Julia Gillard’s oft-boasted ‘steely resolve’ has been tested lately, and she has failed to show it every time.
She fled an important conference, and a meeting with Hillary Clinton, because three of her soldiers had died by gunfire in a war, and went not to the warfront but Canberra. She fled an important conference, and a meeting with Vladimir Putin, because her father had died at 83, and went home weeping to Adelaide.
Leaving a battlefield because of a dear one’s death is not what she lets our soldiers do. They must stay, and fight on till battle’s end.
Yet she thinks she is different somehow. She is allowed her tears and her time off, playing hookey from her national obligations, her duty.
The latest conference had a day to run. The funeral wouldn’t occur for about five days. There was time to get home and comfort her mum before then. Her sister was on hand, doing this already. Many Australians overseas when a parent dies don’t get to the funeral. That is the way things go sometimes.
But not for Gillard. She is what Schwarzenegger might call a ‘girly man’. She goes AWOL.
A contrast with Kim Beazley might be drawn. He heard his younger brother had died. Yet he went on in and faced the Caucus meeting in which he was rolled as Leader. And he gave the press conference, and took hard questions about the sum of his career, and his failure to be our greatest Prime Minister. And then he flew home. You do your duty first in this job, and then serve family matters, as he did, when there is time.
The doctrine of ‘Gillard Exceptionalism’ should now be abandoned. She should either do the job, or get out of it.
Name:
I can’t say I share this sentiment. In almost every workplace in Aust we have a dedicated right to bereavement leave. In fact, I saw a few rugby league players this year miss games when a parent died or their wife was giving birth.
Didn’t the Wests hooker miss a game when his mom died, and the same for that Cowboys prop?
Girly tears? I hardly think so. Big tough blokes who lost a parent and missed doing their paid duty to their clubs and fans.
Leaving aside your dislike of the PM, the issue is that she, like every public servant, has an entitlement to take leave for personal reasons, no matter where or when this occurs.
I’m unsure whether you think this should apply to everyone - and that no person in a senior position should ever take leave to comfort their family?
Well said,Pleb. This is a very harsh,unsympathetic post by Ellis.
I basically agree with Bob Ellis. Service men and women are on call 24 hours a day seven days a week. There is no certainty that a request for compassionate leave will be granted for a serviceman/ woman to get home whatever the reason. Politicians get little correct and produce so many failures at our expense. Deceit seems their forte in my opinion. Politicians (ALL) should be required 24/7 and request compassionate leave as Servicemen /women are required to do I believe.
Hey Les, the PM’s not a service woman so I’m not sure how your argument is valid.
Completely out of order, Bob Ellis. Please issue a retraction and then go and stand in the corner for one hour.
Gold!
This is a horrible, horrible effort, Ellis.
You will be, and should be, condemned for it.
If this is your real character, at the time of Gillard’s father’s death, you don’t deserve to have a place as a legitimate political commentator.
So I can’t criticise Murdoch any more you mean. Or Rinehart.
What are you talking about?
All you like. With the same, or less, credibility now as Henderson, Grahame Morris, Christopher Pyne: read the above piece out loud in that particular tone of voice and it could have been written by the latter. Don’t blame me, you wrote it, you wear it.
What in heaven’s name did you expect from it?
If she could go home, it means she didn’t have to be there in the first place.
What a load of rubbish allthumbs! She was there as our representative, as were many other similar leaders. If the same tragic situation occurred to another leader, I would support their right to depart in a similar way. It’s called ‘caring’.
A valid undertone to be addressed I think Bob. The question is not passing being thought of. It is sort of what’s good for the goose type stuff in confliction’s and condescending of many matters.
I’m glad the humanity has been applied to her and any boss who sacks a worker for not turning up today is a bum.
Some amble through deep grief and shock when they should be under comfort or life taken over and descision made for them. She was not surrounded by those who can’t see that and I hope it spreads.Her pressures would be such, as many humans , that it may not be the fathers death that breaks the camels back. No one needs her in depressions time warp or to have to watch her stunned. She will come back full of her father and the determination of every bit of good fight , understanding and decency in him. The cuntry could use that and maybe that may spread.
