The more things change…
December 13, 2007Well, it’s been about two weeks since Kevin Rudd has sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Australia, and I’m already suffering from political whiplash. In that time he has already -
- Ratified the Kyoto Protocol.
- Attended the Bali Climate Change conference with several Cabinet Ministers.
- Stopped the Pacific Solution Migration Policy
- Arranged a COAG meeting with State Premiers
- Negotiated with Aboriginals for an apology for past wrongdoings
It’s only been a fortnight and the Political Landscape has changed beyond all recognition. Only a month ago all this would’ve been completely unthinkable. However, the same meanness of spirit that typified the Howard years (at least for me) is still there. Witness these exchanges on Tim Dunlop’s blog. I don’t ever recall calling the Australian people stupid when they voted for John Howard in 2004.
There’s still a lot of work to be done - and not all of it can be done by the Government. From my point of view the Howard legacy is a mixed one. We have a strong economy, but we failed to invest those profits into our Health and Education Infrastructure. On the internet we have the Howard-Haters, and the Howard-Lovers (there’s no other word for either group). The perfect example of a country that is still very much politically divided. It took 11 years for John Howard’s Government to divide the country. How long will it take to unite it again?
