Counter-punching rival can't lay a glove on Rudd

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday August 3, 2009

According to Malcolm Turnbull, Kevin Rudd is a ��phoney prime minister��, a ��giver of sermons��, who has a ��disregard for the truth��.The Prime Minister is the ��philosophy king��, living in a ��fantasy world�� while on an ��ego trip��. Mr Turnbull has in the past accused Mr Rudd, among other things, of being ��reckless��, ��gutless��, ��dishonest��, ��contemptible�� and ��arrogant��.How can such an apparently despicable individual have a preferred prime minister rating of 64 per cent?The Opposition Leader might want to sit and contemplate why his own popularity is at an all-time low.He could look at the astonishing success of the kinder, gentler reality television program Master Chef and re-assess his ever persistent negative language. The bitchiness of Big Brother is passe, Malcolm. We've moved on.Glen op den Brouw LiverpoolHow can the Liberal Party continue boasting the mining boom as some sort of Liberal Party success story?The success of Australian mining is not a celebration of Australian entrepreneurial genius.It is just there, in the ground. They dug it up and sold it on a market that was extremely high in demand.Pauline Hanson could have overseen this boom in Australia's economy. Mining does not provide Australia or Australians with a fundamental skill set or competitive advantage that it can capitalise on in the long term. Primary industries such as mining are non-renewable. Once these resources are gone, what will Australia be left with? Maybe we can capture the tourism dollar of the Big Things sightseer with the Big Hole, the Big Bank, the Big Murray-Darling Perch, and the Big Banana Republic.Andrew Dib Lyneham (ACT)Hey Malcolm, here's a tip: if I'd wanted a government that only worried about debt I would have voted in a banker. I believe a government should provide public services like education, health and transport, and not leave it to private industry and only those who can afford it.Government is about governing for all, not for the elite. I don't deny that the previous government did some good things, but in the end they still didn't get it.Your letter reeks of the Howard era. If we need to take on debt to put this country back on track to provide affordable services to all parts of the community, so be it.Timothy Matheson BalmainIf Malcolm Turnbull was really concerned about future generations of Australians, he would have focused his piece on education not economics.His only mention of education is as an export industry. As such, I can only assume he's more interested in future generations of foreigners than Australians.Guy Curtis Seven HillsMalcolm Turnbull criticises waste in education funding as applied to "Julia Gillard-memorial assembly halls �� coming to a primary school near you whether it is needed or not". For the first time he has inspired hope in me. Hope that Malcolm will lead a political team that will deliver funding where it is needed, not by formula.It'll be a shame when Scots or Cranbrook or Kambala miss out on a new assembly hall, but my guess is they don't need it. But Malcolm, let me tell you about how crowded it is at my granddaughter's primary school library where school assemblies are held.Helen Lyons-Riley Melrose Park

© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home