My father suffered weeks of deprivations and sleep and numerous explosions 6 months into his Korean war service, one burying him alive to be dug out with the symptoms of physical nervous damage. He served another 18 mths on the front lines and suffered much more including more documented near direct artillery hits beside countless night and ambush patrols in sub zero temperatures in no mans land and 2 years total of watching, waiting, straining in the dark and holes dug in the snow.
The other worse explosion suffered was when the company lost all it’s officers and my father was in charge of a hill that took 17 days of crawling back in at night to take back. The barrage was ceaseless, such that the Europe and pacific vets were shocked that no one died from it. No officer would go to them except one.
My father suffered a bad hit and after medics left him and no sooner crawled away he suffered a shell in his weapons pit that blew him up onto the side of the hill. He was incoherant and shivering. The medic dragged him through the shelling back to an aid station they had set up. An hour later he is recorded in disbelief by those left walikng back over the hill to his position smiling and cheering everyone up.
it was the second or third time B company had to take the hill back for the Americans and Canadians.That entailed crawling back retrieving the bodies amongst the rotten and the bits and pieces under shelling and assault and boobytraps. i think it “Swampy” waters , a good friend of Dads picked up a shovel boobytrapped to dynamite. The guy dad signed up with was wounded and captured and brought to the minefield gap front and tortured to flush the Australians and find the way in on the front. They don’t know who he was screaming yellow bastards at.
My father was knocked out with a pistol to keep him in the trench.
It’s all recorded and more.
Paul Watson was recently held in Germany by authorities over a Japanese instigated scam and not allowed to visit to dying brother.
He is taking his brothers ashes to the Antartic at his brothers request this season of protecting the sanctuary.
Makes you wonder if any timing went into it.
His brother was a prolific artist and died of a brain tumour.
You are sexist.Howard never had to cop rot like this.
YOU are the one being sexist. As if HOWARD would have left with just ONE day to go.
Equal RIGHTS love mean EQUAL responsibilities and EQUAL expectations.
THAT is Bob’s point and I AGREE.
Broomy, if you mean that both men and WOMEN in any position ought to be given time to go their parents funeral, both their father’s and their mother’s ,then we agree if only this one time…
I flew to my dad’s and to my mum’s funeral…
I know ,you don’t have a heart, but I believed Bob had a big heart…
My heart is BIGGER than my arse darls. ie: bigger than YOURS.
Leave Helvi alone Nroome. As far as arse is concerned you fell out of one
And you talk through one love.
Your POINT?
Stop talking through your coight Broome
Thanks for your kindness, shad, it seems of short supply on this site. There’s plenty of self-importance, bullying, ugly language, crassness…
I was being serious, so don’t ever speak to me,(under any pseudo) no fear from me ever replying to your heartless arse talk.
Pigs arse
There is an awful letter on this subject by Gary J Wilson, a serial letter writer of Macgregor ACT in today’s Canberra Times. It is pity that Bob Ellis is now lumped in with Gary J Wilson.
I agree, appalling, if saying this brings on the banning, then so be it…
It seems as though banning is selective Helvi.
To Mr Ellis, the thoughts expressed in this article are contemptible.
That a Prime Minister has a higher duty than the concerns of his/her private life?
How contemptible?
It’s like FDR saying, ‘Can’t go to Yalta, I’m crippled.’
Mr Ellis, I understand you have children.
Ask them how they feel about such a thing when the time comes to lay you in the ground.
Ask them the colour of the flowers they will choose, ask them if they have selected a reading; perhaps something from Shelley or Tennyson, or do they see in you certain passages from Bellow or Conrad, or will they reflect on their father after perhaps Byron or Blake or Milton, Hopkins or Keats, or will they recall a memory of a sunburnt day at the age of 7 that so seared in their tender and impressionable minds some singular image of their father that it recurred throughout their lives, recur till the day that they too would be laid into the earth.
Ask them their thoughts.
And whatever their response, whatever their response , understand that passing judgements on that which may define one’s humanity, as you have done, is an utterly contemptible thing.
You kneel before the Machiavellian Prince of Polemic too often and too willingly.
