So Steve Bracks has resigned. What's the real story behind that? And what could it mean for the federal election? Here is his statement.
Here's the press release of Victorian Family first Senator Steve Fielding. Odd bedfellows in politics these days are becoming normal, eh? Interesting.
STEVE BRACKS: A ROLE MODEL AS A PROUD AND DEVOTED FAMILY MAN
STEVE BRACKS must be applauded for putting his family first.
His actions make him a role model as a proud and devoted family man.
“Family is the most important thing in life and the Premier’s decision to stand down to give more time to his family is commendable,” FAMILY FIRST leader Steve Fielding said today.
“FAMILY FIRST has always said that parents in the paid workforce are parents first and workers second.
“Steve Bracks is a husband and father first and he has made that clear today.
“His actions are an inspiration to all parents who struggle to balance their paid work and family commitments. All parents want to spend more time with their families and I hope the Premier’s actions prompt parents to consider how they can do that.”
Public life takes a huge toll on families, as many demanding careers do. The sacrifices that families make are huge, and often too great.
“It was moving to hear Terri Bracks say ‘it will be terrific to have him back’,” Senator Fielding said.
“Family life is under enormous threat today. The pace and pressure of modern life puts enormous stress on families. We really must, as a society, focus more on how we can strengthen families and promote family life. Family is the most precious thing we have and we must all work together to protect it.”
Relatives and relativity
A relatively endearing portrait of the Prime Minister in today's SMH. His comments about politics putting no greater strain on family life than many other professions is sensible and thoughtful. He at once guards against self-pity and gives licence for more familial indulgence amongst his flock. I suppose he might be concerned about shock resignations. It is good leadership at all levels, if only at a micro level and on an issue contributing more to morale than to anything of substance.
Indeed the servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan are doing it harder than politicians, with all their perks and privileges. It's worse still for the Iraqi and Afghani people, without the luxury of training, equipment and the support networks of a modern army.
Bracks retirement is socially irresponsible?
Miranda Devine takes a satirical view of Steve Bracks' retirement, noting that
Ah Miranda, you're such a wag!!!
Family First advertising
Vale Steve Bracks
Victorians this weekend are coming to terms with the end of The Bracks Era.
Someone mentioned to me that a radio commentator this morning remarked that, while it is appropriate to speak of Mr Bracks' reign as an Era, eight years isn't really long enough to rate a statue or similar public monument.
I beg to differ. A fitting tribute could be to name the Scoresby Bypass as the Bracks Tollway.
If that's considered too grand, then a Bracks Memorial Tabaret in one of the poorer postcodes might be appropriate.
Bye-Bye Premier Bracks; G'day Steve
Steve Bracks is ... well, was ... my local MP and lives with his family just a short stroll down the street.
The tree scarred by the SAAB young Nick crashed when drunk driving is closer still. Thankfully, that scar will not serve as a reminder of the eulogy a father had to give as he buried a son.
Yes, thankfully it'll serve as a reminder of a man who realised that being a father to his son is more important than pushing on, hanging on to power as PF Journey (G'day) puts it, just for the 'glory' of being longest serving Premier or something.
Tell you what ... next time I see Steve (likely to be when the Seagulls beat the Scorpians at our next home game) I'll make sure I thank him for his service to the State of Victoria and for setting an extraordinary example to other people in political life.
Get this!
Victorian Greens Lead Senate candidate, Dr Richard Di Natale, confirmed today that the Victorian State Council of the ETU last week offered the Greens Senate campaign a public donation of $50,000.
"The Greens are not surprised that the State Council of the ETU, made up of rank and file workers, has made us a generous offer to our Senate campaign.
With Labor and Liberal snuggling up to the big end of town, unions understand that The Greens increasingly stand alone as the party prepared to fight for working families. We hope more unions will follow suit" said Dr Di Natale.
"Unions understand that Labor can´t win back control of the Senate this election. If Labor is serious about ripping up Work Choices, then only a Senate where Labor and The Greens together have a majority will deliver.
"As the election draws closer, Labor is distancing itself from unions and cozying up to big business. The Greens are the only party left who want to immediately and unequivocally abolish AWAs and the building commission and enshrine the right to strike in law. "
"It will take two hands to rip up WorkChoices: a Labor government in the Lower House is one hand and The Greens in the Senate is the other."
Margo, so a $50,000
And another thing ...
Louie Ferguson, God help this country if The Greens ever hold the balance of power in the Senate, could you give us an equally incisive analysis of what might happen if the bullyboys of the NSW Hard Right Fraktion of the Liberal Party (Bennelong New Guard rump) ever take hold of the Senate? Focus on the slaughter of civilians and the burning of houses and crops, as they did 1939-42.
Take special care, Louis XIV, to outline on anti-Tourism and Work Chumps legislative possibilities. And don't forget Executive Warmongering capacities of these corrupt bullyboys.
Extra marks will be given for the Hicks/Habib renditions, Dr Haneef's patsy role in helping the Hogward/Andrews mutant Siamese axolotl root Australia's overseas standing on the eve of APEC (another nail in Dr Haneef's coffin, no matter what the bleeding hearts say).
