Below is the most interesting bit. And remember, it was sent off to Washington on June 10. Gillard knifed Rudd 15 days later.
She's such a liar.
THE FRONT RUNNER ¶11. (C/NF) COMMENT: All the ALP MPs we have spoken to have enormous respect for Gillard. However, as one ALP Right MP told us, choosing a leader from the Left would be a massive cultural change for the ALP. Don Farrell, the right-wing union powerbroker from South Australia told us Gillard is "campaigning for the leadership" and at this point is the front-runner to succeed Rudd, conceding that the Right did not yet have an alternative. Agriculture Minister Tony Burke, one of the early NSW Right backers of the Rudd-Gillard team, confided that Gillard is the clear front runner to succeed Rudd and in the end, the ALP caucus will follow the opinion polls if she is the one the public wants. Two keenly anticipated books on Gillard are expected to be released within the next 12 months (one of them authored by the wife of Beazley's former Chief of Staff). At present, the question of a successor to Rudd is probably two elections away. Several Rudd confidantes have told us that Rudd appreciates Gillard and sees her as a possible PM, but that he wants to avoid anointing her to head off a possible leadership challenge when his poll numbers inevitably sag. The PM's brother Greg told us in April that Rudd wants to ensure that there are viable alternatives to Gillard within the Labor Party to forestall a challenge. Mark Arbib once told us a similar story, though he stressed that Rudd appreciates Gillard's strengths. However, another Rudd advisor told us that while the PM respects Gillard, his reluctance to share power will eventually lead to a falling out, while Gillard will not want to acquiesce in creating potential rivals. In the meantime, Gillard has proven her value to the Prime Minister and we expect her to remain the most important member of the Rudd Government, after the Prime Minister himself.
The US writer should be given a column, and maybe explain to the local 'journalists' what it is to be a reporter. The problem may the naming of the sources!
ReplyDelete-Carl
"The PM's brother Greg told us in April...", perhaps I'm wrong but I'm picturing Greg having a casual chin wag with CIA ops at a cocktail function or maybe down at a popular watering hole. It's kind of odd how it becomes the stuff of secret government intelligence, like not quite James Bond.
ReplyDeleteSome of this information could give a guy like Assange a handsome edge in betting markets ;-)
Why did Hillary Clinton call in Kim Beazely in the days before Julia Gillard knifed Kevin Rudd?
ReplyDeleteBecause Hillary Clinton and Julia Gillard are both members of Emily's list. Hillary wanted to make sure Julia was going to be the first female Prime Minister of Australia after she failed to become the first female President of the United States.
What is remarkable about this report is the sheer indiscretion of supposedly professional political operatives.
ReplyDeletePerhaps flattered by the attention, they spill what they shouldn't to seem bigger wheels than they are.
One thing is politics is certain: the more status hungry a player is, the more they'll blab.
Isn't what these Australians have done, treason? Especially as a duly elected PM was overthrown?
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