And you debase yourself for it.
You can do as you wish but do not drag others down with you.
The FDR metaphor is inappropriate.
You know that, and yet you still include it, compounding your initial outrage.
I didn’t ask her to miss the funeral. I merely asked her to get to her mum’s side a day later after doing her national duty in Moscow, as Bob Carr, Bob Hawke, Bob Brown, Bob Katter, Bob Menzies, or Barack Obama would have. Obama did not leave continental America on election day because his grandmother had died in Hawaii the day before.
If I die when my son is in New York about to address the United Nations I would expect him to stay there and do that, and so would my widow.
The funeral, for Christ’s sake, could be delayed, like the funeral of the soldier she was at yesterday.
Please argue against this.
Bob Ellis is spot on!
Gillard has taken the whole week off from Parliament. What can she possibly be doing? Baking scones for the wake? Big mistake putting women in positions of power. Look at Plibersek and Roxon organizing legislation to monitor your internet passwords and banking details and handing it over to our spy agencies and tax departments and various police. Given the Labor party track record of buggering up everything they touch, it wouldn’t take long for the Russian mafia to have easy access to all your online banking details.
I don’t like the idea of big government doodling on your cigarette packets with their obscene graffiti and their nanny state legislation. Haven’t they enough to do? Today they are outlawing super trawlers because they are gutless to face the wrath of the Greens! I want grown-ups in charge like Kim Beazley or even Martin Ferguson. Not incompetent school kids.
(Tony Abbott looks a better option to me everyday.)
You Frank and bananaman (Tony Abbott looks a better option to me everyday.)
“Because men want him, and women want to be like him”. I think that’s what bananaman said.
Frank,Tony Abbott never looked good, you can have him all by yourself,and please Newman as well.
France is looking better by the day.
I’m afraid not Helvi:
http://www.testosteronepit.com/home/2012/9/10/the-french-government-gets-whacked-even-the-left-is-angry-an.html
See you in Paris…
Frank, I guess women are wrecking the joint too?
Give my love to Alan Jones, your mentor and hero.
Allen Jones doesn’t deserve recognition. He is a phony who should have been jailed for his London toilet gross indecencies. Whatever happened to that poor constable that discovered the depraved bastard
Well, Bob, there is no more fervent despiser of Julia Gillard than me, but this is an unjustified criticism. You might have a point about coming home after the death of the five shoulders; surely this is an official job that could be handled by her deputy. It smacks of politics to me - the dramatic gesture to show she cares.
I cannot agree with you about coming home early because her father dies. We are all entitled to be with our family as soon as possible in these circumstances and I cannot find any fault with her here. Perhaps she should have organised a quick flight over for a substitute more able than the idiotic Emerson, but that is another matter and maybe it was not practical.
So Beazley should have cancelled the Caucus meeting then, and flown to Perth, and thus retained his leadership?
Is that what you’re saying?
What else are you saying?
It is and was a matter of choice. I don’t criticise Beasley for not cancelling and I would bnot have criticised him if he had cancelled.
I doubt whether even the Labor Caucus would have been churlish enough to insist upon his staying. In any event, and I could be wrong, my recollection is that the news was given to Beasley after the meeting but you would have more knowledge of this than I do.
No, he knew before the meeting, at about 8.58 am.
They never would have let him cancel the meeting.
And they are the same people, mostly, who repeatedly let Gillard, in this last month, not turn up for work.
Anyhow, why pick on me for your one response? Others on this page have been more critical of your comments than me, and some have been abusive and insulting.
Luck of the draw.
Jesus Bob - are you serious?? Is Schwarzenegger your chief measure to assess the capabilities of a political leader? A narcissist hack actor who reduced the manslaughter sentence for the son of a political ally just hours before leaving office last year?
.
It is clear you think she is not up to the job, but to degenerate into wild and woolly rhetoric to make your point is a distressing development, as most of your contributors reluctantly attest.
.
Perhaps the doctrine of ‘Ellis Exceptionalism’ should now be abandoned as well. He should either do the job, or get out of it.
