Name: CHAN, Sin Fong
Subject: Rudd's Selection
Visit Time: 30/11/2007 12:10 AM
Remark:
Julia Gillard has been handed a new super-ministry combining education with industrial relations. She may be a first-class in her past performance, but she is no Wonder Women or Superwomen.
If the Media Statement - 18th November 2007 posted in the Official Website of the Australian Labor Party is fair dinkum, I can’t see how Julia Gillard could fulfil everything promised by the Federal Labor as commitment to lift school standards, from primary to university, and to establish a National Curriculum from prep/kindergarten to Year 12. The IR portfolio involves abolishing the Liberal’s AWA/WorkChoices and keeping the unions happy, is already a job and a half.
What kind of AWA did poor Julia Gillard sign with Kevin Rudd? She will have to work 24/7, probably she will not have time for her Christmas and New Year holidays.
However, help could be on the way! Maxine McKew, a miracle candidate that removed the previous PM from his seat, is too new to the political game. If given a front bench position, it will not please many, and thus, she is temporarily assigned as the Parliamentary Secretary to Kevin Rudd. My crystal ball tells me that there will be a mid-term reshuffle and Maxim McKew will be elevated to take over the education portfolio from Julia Gillard.
The reshuffle may see Peter Garrett demoted from the front bench and Penny Wong will take over the combined role of Environment, Climate Change and Water. Penny Wong’s appointment just fits in well with Kevin Rudd’s Chinese diplomacy policy. While Kevin Rudd is just a Chinese speaking Australian, Penny Wong is a Chinese speaking Chinese (Malaysian) who came to Australia at the age of eight. In the eyes of the Asians, and Chinese, Labor is not a “racist” political party/government, which Liberal fails to accomplish.
To appoint Martin Ferguson to be in charge of Resources (does it include human/union resources?) and Energy seems OK, but handling Tourism is not a “Bloody Hell” good idea!
