major Events Minister Tim Holding, for what is ultimately an ill-considered use of taxpayers' money.

*For some reason the start of the interview is missing.

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Pay politicians more

Talk that federal politicians' salaries could increased by as much as $50,000 per year in a bid to curb rorts, is a good idea. If implemented, it would bring the base salary of an Australian backbencher to around $180,000 p.a. However, for me, the overhaul doesn't go far enough.

All politicians should be paid a base salary of $300,000, out of which they must pay for all their expenses, including travel, postage, accommodation. As politicians take on ministerial or leadership roles, their salary is increased to say $400,000 for ministers and leader of the Opposition and $500,000 for the prime minister.

And the stupid current practice (not confined to Australia, either) of departmental heads getting paid more than the prime minister, should cease forthwith.

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Doubt

Scenario (actual – today, at work, in fact)

I get very uncomfortable when someone tells me how I should have done something after I have already done it. I did what I was asked. I completed a task – completed it well, I think. But I was told – politely – that I should have done it differently to avoid a situation that “occasionally” takes place. Incidentally, the method suggested to me by my well-meaning colleague would have resulted in precisely the same outcome.

The upshot of this is that a seed of doubt was planted in my mind; a seed that gets nourished by my own insecurity. This is beginning to happen too regularly for my liking. Things need to change.

The office can be a withering environment, where the sun needed for one’s emotional healing is impeded by concrete and steel. Work seems endless, but one’s lifetime is ephemeral. There is imbalance all around.

Remedy

Recognise the futility of being concerned about something that will probably go unnoticed.

Concentrate on how well a task was done, not on how one's actions should have conformed to a colleague’s subjective convention.

“Confound doubt by concentrating on all the reasons you have in life for being grateful. Don’t focus on the things that to you seem imperfect. Habitual doubt is a manifestation of self-centeredness. Love truth. Love! Fill your hearts with generous sentiments, and doubt will flee like night shadows before the sunrise.” – J. Donald Walters

Now, heal thyself.

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Rudd's just about finished

The latest Newspoll is very bad for Federal Labor. Not that I think Tony Abbott, upon seeing his side’s figures, will be hugging himself and rocking back and forth. He has a lot of work to do to convince voters who are jack of Labor not to be foolish and vote Green.

Back to Rudd. By virtue of his disproportionate arrogance and litany of stuff-ups, his position is virtually terminal. I cannot think of a post-war PM who is more despised - including by many on his own side.

Whenever the next federal election is called – August, October ... my prediction is that Kevin Rudd will not lead the Labor party to the election.

If he does, they will lose.

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