Well then, I wonder when my new Bicycle will arrive.

Shaymus,
The Age says that the 'new Labor leader Kevin Rudd has flagged industrial relations, climate change, education, health and manufacturing among his policy priorities in a bid to beat Prime Minister John Howard at the next federal election.'

It's time, it's time Rudd says. For what? Treading the Beazley line in a more centrist style? He has argued that theALP's must represent the new centre of Australian politics----one made up of average working families, so-called aspirational Australians from our burgeoning middle class, together with the millions of Australians in small business.

Alas there are no bicycles for you to traverse the fork in the road that leads to Howard's bridge too far. Iindividual effort is the key. If there are forks in the road that lie ahead are everywhere you look, then those who work harder and take more risks should be rewarded.

And so Beazley bids goodbye to politics. It was the shoppies union—the nearest thing you can be to the DLP and still be in the ALP--who stood behind Beazley. In contrast Rudd is a Blairite. Welcome to New Labor.

Well he might be onto something there!!!

A production line of Bicycles with Umbrellas....

That'll make us all Healthy!!!

Shaymus,
you are onto something. A bicycle is going to be needed
according to this mob

It will be interesting to see what persona the cartoonist give to Rudd now....Beazley was easy because he was tubby....
Elmer Rudd with Daffy Duck For Swann.....depends on who gets the shadow treasurer...

Shaymus,

The political commentators talk about Rudd as a pixie, little boy type of character because of his goody goody Christian character.

That misses the hard edged reformer of the Queensland public service under Wayne Goss. Rudd was associated with death then--the cold, calculating reason of the inhumane bureaucrat. Heavy Kevvy?

Mark Latham, in his diaries, was critical of Kevin Rudd.

LAURIE Brereton is sceptical (about Rudd): "Mate, he says whatever the Americans want him to say. They own him lock, stock and barrel." This has always been Danger's view of Heavy Kevvy: too close to the US. He's certainly part of the foreign policy establishment, and yes, there are some missing periods in his CV, plus a general mystery about the guy. If he grew up in poverty in rural Queensland, where did the posh accent come from?

And:

Rudd is a terrible piece of work. Addicted to the media and leaking. A junior minister in government at best. He doesn't write books or policy material and never will. Rudd is a fanatical media networker, he is addicted to it, worse than heroin.

Of the people that I have spoken to since yesterday of the Rudd win....All are glad, But when I questioned them about Rudd none knew anything about him. I suppose there is a bit of a gap between here on the Gold Coast and Briz.
Seems to me that he is viewed as an Enigma...Well until he Stuffs up or does something Good anyway.

Seems too that Gillard has lost a bit of Street Cred too with here Nodding Dog on the Dash board impersonation....

As for the comics....Pat Garrett is soon to ride into town....Unfortunately all his bullets fell out of his Gun when he joined the Party...

Shaymus,
I'm suprised since he is a media tart as Mark Latham pointed out. They would know of him (his face) but know nothing about him?

I'm watching Question Time in the House of Representatives. It's low key but there a lot of questions about health policy---and the blame game between the states and the commonwealth. There were none under Beazley.

Gillard has to take the hits on Medicare Gold, opposition to private health insurance rebate and the safety net of Medicare Plus. She looks naked in a policy sense and has allowed Abbott to claim that the Liberals are the best friend Medicare ever had.

Is that Beazley's fault in ignoring health and blocking health policieis or Gillard's in not developing new policies.

The trouble with the health system in Australia is that too many people have no idea what its like in other countries...Take the Us for instance where a family would pay $5000 plus for health cover and still pay heaps on top of that. Also pay full price for medications that are prescribed outside of the hospitals...

Health will always be a liability in Australia because too many think they are owed free health care.
And too many are not prepared to take responsibility for their own good health by pursuing a Healthy Lifestyle.

Its the old story with health...show us a system of a country that works well and we can afford it and we will copy it.....seems simple?

Perhaps we can first send Gillard to the Us for one of those T.V makeovers with Oprah....before she starts chasing Buses!!!