Candid comments …

It wasn’t FEAR, it was CUNNING: Rudd, according his critics, was afraid to contest Alexander Downer’s vacant SA seat of Mayo and Mark Vaile’s NSW seat of Lyne. Forget “afraid” – try “cunning” instead.
By staying aloof from both by-elections, Rudd deprived both the Liberal Party in Mayo and the Nationals in Lyne ANY opportunity to pit-bull the Rudd Govenrment on all the populist side issues that bog down the Parliament,
Instead in Mayo, it was straight-on Libs against Greens and Family First and others and in Lyne it was just Nationals against Independents. The Nats lost Lyne massively and now have only nine MPs in the Parliament. What a grand legacy Vaile left the electorate which had been a National (Country Party) stronghold for ever.
Just as well, Lawrence Springborg got his amalgamation of parties into the Liberal National Party through in time in Queensland. Why on earth would the Liberals, in face of disasters like Lyne, even consider joining the parties. Makes you wonder how long the LNP might hang together, doesn’t it?
Barnaby Joyce, our fearless Queensland National Senator, is already calling for the idea of coalescing Libs and Nats nationwide to be thrown out the window for ever.
The West Australia loss – it had to happen: From the moment Alan Carpenter went opportunistic and ballistic and shed political caution by calling an early election he was on the skids as Western Australian Premier. It was not a wise decision – Carpenter thought he had the Opposition on the ropes. Now his best bet is an improbable Coalition with the Natinals – odd as it seems it could happen. Until Saturday, Labor had won the past 23 successive state and territory elections.
Yesterday the WA National Party leader, Brendon Grylls, whose party won a better than expected four seats, held talks with the Labor Premier, Alan Carpenter, about forming a minority government - but today he will hold similar talks with the Liberal leader, Colin Barnett.
Labor was left three seats short of the 30 needed for a majority following a 6 per cent swing against it. Labor sources were pessimistic last night about retaining power.
Only five weeks ago, Mr Barnett was headed for retirement before being drafted back to the Liberal leadership, and now he could be premier.
Will Rudd go for a Double Dissolution? Even with the West Australian disaster for Labor emphasising the dire lesson that the electorate doesn’t like before-term elections, Federal Labor planners are still tempted by the idea of taking the fractured Liberals on if their ugly disruption of Government process continues.
Prime Minister Rudd, isn’t over concerned that his vision for reforming federal-state relations is jeopardised by the West Australian Liberals being on the verge of breaking Labor's stranglehold on every state and territory. Australian Prime Mininsters for ever have had to cajole the States – Howard almost had Peter Beattie eating out of his hand. So don’t get too worried – yet – about Rudd’s plan for Federal reform going down the gurgler.
Boring and long-winded – or just genuine? Kevin Rudd is, with some justification, accused of being bloody boring. His answers to Parliamentary questions do, in fact, turn into tutorials. If his speech writers in fact try to give him “one-liners and grabs” designed to attract headlines, he either deigns to use them or doesn’t know how to. HOWEVER, I choose to look on Rudd as “genuine” and intent on keeping to his message of policy based on careful analysis and study as long as it takes - rather than “jump in and sink or swim” which was the pattern of the Howard years, don’t we still remember?.
Just think, do any of the giant resources companies or any of the big banks (except one!) jump into commercial ventures without prolonged study and review of the possible consequences. Of course not! So why the hell should the Australian Government? Brendan Nelson, Joe Hockey, and Malcolm Turnbull (and unfortunately Julie Bishop also – and she should know better) taunt Rudd for his 135 reviews and committees, accusing his Government of lack of action and policy failure. Nonsense! Give me caution any day before diving into the cauldron.