‘Chief measure’? What are you talking about? I’ve never quoted Schwarzenegger before.
How ‘chief measure?’
“She is what Schwarzenegger might call a ‘girly man’. ”
That sentence, and its placement in your contribution, clearly represents a summary of your attack on Gillard for not remaining at a conference that Obama didn’t consider important enough to attend, and calling off a meeting with a political thug.
As far as most people are concerned she didn’t go AWOL at all, she had leave of the people to return home and take part in a family bereavement.
I don’t see the point in quibbling in my choice of figure of speech.
The poor woman has no faith, no very serious relationship, and precious few supporters.
It would be a very lonely existence and I reckon she’s just lost her biggest backer… Of course it raddled her self-proclaimed strength and resolve. She’s been in way over her head for a long time
Darls she was a good education minister but that it is where she should have stayed.
She is a smart girl and my heart goes out to her for her father because he gave up alot for her and her sister.
But she is not really suited to be PM and she looks a bit like an emu.
You say Julia looks like an emu, what’s the reason for you to have taken calling yourself a “gnome” on the other site?
What other site? Links please, though I don’t think I’m ready for poly-blogging.
I knew you wouldn’t be able to ignore MOI.
Darls there is a difference between you and I.
I actually HAVE a life and YOU apparently DON’T.
Most likely it is YOU trolling the DRUM not ME.
I am GOING for some LUNCH. xo
Don’t follow me, do not reply to my posts under any name and I’m happy to forget you ever existed on any blog.Keep talking to yourself if you so wish…
Julia reckons that Obama would chew his right arm off to have an economy like Australia.
Kevin was very impressive being interviewed by Leigh Sales. Looks like Bob is right about Julia. They have let him loose. Onya Bob
Very moving Jim
Have a good long look at who is supporting you on this appalling article, Bob Ellis.
Then look at yourself in the mirror. A good long look.
What have I said? That a Prime Minster, like a soldier, should turn up for work?
What else should she do?
“What should I have said?”
How about :
“Condolences to the Prime Minister on her sad loss. Our thoughts are with her and her family at this time.”
See? Easily done, and to the point.
My thoughts are not with her and her family at this time. My thoughts are with the Labor Party. And she with her every misstep is its wrecker.
This says it all, you are letting you prejudice get in the way of your heart.
Not in all circumstance does duty need to come to the fore, some yes, not all.
Well, there you have it. Soldiers don’t get to leave the battlefield because a parent dies. One reason among many why you don’t send soldiers into battle for frivolous reasons.
You expect soldiers to get killed in a war. If you send soldiers into war then are shocked that they get killed suggests that you don’t quite understand what you are doing.
Both fair points. My feeling though is that it is good news that our PM is not a psychopath. Rather than criticising her for revealing that she has human feelings I’d suggest that she build on that and allow her policies to better reflect that fact.
I’m not impressed with Julia Gillard. A petty human being. But I’m glad to see she has not yet killed her soul.
Why would a great and stately national treaure like bob bellies care what you clapped out and poor old lefties think?
It’s all whinge whinge whinge. I’m not rich, I’m too lazy to work, I spend my days pitying my fate, jealously eyeing the wealth others work for and lob in a few wanks about Shakespeare, how hopelessly complicated life is, how I am just ‘being’ my fascinating, wronged self, who likes to go to the movies and read wiki articles about high culture. And how I’ll burn my clothes, pull out my hair and flee to Paris like the free spirited gypsie I am, if Mr Abbott is elected PM
It’s all just *too* hard, isn’t it?
Fuck off.
Quite right. Fuck off.
Peter, feel free to come to Paris or Rome…
It’s a big world out there; the world does not end at the shores of OZ.
When I win the big one apartments in both places are on the agenda (if only I can find one at Place Clichy!!!) but I know that I would be able to actually survive the rotten governments and dysfunctional economies in those countries.
Get on board DQ. Bob has seen the light.Come on everyone who do we want, that’s right KEVIN,KEVIN.KEVIN HEAVEN.
Onya Kev.Make your move and save Labor
No it has to be a reconciliation not a counter coup. Rudd back in Cabinet (or at least on platforms with Gillard with the expectation that he will return to cabinet).
