Wooow!
Former Attorney General, Nicola Roxon, has delivered a speech that outlines her ten housekeeping tips for a future Labor Government. However it is her comments about and suggestions for Kevin Rudd that have made the headlines.
While the story made headlines it took the ABC to play its own politics this morning. The commentator started his story by saying that the Labor Party has been destabilised by the comments. He then went on to deliver a very typical ABC and mainstream media comment: The ABC has spoken to a former senior Labor Minister who said that Nicola should stay out of the political debates and retire quietly.
This was a bit rich! Given that the former ‘senior’ Labor Minister was anonymous and most likely one of the Ruddits who had spent the last three years working to destabilise the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. So typical of the ABC not to be open and transparent about their sources on such occasions and to put a negative spin on the story.
Nicola is a person to be admired, a fabulous former national Health Minister and Attorney General. She has a strong voice on issues and should be treated with respect. This is the person who took on the weight of the Tobacco Industries when she was Health Minister.
Nicola started her speech by stating that this was to be the first and last time for such comments. There are to be no books or further such comments from her.
She started her speech by outlining that her intention was to honour John Button by providing some honest comments and to speak her mind on and to provide her view of the events of the last six years.
She provided ten points of advice and then towards the end she came out with those very hard-hitting comments about Kevin Rudd.
We need more politicians and leaders who are prepared to be honest in their commentary. The lesson for all of us is that every now and then we need to call out the bastards amongst us and identify them for what they are. You can still be nice about it but you need to be offer an honest opinion and do not just spin. Occasionally the boat needs to be rocked! Rock on!
Well done Nicola.