PM Lacks Guts

I’ve decided to add my own annotations to this Joe Kelly report from today's Australian

Here's the link

TONY Abbott portrayed Kevin Rudd as a leader who lacks the "guts" to fight for his political convictions today after the Prime Minister shelved the emissions trading scheme.

Climate Change Minister Penny Wong today blamed political realities for Mr Rudd's decision to delay the scheme until the end of 2012, citing opposition in the Senate and slow global progress on climate action.
She could also cite the fact that it is now an unpopular policy


Ms Wong also said today that Mr Rudd would not go to a double dissolution election on an ETS because he wanted to serve a full term.
It may be his last – better stay as long as he can to maximise the super

The Opposition leader's attack on Mr Rudd's credibility this morning suggests he will go to the election arguing that Mr Rudd lacked policy conviction and was afraid to take the tough decisions.
This has actually been a Liberal line of attack back when Howard was PM – I’m amazed that it still fits Rudd like a glove.

The Australian reported this morning concerns were growing in the government that Mr Rudd was losing control of the political agenda after a series of policy reversals, including the decision to scrap the home insulation program, a charter of rights (huh? Didn’t know this was even happening – you can’t have rights in this country now that free-speech is out the door with Conroy’s filter scheme) and the construction of 260 childcare centres. (even if they built day cares on school grounds it wouldn’t solve the problem that school runs from 9 – 3, work goes from 8.30 to 5 – you’re not solving the problem for very many parents here)

“How can you run around the country for years saying that climate change is the greatest moral challenge of our time, not just an important issue but no less than the greatest moral challenge of our time. How can you say that for so long and say that the only way to deal with it is an emissions trading scheme and then just dump it?” Mr Abbott asked on ABC radio this morning.
“This was the guy who said it would be absolute political cowardice, absolute lack of leadership, absolute lack of logic just last December not to push on with an emissions trading scheme. He said the choice was between action and inaction and he's chosen inaction. Well, what kind of a Prime Minister is this.”

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Ms Wong said this morning the decision to postpone an ETS until 2013 was due to “political realities” the reality being that if you fought an election over an ETS you would lose and the fact the government could not pass its legislation through the Senate.

Although a double dissolution trigger would allow the government to seek a majority at a sitting of both houses to push through its ETS, Ms Wong said the Prime Minister was reluctant to do so for reasons of principle. They’ve just cancelled half a dozen policies in the space of a week – what principle?

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Lets be real about this; Rudd doesn’t want the double dissolution because of the greens – because all twelve state senate seats would be up the chance of a greens and minor party rush is much greater, trouble for Rudd is – I predict either way – the Greens will hold the balance of power in the next parliament – look at what has happened in Tasmania.