After a lifetime as a party man Kim Beasley has again been ‘deposed’ as Labor Party leader. He says he will not be standing again for the front bench and it’s time to move on allowing the party to complete the ‘generational change’ it’s been going through slowly over the past few years. The new team is to be Kevin Rudd as leader, with Julia Gillard as deputy.
Kim took over the party last time after the last election when Mark Lathams leadership imploded and we needed a strong leader to reunite the party. This he did, but, as cruel as it is, he was only ever going to be a stop-gap leader and there was never any real likelihood of him taking the party to the election.
I appreciate after all his hard work it’s sad for him personally to have the leadership taken from him this way… but it has to be done. Realistically Labor has to present a *new* face to the electorate and Kim is a three time loser. What’s more… whether this is a media choice or not… he simply hasn’t been making enough noise to raise the public profile of the party with regards to Labor’s alternative policies.
Rudd and Gillard are being protrayed in the media as “The Dream Team” … and while think this is a bit of hyperbole, there is no doubt that the change was needed… and needed *now* before the Xmas break.
I have no idea if Rudd will be a good Prime Minister… but I *do* feel he will be better in the job than Kim Beasley. I would have preferred Mark Latham to have stayed on… but of course that was impossible… and after his acrimonious departure from politics any return would be unlikely in the extreme.
Congratulations to Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. You’ve won the race… now get out there and do what you were elected for. Get Labor back in power and some real positive social policy back into Australian life!!
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