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The Prime Minister's credibility is being undermined

Posted by: Neil Mitchell | 28 November, 2012 - 12:42 PM
A tense week for the Prime Minister amdist the 'Slush Fund' affair and leadership rumblings. (Photo: Andrew Meares)

I think we are all over the AWU scandal and unless (or until) there is something dramatic that confirms something important, we have turned off.

As I said yesterday, I think as a solicitor, Julia Gillard was at best sloppy. That doesn’t disqualify her.

But last night we had duelling crooks, the dodgy brother falling out. Bruce Wilson on ABC TV and Ralph Blewitt on Sky News, both blaming each other.

Listen to Wilson, Gillard’s former boyfriend.

"There was no fraud on my part, absolutely not," he said.

"When I left the union in 1995, I left it and I didn’t think much about it after that, and I haven’t for 17 years."

Of course he can’t remember putting $5000 in her bank account, but may have. She can’t remember.

It all feels so seedy and it is undermining the Prime Minister’s credibility, rightly or wrongly.

But he opposition needs to produce or back off. It is not doing anybody any good at the moment - certainly not the country.

And reported in The Australian today, Gillard nearly lost her leadership yesterday.

A quote from an anonymous member of caucus: "It was a very, very tense 12 hours, I can tell you. She came perilously close to losing the leadership this morning."

That happened not because of the AWU mess but because of a cabinet rebellion on foreign policy.

She wanted to vote against a UN resolution to give Palestine observer status at the UN. That was how Israel and the US were voting. She was forced to compromise and have Australia abstain.

It sounds very tense very difficult and ministers were standing against her.

There was also debate over the media reforms that she wants - which is more like media control - and she wasn’t winning there either.

I don’t know if it is right that her leadership was on the edge, but given the nature of this government, it would not surprise me.

LISTEN: Channel 9 political editor Laurie Oakes with Neil Mitchell:

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Blog comments Your Say

  • Charles Edge ???Have a good look at the "ABC" BIAS. Open your blinked "EYES".

    IAN Saturday 1 December, 2012 - 11:34 AM

  • The media and not politicians are digging the dirt. When will everyone realise that most of us just glaze over every time this comes up.
    Today we have Brandis hogging the live news channels with more insignificant muck. Both the ABC and Sky played it live so we couldn't escape.
    If the media laid off we might point the politicians in the general direction of what they are paid to do!
    Yesterday Tony Abbot gave a good imitation of the slim prospect of policy..there shoul be more of it.

    Charles Edge Friday 30 November, 2012 - 11:37 AM

  • Neil are you saying that the long nose of Pinocchio has been poking too deep?
    Could be.

    June Thursday 29 November, 2012 - 4:12 PM

  • Too right Neil that arrogant chalk on board screeching woman has always been a mad hyena. There will be no there will be no there will be no...sorry....truth ..I mean ...from here.Yep.
    Remember I am only quoting. They are not my words.

    Dani Thursday 29 November, 2012 - 4:05 PM

  • In order to have one's credibility undermined, you must have had credibility in the first place. Gillard never has had credibility, especially after stabbing Rudd.

    Thus what we see is Gillard's lack of credibility yet again being confirmed.

    Ivan@kinnane Thursday 29 November, 2012 - 11:31 AM

  • Neil this morning you said a broken promise was not a lie, what else would you call it when she knew a few days before the election that she was going to break it after the election, now to me that's a lie, not a change of circumstanses to make her change her mind.

    gez Thursday 29 November, 2012 - 11:00 AM

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