Is Australia now seeing the return of a genuinely secular federal government?

After almost eleven years of a Howard Government which pandered to fundamentalist religious  elements in Australian society for its own political purposes, there is now a glimmer of hope that a more balanced approach to social and economic policy may be at hand.

 

"KEVIN Rudd makes no secret of his religious beliefs, but as prime minister he says he'll take advice from public servants, not God.

The committed Christian says he is not praying for guidance on how to run the country.
Mr Rudd said he would keep religion and politics separate.
"I go to church on Sunday like millions of other Australians, and I am always conscious in the business of politics of what I don't know, and therefore the need to seek advice," Mr Rudd told Southern Cross Broadcasting in Melbourne.
"That's usually obtained, however, from well-crafted reports from public service advisers."

News.com.au today:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22847361-29277,00.html

 

There are many who will be more than relieved if Kevin Rudd is seen to keep his word on this matter. Meanwhile, careful vigilance with regard to this new government is the order of the day in my household.

Climate Change predicted to set 'diabolical' policy challenges for Rudd Government

Something I guess we all expected. The road ahead will not be easy and a hostile and bitter Coalition-dominated Senate for the next seven months will likely make matters even harder.

 

"CLIMATE change is already more advanced than the world realises, and tackling it will present "diabolical" policy challenges, says the head of Labor's climate change review, Professor Ross Garnaut.

In his first speech since starting his policy review for state governments and Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd, Professor Garnaut indicated that he would recommend a stronger framework to secure rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions than that proposed by the Howard government.

He implied that emissions trading could start as soon as 2010, suggested there was a strong case for high carbon prices from the outset to drive change, and opposed free permits to existing polluters, as the Howard government envisaged.

An internationally known economist who has been adviser to former prime minister Bob Hawke, Australian ambassador to China and head of the Hawke government's tariff review, Professor Garnaut said he was confident that global warming could be brought under control without derailing global growth."

The Age full article today:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/climate-worse-than-we-thought/2007/11/29/1196037074795.html

NSW North Coast MP becomes Minister for Aging in new Rudd Government

Justine Elliot the Labor MP for Richmond became the new Minister for Aging yesterday when Kevin Rudd announced the makeup of his ministry.

Well done, Justine. I wish you well with this portfolio which is of special interest to us on what is often affectionately called the 'retirement coast'.

All the former Howard Government ever offered a North Coast MP was the consolation prize of Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps and precious little the incumbent did with that position.

Crikey puts the boot into "The Australian"

At http://www.crikey.com.au/ yesterday. A not so subtle dig at the national newspaper which the blogosphere dubbed 'The Government Gazette' during the Howard era.

Libs still baulk over the 'sorry' word

His term as Leader of the Liberal Party not even 24 hours old and Brendan Nelson has been on national television refusing to support any formal Federal Government apology to the indigenous 'stolen generation'.

It seems this political party will never learn.

The Liberals will be privately close to apoplexy when they realise that the largest successful Native Title claim in New South Wales has just come into being on the North Coast and in the north-west of the state.

Congratulations to the Githabul people.

 

Enter Brendan Nelson (dodging daggers)

Well it's official. Brendan Nelson has been given the poison chalice as initial Leader of the Liberal Party in the 2007-2010 Federal Opposition.

He will have to be quick on his feet as both Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbot will be swift to capitalise on his mistakes. With Nelson's history there are bound to be a few of those.

I give Nelson about ten months in the job at most before he is successfully ousted by one of his 'loyal' compatriots.

Once they recover from Saturday's face slap the Coalition is bound to fight IR rollback

The media is making much of current Coalition internal dissent over its possible post-election stance on the Rudd Government's intention to change WorkChoices legislation.

The Age:
 http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22834177-601,00.html

 

However, I am sceptical that any softened attitude to this industrial relations change will survive the first few weeks of the new parliament sitting. 

The bulk of Liberal and Nationals political donations come from businesses and industries which have been able to make hay under WorkChoices. Given the recent decline in campaign funding received by these two parties, I doubt that they will do more than pay lipservice to the mandate received by Federal Labor on any IR rollback because both Libs and Nats need to recover financially before federal election 2010.

As it appears that quite a few Coalition MPs may be considering retirement halfway through their present term of office and might look to big business to provide them with a lucrative second career, I also cannot see them deciding to bite the hands they hope will feed them in the future.

When it comes to the Coalition's response to Rudd's foreshadowed industrial relations changes, it's likely to be a case of right-wing leopards and spots.