Never a big fan of Rudd, thought better of Gillard before she became PM. But it was as a double act that they worked, and were popular. They could do it again; and while I’m not close enough to be sure I think it is now up to Gillard to find the bigness to make this happen.
Bob’s point is valid but overdone. Come on! I have had elderly parents die and as they say, whilst unexpected, it is always a shock when it happens. Yet able to be taken in a respectful and regretful stride. To see the dignified response of parents and uncles to the truly tragic death of a young AFL footballer makes the point better than anything else.
I am not that critical of her coming home that early, seeing the talkfest was going nowhere (and we really just make up the numbers on most such conferences) but to see the carry-on (condolence speeches in parliament, pre-emption of Tony Abbott to be bending over backwards and never EVER say anything like ‘politics as usual’ when she finally brings herself to do what she is paid for) made me feel a lot sicker than I needed to be.
If caucus doesn’t agree we are all fucked.The clock his ticking.Wake up assholes
“The clock is ticking”? That sounds like Bolt to me. And you may well be a plant, a trojan.
Gary J Wilson the serial correspondent of Macquarie ACT has been chastisted in this morning’s Canberra Times for his letter of the previouis day which was written in the same vein.
Something you will never be accused of Milton
You’ll like this yeah you!, on the pulse map site advertised on the side bar here I just noticed a visitor to Bob’s website from Alexandria Virginia, which happens to be 255 miles from Langley. It has a Military School with its own Wikipedia page. Also in Alexandria is the US Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, who happened to have a paper on the web: Web Based Collaborative Learning: An Assessment of a Question Generation Approach.
Coincidence you say?
It is interesting if you want it to be.
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a410956.pdf
The Alexandria VA.USA reference just disappeared,a few minutes ago, there is a less ominous one now from the US, but not from the same time reference, curiouser and curiouser.
Bob, get rid of the Pulse Map.
Gillard has been steely in her resolve to keep soldiers murdering Afghans there and steely in her resolve to have them drowned, tortured, murdered and deported by the AFP and Indonesia and now steely in her resolve to punish them for life because we won’t let them get visas to fly anywhere.
It’s very steely indeed to persecute and torture the most vulnerable people in the world.
She is steely in her resolve to punish single parents for being single, gays who want to marry, in her brutality towards the unemployed and vicious treatment of aborigines.
She is as steely in her resolve to abuse the weak as John Howard was.
Which seriously makes her a nothing.
Well put. You can stay.
I’m sort of half-way between the 2 extremes when it comes to the general question of whether the high officials should forgo important meetings for personal or family reasons. As someone wrote above, it’s a matter of personal choice. But I do agree with the general tone of Marilyn’s post here. Among the small l liberal progressives I am noticing a bit too much sympathy for JG and ALP. They have not done enough to earn that, in my book. American foot-soldiers and all.
Yeah, doesn’t look after the weak. Except the disabled (NDIS). And the homeless (1000′s of new social housing). And the low paid (lifting taxfree threshold). And the sick (health reform and funding). And the aged (aged care reform). And community workers (pay equity). And yes, the unemployed could do with greater funding - but hers is the only govt in decades to increase the dole above inflation.
It’s obvious you don’t ‘get’ what you’ve done here, R.E. Unfortunately, many readers who would not be moved to comment will nonetheless remember this repugnant effort of yours, and they’d be right to pull relevence from you in any you may still have. This thing has dated you, tarred you, scarred you.
There are other ways to attract readership than resort to this.
In any case, and much watered down, and aware as we are that you have pegged yourself away off in the murky distance, perhaps you’d have mind to relate to the following:
One of the reasons we have a paucity of political quality in this country is the horrific work-life imbalance the poor bastards have to suffer.
Ten seconds’ contemplation throws up all sorts of disorders and disturbances which fester in such un-rich ground.
Your repulsive piece above removes even the last tender skerrick of ‘family’ from the intense and insane work pressure you expect of any politician (assumedly, though many could be rightful in claiming a sexist/female slant to the thing) let alone the leader of our country.
You couldn’t even grant that last skerrick.
