Dear Kevin & Julia,
If you really, really want to help Labor, and (for Kevin) preserve the possibility of returning to the leadership in the future, here's what you could do:
1. Kevin: start referring to the Prime Minister as "Julia", on TV, not all the time, but at least once or twice between your insistence on referring to her as "the Prime Minister" (as if her actual name remains poison to you.)
2. Kevin and Julia: stage a very public reconciliation meeting for the cameras (perhaps with a couple of other Rudd "enemies" in the background) at which Kevin refers to "Julia" at the key point where he explains that you are reconciled, and Kevin makes it clear that he will co-operate in all respects with campaigning and media appearances so as to not give the impression that he is still competing for the leadership.
3. Julia: at the reconciliation meeting, explain that Kevin will return to Cabinet in the event of the return of the Labor government. Use the reasoning that it's obviously too late to fit him back in now, and returned Prime Ministers typically do re-shuffle things a bit. Talk him up as obviously a person who the public wants to see in a more prominent role in government, and you are willing to accommodate this.
Is it beyond the realm of possibility that such an obviously useful tactic could be achieved by Labor?
3 comments:
"Is it beyond the realm of possibility that such an obviously useful tactic could be achieved by Labor?"
Yes. it is beyond the realm of possibility. Once you grasp this truth and the reasons for it, many things will become clear to you.
You might wish for example that the Labor party hadn't become infested with corruption and union/factional control.
Labor needs to face reality and reform. As Turnbull said, that can only happen in opposition. Opposition is the medicine that Labor needs, and will be good for it in the long run.
Anything else is just wishful thinking and denial.
Some sort of public divorce from the NSW wing of the party would be useful!
It's deeper than that, and broader than just NSW. If the problem was confined to only NSW, Rudd would be leader right now.
There are a few clear thinkers left and they will be critical in rebuilding after this mess is done.
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