Is Julia Gillard pretending to be something she isn't?
There is no doubt that Julia Gillard as Prime Minister is moving to the right, in order to grab conservative working-class votes.
Consider the following things Gillard has said since she won the federal Labor leadership:
1) At her first press conference since rolling Rudd, Gillard patriotically declared that “I believe in a government that rewards those who work the hardest, not those who complain the loudest — the people who play by rules, set their alarms early, stand by their neighbours and love their country“.
2) Also said that she shares the concerns of most Australians with respect to the rising tide of boat people.
3) Has announced just today that she opposes gay marriage.
Realising that as an unmarried, childless woman who doesn’t believe in God she could have trouble connecting with mums and dads in the burbs, Julia Gillard seems keen to re-position herself early on by trying to persuade mainstream voters that although she doesn’t share their life choices, she does share their values and views.
It does appear however that she is trying to present herself as something she is not, just like Kevin Rudd and Gillard both presented themselves as “economic conservatives” at the last election. Since that deceit, we’ve had billions of dollars wasted on pink batts, rorts in schools, trying to buy a seat on the UN Security Council and the propping up of the uncompetitive car industry.
It must of course be remembered that Gillard is a member of Labor’s left faction. As a young woman she flirted with communism and the more radical elements of the now defunct Australian Union of Students. Since being industrial relations minister, she has wound back the industrial relations clock to a time when trade unions had a lot more power and influence than they have enjoyed in recent years. Her policy of abolishing full fee degrees entirely reeks of old-Labor class warfare and does not advance the national interest whatsoever.
The strong possibility that Gillard is like Rudd and willing to throw away any and all beliefs in order to be popular is a worry. You would hope that from observing Rudd’s downfall she would have learned that this approach does not help in the longer term.
Gillard is not lurching to the right, she is sensing the winds of change. Had Turnbull retained leadership of the Libs you’d have seen the same thing coming from his side too. As it is, Abbott is struggling to reconcile his views with the general consensus. The general consensus being that there is no place in today’s political arena for extremism, whether Left, Right, or Green. The Liberal and Labor Parties of times past are no longer relevant today. Arch conservatism or rabid left wing ideology are neither to the taste of the electorate nor have anything to offer.
We no longer have unions vs employers in a death struggle, work choices or not. We have reached a relatively common ground on this issue. As to Gillard’s nod to the right about immigration, it seems she’s recognised that the middle ground is the only sensible route to take. Not only because she is trawling for votes, but because the electorate prefers a safe and palatable solution on this issue.
More than ever we now have two once disparate parties both competing for the middle ground, for the hearts of middle Australia. While Abbott is biting his tongue and pretending to acquiesce to reforms such as paid maternity leave, yet all the time wishing he could turn back the political clock, other Liberals are aware that the Party should have moved on since the Howard reign.
Turnbull may have been premature with his political aspirations, both with the Republican campaign and his vision for the Liberal Party, but he is the precursor of future Liberal leaders. I’ve long held the view that Gillard and Turnbull are the preferred leaders; one down, one to go.