Far, far more relevent, cogent and important commentators would understand the work-life balance requires far, far more than just the skerrick you deny them [well, Gillard].
Do you see, now, a little, how this piece has damaged you? Has rendered you, irrevocably (except by yourself), and concretely, cast in a no-man’s and no-woman’s land but for the fools and the damned?
Do you see now, a little, at least?
It just occured to me Bob that perhaps Ms Gillard could be, like you, nearly Jewish, and had to return home to sit Shiva for her late father, a parctice all people of the Jewish faith (and be dint, all ‘near’ or ‘almost’ Jewish people) may wish to follow.
Now, that would mean you are deriding the PM on religious grounds and demanding she abandon her faith to suit the popularist demand for Christian putitism.
That seems more Tea Party than Labor warrior. Am I close?
She’s an atheist. What are you talking about?
This is how it went down, pulse map said “Alexandria VA. USA” when I went back to check, it had disappeared, USA was there but with a different time stamp. Pulse Maps are 21st Century Reader’s Digest. I swear to God, if I had not seen it with my own eyes, a rent in the curtain. I take it all back, every word of it. The pity is I am Faye Dunaway not Robert Redford. Check out just the web references for that little institution mentioned above.
I think Sisyphus-like, you’re pushing kaka uphill here and not many are with you on the task.
The important question remains unaddressed, why were you being chased?
A misunderstanding, and a shortfall to the tune of US$67.00, I might have also said something disparaging about Abe Vigoda.
Wow! The posters on this blog have a world-imnpact!!!
Get real. Is this April 1?????????
I saw what I saw. Where did I say this blog has a global impact. Perhaps the NSA and Echelon were just doing a regular sweep in this vector and we came up on their radar. Perhaps they were just trying to categorize the word “coight” to eliminate it from their threat analysis. “Deniers are always the first suspects MR”, he said stroking his chin.
It seemed to me to be suspiciously like a conspiracy theory.
What else could it be, but that a representative of the Military Industrial Complex from the really beautiful Alexandria VA was interested in what people said on this blog?
But I added the more likely April Fools Day reference anyway.
I have a reputation here in regards to “conspiracy theories” MR,I have form.
“But one spring day, a car will pull up beside you on the street and the door will open, and it maybe someone you know or perhaps even trust….”
Did you jump for joy and let out a little yippee this morning, when you heard the Bernanke implemented more central control and command economy measures?
It was all my fault, allthumbs. I thought I had the IP cloak on when doing my daily audit.
You were spot on about “coight”, though. If you ever need a little extra work (just parsing and basic analysis) you know where to find me.
shad is out of control, you might have to bring me in NEE.
Hi honey.
I’d love you to give me your analysis.
Come on darls, show me how its done xo
You are such a tease Hilde.
Get off your COIGHT Never enough ellis love there is work to be done.
Hop to it.
xoxo
COIGHT= CENTRAL ORGANIZATION INTELLIGENCE GLOBAL and HEMISPHERICAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Seeing Ms Gillard’s strong rise in opinion polls and the overwhelming support she has from the very people you say would make a better leader, I reckon your view on the PM is about as popular as Tony Abbott right now.
I think she will lead Labor to another election victory.
She might. She might.
But almost anyone else would lead them to a three percent better victory.
Prove that I lie.
Julia Gillard’s election result will be 50% better than anyone else could possibly have done, but the Labor Party will only achieve its maximum result by making Amanda Rishworth leader.
Prove that I lie.
Wow, this is easy.
What a fine fellow you are.
Let’s do lunch.
I don’t think you lie at all … I just think the PM won’t be challenged as she is Labor’s best asset.
Interesting angle. Can’t say I disagree. Good post.
Sexist and, at its core, misanthropic.
You’ve fallen a long way in my estimation with this piece, Bob Ellis.
Ellis and Jones wouldn’t have said the same things about ‘Honest John’ Howard.
I have written a hundred thousand words in contempt of John Howard, some of them, in The Hawks’ Nest Diaries, very funny.
So what is the issue with his comments.
