Gina-Marie CheesemanMinisters resignation Increases the Pressure on Rudd
March 3rd 2007 06:43
The resignation of Ian Campbell from the Howard Ministry has stepped up the pressure on Kevin Rudd in the “Brian Bourke Affair” which threatens to derail the momentum Labor and Rudd had been able to build since his leadership victory.
The Howard Government was severely embarrassed this morning when it had been revealed that Ian Campbell had meet with Brian Bourke only a few months ago.
This follows days of government attack on Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd over his meetings that he had conducted with disgraced former Western Australia Premier Brian Bourke in 2005.
This morning’s news of the Campbell meeting had started out looking terribly bad for the government given their attitude of the past few days where they accused anyone who dealt with Mr Bourke as being shady and untrustworthy.
The resignation of Campbell however has now become a pedestal that they can stand in front of Rudd and ask him to match.
If one of the governments own ministers is prepared to think that he has become so tainted by a relatively minor twenty minute meeting with Brian Bourke why then won’t Mr Rudd match them with his own resignation.
If you were a complete cynic you may suggest the government set the whole thing up.
Rudd is now under enormous pressure to put this issue to bed but other revelations today that the dinner meeting Rudd had with Bourke was well organised and funded by Brian Bourke contradicts his statements that the meeting was merely just a last minute decision as a favour to a fellow Labor M.P.
If Rudd is forced to clarify his statements and indeed change the basic facts that he has originally stated Rudd may indeed become mortally wounded by this.
This to me highlights something about politics in general and that is the enormous ego’s that many politicans carry round with them.
How can someone of Rudd’s experience in Diplomacy and Politics not realise that once the story broke he had to tell all ,not try to put some spin on the story but to just explain exactly what went on.
If he was there discussing Leadership issues he had to reveal that, surely he or someone on his staff would have realised that a meeting with Bourke and twenty business people will be come public knowledge and that if leadership was discussed and if the meeting was organised and funded by Bourke this is going to be found out.
This is the bread and butter of political journalists.
The next few days will make or break Rudd’s Prime Ministerial aspirations.
Rudd under Pressure
The Howard Government was severely embarrassed this morning when it had been revealed that Ian Campbell had meet with Brian Bourke only a few months ago.
This follows days of government attack on Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd over his meetings that he had conducted with disgraced former Western Australia Premier Brian Bourke in 2005.
This morning’s news of the Campbell meeting had started out looking terribly bad for the government given their attitude of the past few days where they accused anyone who dealt with Mr Bourke as being shady and untrustworthy.
The resignation of Campbell however has now become a pedestal that they can stand in front of Rudd and ask him to match.
If one of the governments own ministers is prepared to think that he has become so tainted by a relatively minor twenty minute meeting with Brian Bourke why then won’t Mr Rudd match them with his own resignation.
If you were a complete cynic you may suggest the government set the whole thing up.
Rudd is now under enormous pressure to put this issue to bed but other revelations today that the dinner meeting Rudd had with Bourke was well organised and funded by Brian Bourke contradicts his statements that the meeting was merely just a last minute decision as a favour to a fellow Labor M.P.
If Rudd is forced to clarify his statements and indeed change the basic facts that he has originally stated Rudd may indeed become mortally wounded by this.
This to me highlights something about politics in general and that is the enormous ego’s that many politicans carry round with them.
How can someone of Rudd’s experience in Diplomacy and Politics not realise that once the story broke he had to tell all ,not try to put some spin on the story but to just explain exactly what went on.
If he was there discussing Leadership issues he had to reveal that, surely he or someone on his staff would have realised that a meeting with Bourke and twenty business people will be come public knowledge and that if leadership was discussed and if the meeting was organised and funded by Bourke this is going to be found out.
This is the bread and butter of political journalists.
The next few days will make or break Rudd’s Prime Ministerial aspirations.
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Comment by Anonymous
Those believing the high moral stance of the Howard government ministry must have very short memories - how many have been proven liars? Minimum of eight I'd suggest.
This story is so very important, it seems sad that the press missed it entirely when it was first published in November 2006.
Curious that.
Oh, and my source? Well, Kevin Rudd on the 7.30 Report, ABC TV this evening. Of course I'm sure that 'Honest John' Howard will prove otherwise.
Could we have more entertaining beat-ups next time? Something with a little less peacock & a bit more substance wouldn't go astray.