The events of the day
If you're one of those not-Australians who are scratching their heads over today's political drama-lama, this is a fantastic post on how it can happen. Of course, in a lot of polls Kevin Rudd was actually ahead as preferred PM (over both Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott), and I keep being told that the reason this is a First Time Ever (I keep saying "but Keating!") is because this is a PM who was ahead in many opinion polls (according to this Crikey blog post, anyway), and in his first term. There's also the issue that he got us through the Global Financial Crisis almost entirely unscathed.
But at the same time, the rot had set in and there was a definite sense that Tony Abbott could win this upcoming election. And frankly, I'm all about Anyone Who Isn't Abbott, and if it is true and the thing that pushed Julia over the edge into calling the leadership spill was Kevin polling around to see where the support lay -- in the former PM no longer trusting our new PM -- you just gotta say "never anger a redhead". (Okay, that isn't what you should say, but I do believe that is what pushed her to the moment.)
As the day has gone on I've become happier and happier with this end result. I had become deeply disillusioned with Kevin Rudd as his term went on; he got in on a large cult of personality, and then... didn't live up to the hype. If he'd been more like he was in his final speech standing down (even though I found it incredibly hard to watch and did find myself with some sympathy tears) I would have found it easier to support this government at the moment.
But the one time I found myself in proper tears, happy tears, tears of history was when I saw a female Governor-General -- our first female G-G -- swearing in a female Prime Minister -- our first female Prime Minister. History, I see you.
(Julia on The 7.30 Report keeps referring to Kevin Rudd as "the Prime Minister".)
Edited: For prosperity, Crikey also has a succinct timeline of WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED, since this was rather sudden for most of us who are not actually in politics.
But at the same time, the rot had set in and there was a definite sense that Tony Abbott could win this upcoming election. And frankly, I'm all about Anyone Who Isn't Abbott, and if it is true and the thing that pushed Julia over the edge into calling the leadership spill was Kevin polling around to see where the support lay -- in the former PM no longer trusting our new PM -- you just gotta say "never anger a redhead". (Okay, that isn't what you should say, but I do believe that is what pushed her to the moment.)
As the day has gone on I've become happier and happier with this end result. I had become deeply disillusioned with Kevin Rudd as his term went on; he got in on a large cult of personality, and then... didn't live up to the hype. If he'd been more like he was in his final speech standing down (even though I found it incredibly hard to watch and did find myself with some sympathy tears) I would have found it easier to support this government at the moment.
But the one time I found myself in proper tears, happy tears, tears of history was when I saw a female Governor-General -- our first female G-G -- swearing in a female Prime Minister -- our first female Prime Minister. History, I see you.
(Julia on The 7.30 Report keeps referring to Kevin Rudd as "the Prime Minister".)
Edited: For prosperity, Crikey also has a succinct timeline of WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED, since this was rather sudden for most of us who are not actually in politics.