Extra marks will be given for the good economic management side of the SIEV-X murders, the Tampa piracy, Rau/Solon/Nauru/kids overboard, WMD, AWB, martial law against the thieving blackfellow, and the gutting of invalid pensions to feed Australia's poor, hungry and dispossessed advertising industry.
At all times adhere to the need for a strong bullyboy to live (and fly) in luxury unimagined by Australian families without the getup and go to live above the poverty line, eg If they won't work, then they don't deserve to squat in Kirribilli Palace, home to the Chief Bunyip of our Aristos.
Frère Jihad Jacques OAM née Woodforde, a murderous rampaging mixblood non-CoE Muslim darkie sympathiser.
War against the States
Howard's War Against the States claims its first victim. WA is next, as Little John faithfully follows the US lead to grant an exemption to India on uranium and nuclear technology exports. This will be another federal takeover – "in the national interest" – without a doubt.
This strategy, of course, follows the China formula. You sell them the nuclear technology and reactors, my old mate George, and we'll sell them the uranium. We already know they have the bomb. This is just economic rationality, entirely in the interests of the free market.
Goodness knows, we wouldn't want them buying European or Russian reactors, would we? Not when we have the chance to cut them out of the action...
Besides, Australia has to cash in on this uranium cashcow, before we run out of energy and resource exports and collapse into the 3rd world economy we really are. This IS the Liberal promise, a boom economy with a non-renewable end...
Leading world uranium producers (2005)
COME ON. AKKA. GO NUTS, MY CHILD ... but keep
Could we get something pretty deranged or spiteful from Akka on this, please?
It must go into meltdown before the first verb and/or misspelling, and should attack any number of unionsist, Mr Bracks included.
And it should troll the rich fishing grounds of Howard-slurping, taking care to vitriolically razor-slash* communist brute Kevin Stalin-Rudd (née Lenin) .
* not wee-wee, Akka, if you please.
Frère Jihad Jacques OAM née Woodforde, pissoir attendant to the Great and Scabrous Ones also loosely attending to Gerard Henderson
Timing is everything
The highly likeable Steve Bracks is demonstrating perfect timing: leaving while he's on top.
Of course, comparisons will be made with Howard who should have handed over to Costello a year after he won the last election.
With the collapse of Dr Haneef's persecution and the great non-event of Howard riding in on an army tank to save the "indigenous kiddies", the great wedge master has wedged himself into a corner.
Desiccated coconut indeed!
Strange timing
Michael de Angelos, it's a bit strange that the Premier and his Deputy resign on the same day. I think the people will be asking questions regarding this. It smells of Labor cover-ups and deals being done. Could even need a Royal Commission to clear things up, these two have done something they don't want the electorate to know about. Fiona: Is this a statement of fact, L. Ferguson, or speculation on your part?
If Labor wins the election at the end of the year, one can well imagine Rudd and Gillard resigning "for family reasons" and Shorten and Combet taking over. After all, the unions have thrown a lot of money around, and will want their pound of flesh.
Speculation
Fiona, yes this is speculation, like so much that is published on WD. However, I still think something smells.
Fiona: You are, of course, entitled to your opinion, but as a prudent moderator I suggest that you make it clear in your posts when you are speculating.
Mere speculation, Louie, but you're on the right track
el Fergie: yes this is speculation, like so much that is published on WD. However, I still think something smells.
The real story is that Bracks is coloured under all that makeup, and is running for the job of US President. He's eligible, as his birth records show that he was born, like Stalin, in Georgia. With Rupert Murdoch's help, he will certainly win.
President Bracks Alabama will crush Western Civilisation and bring it to its knees, just as he has done to Victoria, where thousand of poor huddle in cardboard boxes throughout Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo and Orbost.
Frère Jihad Jacques OAM née Woodforde, personal adviser to Mlle Cynthia da Cocque a'Roche, Presidential Candidate of the Pasqurelli-Oldfield Family Fist Party! (POFFP!)
The real story
Who knows? But here's $0.02.
Mr and Mrs Bracks were shattered by their son's "stuff up" - getting drunk to the tune of more than double the limit, crashing a car and injuring a friend. They would be concerned it could have been worse, and whether it may happen again. Responsible parents do not plough on, tough it out, and just hope for the best. Bracks measured his time in public life against the ages of his kids.
The preceding traumatic event, the rail crash at Kerang and the deaths and injuries, seared Bracks' soul. But he had Lynne Kosky to worry about, too. I wonder how close she was to resignation over that..
I am not surprised John Thwaites decided to resign. He was a marked man over his skiing holidays. He would have sought Brumby's opinion on the future of the front bench, and Thwaites may not have been in the picture.
I'm tipping Kosky for deputy, but can't even guess at who will take up the cudgels to do battle with the federal fiends over water.
This dramatic change at the helm may seem like a collapse, but is, more likely, evidence of great strength at the core of the Victorian establishment. Brumby may hump his bluey and waltz all the way up the headwaters of the Darling with Turnbull to MacBank, or he may tell Howard to stick his proposal. But the change of the guard will keep Howard on the hop, if he wants to make States rights a campaign issue. The occasion should give plenty of scope for Costello to comment in usual arrogant and irrelevant manner.
A Touch of Class