It's about how, when former NSW premier Iemma asked Rudd for help in getting the ALP behind the electricity sell-off in NSW, Rudd snubbed him. Rudd refused to return calls for 3 days and when Iemma did finally get through to the evasive PM he would not touch the NSW conflict with a 10 foot pole.
At the time he was Labor PM in a country where all the power was in the hands of the Labor party (except Brisbane city council, GO QLD!) enjoying almost record-breaking approval weightings. If ever there was a person who could weigh into this debate and turn the tables, it was Rudd at that time.
STILL!!! He chickened out.
Bearing in mind Rudd's formal public position is in-principle support for electicity privatisation, Rudd's failure to stand up to the NSW party power brokers is is not only gutless, but two-faced. He was quite happy to say he supported it, but when it came to making it happen, when he actually had to take action and stand up and fight entrenched interests - Fail.
Iemma (as much as i dislike him generally) was at least putting up a fight. In the end all he wanted from Rudd was a statement to help protect his supporters from the infamous payback policy of the unions. He wanted Rudd so make a statement that NSW Labor MP's preselection should not be threatened if they supported privatisation. In reply to this very reasonable request for support for political fairness, Rudd said:
"I don't want to establish a precedent."I think that sums Rudd up brilliantly. Translated from Ruddese to English it reads:
"I dont want to be the first to do anything. I dont want to lead. I want to follow the focus groups, keep this here PM's chair warm, boost my reputation in China and then retire to the high-life with my commie mates. If I do do anything it will only be stuff that Tony Blair has done (badly) first."
In a sense, I suppose Rudd's gutlessness and laziness is Australia's greatest hope at the moment. Everything Rudd doesn't do is another thing he cant screw up.