I have been away from home on a number of occasions when beloved family members (Father, Uncle, favourite cousin and grandmother) passed away. At 14 I had to be flown back from an outward bound camp to be with my family when Dad suicided. That wasn’t for my greiving relatives that was for me a kid. My brothers and I now live in separate states. If anything happens to her I will be there helping out and arranging stuff. While I would expect my adult brothers to attend, sit around tell stories and get hammered with me, I would also assume that they would take care of what else needs doing and then make it here. Bob Ellis spot on on this one!
He sure is.
Congratulations Bob for leading the way out of the fog.
Most people get 2 days; anything extra depends on the goodwill of the employer. A week seems excessive, especially given the high responsibility of the PM’s office and the utter womble who fills in for her.
Is Bob right to point to at least a degree of double standard? Perhaps. The more interesting question is the merits of the “grown ups are tough” version of life. On what evidence is it a superior society? I think people doing prolonged public duty in the face of private adversity are not necessarily doing themselves or the public they serve much service. A few hours such as the Beazley matter - sure. A week of representation when you’re not at your best? Not such a great idea really.
I used to admire your writing when I was a schoolkid in the Nation Review days, Bob.
Consider the shark well and truly jumped.
Your comparison to out nations soldiers is insulting. Of course the PM, or any other politician, has different obligations. Pretending that a PM has the same obligations as a soldier diminishes what our soldiers achieve. It might be reasonable to say the PM and our nations soldiers have equivalent responsibilities, but never the same.
The incorrect use of the words like ‘fled’ and ‘AWOL’ maybe effective terms to create emotion in your readers but it is inaccurate to describe the PM in this way.
I think that questioning Gillard’s commitment and capability to do the job of PM is essential, however I expect the criticism to be far more capable.
I agree with everything Bob Ellis says. Mostly because he has the guts to say what he does. There is no one to speak on behalf of the grand labour party - the party of reforms. Except Lindsay. Ms Gillard been grieving so much that she went to the Grandfinal last weekend!! How about mourning even for 30 days. It is completely phony. To garner the sympathy vote and underestimating the Australian voters who will never trust deceit. How can anyone who assasinated an elected Prime Minister in his first term of office have a soul? Quoting the good poet about going gently into the good night just does not cut it. Where is the statesmanship? The Labour party members should be dying of shame to know what they have done to PM Rudd who is so gracious defending her.
Hey bob,
Never read anything by you before, new to the country, nice line in bile and idiocy.
Cheers
Go home.
Ms Gillard is our Prime Minister - she is not in the military and therefore holding her to the same standards and expectations is ludicrous. This entire piece reeks of the relevance deprivation syndrome we are unfortunately becoming more accustomed to having to wade through as an ageing set of commentators head towards their inevitable event horizon. For goodness sake man, have some dignity.
Dear Mr Ellis
I think you have just landed in the Grahame Richardson category: bitter and pointless.
Pleased to meet you Bob. I was thinking if setting up a site. No more.
It defies me that a commentator can simply put his views, and be called every name known to Man. The hypocrisy in many of these posts is confounding. Many speak of having compassion or a heart, but deny a man to speak his own truth. They then misquote or misrepresent what was actually said by jumping on the same bandwagon of hatred they accuse the author of.
Mr Ellis did not say the PM should not attend the funeral. A father is beloved, but in the decision was not to not pay respects, or mourn the loss.
That she fled after the death of our soldiers to Canberra was nothing more than a publicity stunt to give the illusion of compassion. A true leader would have gone to the front, if not deemed too dangerous, or stayed and done her work from there. Her physical presence was not required in Canberra.
Her advisors have constantly tried to paint an image of her, and they continually give bad advice. I don’t know of the PM acted on her own resolve or poor advice. But she sends out mixed messages that miss the mark with many.
To be elected PM of one of the world’s largest economies is an honour. Service above self is what i expect, and one of strength and compassion. I’ve not seen much of this. I expect it from male or female.
So if you feel I am wrong in possessing an opinion, battle on in your hypocrisy. I accept your right to also have one and only condemn it for the fact that it says one thing and presents another. A bit like our PM. Ah yes, now I understand the point about the mirror!