Wayne Swan book launch triggers Labor recriminations

[nero_bolt]

They are still continuining to eat their own and sadly they want to run destroy the country again 

Serious questions are being raised about Labor’s leadership team and why Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is allowing Deputy Leader Tanya Plibersek to launch Wayne Swan’s book when it attacks former prime minister Kevin Rudd.

The shadow cabinet has been called to meet in Canberra on Monday, shortly after Mr Swan launches his book at the ANU, meaning frontbenchers can fly to the capital to attend and invoice taxpayers, if they wish.

Ms Plibersek defended her decision, saying through a spokesman that she is ''looking forward'' to launching ''Wayne’s book'' because it highlights Labor’s response to the financial crisis.

Extracts published over the weekend revealed the book by the former treasurer also attacks Mr Rudd’s ''unstable personality'' and his ''vindictive and juvenile'' character. Labor frontbenchers and backbenchers fear it will reopen the bitter Rudd-Gillard wars just when the opposition has Treasurer Joe Hockey on the back foot.

One caucus source said Mr Shorten could not afford to let the last Labor government’s infighting destroy the chances of a future one, invoking Paul Keating’s one-time withering attack on John Hewson:

''Bill’s (Shorten) a shiver looking for a spine to crawl up.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/wayne-swan-book-launch-triggers-labor-recrimin...

[nero_bolt]

Wayne Swan's new book dishes the dirt on Kevin Rudd

Kevin Rudd was so poll driven as prime minister that he once asked Labor's national office to conduct research on what his ''one core belief'' should be, a new book by Wayne Swan reveals.

Mr Swan has also revealed that Mr Rudd asked him on May 14, 2010 - more than a month before he lost the nation's top political job on June 24 - ''if you are with me?'' as the prime minister became increasingly ''jittery'' and his leadership began to ''wobble''

Mr Swan says he and other senior ministers put Mr Rudd on notice for six months that his government was drifting, before the leadership change. Eventually, a story on June 23 by Sydney Morning Herald political editor Peter Hartcher created a ''political earthquake'' and the change occurred.

The revelations, contained in an exclusive extract of Mr Swan's new book The Good Fight published in the Good Weekend, are just two in a series of damning episodes that paint a picture of a poll-driven Mr Rudd with question marks over his management style, character, judgment and leadership abilities.

Much of what Mr Swan says is likely to be disputed by Mr Rudd - the enmity between the pair, who first met and worked together to bring down the 32-year-old National Party government in Queensland in the late 1980s, is legendary.

It was Mr Swan, for example, who triggered a carpet bombing of Mr Rudd's reputation by senior ministers before the 2012 leadership challenge to Julia Gillard when he said the then-foreign minister ''does not hold any Labor values''.

Mr Swan cites examples of what he calls Mr Rudd's ''unstable personality'', including the latter breaking a pen in a fit of anger in a hotel room, spraying ink everywhere and causing thousands of dollars of damage to the decor.

Kevin's treatment of people was extraordinarily vindictive and juvenile, and it was frequently on display,'' Mr Swan writes.

''Too often his focus was on having something to announce, and the political upside of any decision … for all Kevin's reputation as a policy wonk, it's something that often took a back seat in his decision-making process.

Too frequently it came a distant third, behind media and political considerations.'' There was a ''culture of fear and blame'' in the Rudd office, Mr Swan writes, and the former prime minister was quick to get angry and deliver retribution. ''In most instances, it would not be the senior minister or departmental official who bore the brunt of these outbursts (although this did sometimes happen); rather, a more junior staff member would be the recipient … he burnt through staff like a child flicking matches from a box.''

The pair fell out during the bitter leadership battles of 2003 and 2005, but patched up their differences and worked closely together on the 2007 election campaign.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/wayne-swans-new-book-dishes-the-dirt-on-kevin-...

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/wayne-swans-new-book-dishes-the-dirt-on-kevin-...

[debra9275]

I think the libs have a lot more to be concerned about other than Wayne Swanns book atm 

did you know that he was voted the best treasurer in the world during the GFC?

[fourandsixpants]

Plenty of ex-pollies write books.....even serving ones collect 'stories' for their memoirs....then there is artists licence to chock the chapters.

Wonder how many make credible/worthwhile sales?

[debra9275]

it may be a very short book 

[lightningdance · Accepted solution]

Thanks for reminding us all, the majority of voters, just what a disaster Labor was and still is.

The little bubble of labor voters on here are under the impression that they will win the next election, walk it in in fact, is it a trait the leftists are blind to what the real world wants and needs, like they were blind the last six years when they destroyed the politic, racked up debt, and meddled in everything to such an extent that they boasted they got so much regulation through, to what good? none, all for their own union masters.

Thanks for reminding us all that they will languish in oppostion, continue to eat their own and all the while we have the bill.

Plibbersek always looking for a cause to make herself relevent and shorten keeping his head down and thanking God the heats off him for the moment re the historical allegations and investigations.

Thanks for reminding us all that labor never stops giving, the only problem is nobody wants what they are hawking, they woke up.

[anga_dors]

The  libs arer finished . Its a waste of energy continuing to throw mud at the opposition when you fail as badly as the current government has,  Now the australian public know what hopeless really looks like and they want them gone. it's truly hilarious to watch.

[nero_bolt]

[anga_dors]

Totally irrelevant outdated (and sad ) cartoon. I have a John Gorton cartoon if you like..

[icyfroth]