Saturday 11 September 2010

The real thing: Gillard's second cabinet - Part 2 - Miss Eagle's Comments

More humble but still beautiful prints of these two 
can be seen at Miss Eagle's domicile

Networkers, you may - or may not, as is your proclivity and political leaning - be pleased to know that the nation's finances and primary industries are safe and secure in the hands of the faction (or sub-faction, depending whether you are looking at things from Qld or the national level) dominated by the Australian Workers Union (AWU).   Look at it this way:
Deputy Prime Minister, Treasurer
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
(Joe is the son of Bill Ludwig, long-time Secretary of the Qld Branch of the AWU.
Joe himself, before entering Parliament, was an industrial advocate with the AWU.)
Minister for Trade
 Assistant Treasurer Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation

I'm sure the AWU wouldn't have minded the Resources portfolio.  A couple of things wrong with that.  Firstly, it would have pitted the AWU, a right-wing union, against that other big mining union the CFMEU, a left-wing union.  The other thing is if Martin Ferguson is taken away from that portfolio, what are you going to do with him?  There is an old saying: better on the inside leaking out, than on the outside leaking in.  That's the problem with MF.  If he is not happy, wotza he gonna do, eh?  Leak like northern Australia in The Wet and generally cause madness and mayhem.

I'm pleased to see the large number of women taking hold of responsible positions:

Julia Gillard 
Prime Minister
Nicola Roxon 
Minister for Health and Ageing
Jenny Macklin 
Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services & Indigenous Affairs
Penny Wong 
Minister for Finance & Deregulation
Tanya Plibersek 
Minister for Human Services, Minister for Social Inclusion
Kate Ellis 
Minister for Employment Participation & Childcare
Jacinta Collins 
Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Employment & Workplace RelationsJulie Collins 
Parliamentary Secretary for Families, Housing, Community Services & Indigenous Affairs
Justine Elliot 
Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs & Trade
Catherine King 
Parliamentary Secretary for Health & Ageing, Infrastructure & Transport
Kate Lundy 
Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration & Citizenship, Prime Minister and Cabinet
Jan McLucas 
Parliamentary Secretary for Families, Housing, Community Services & Indigenous Affairs

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I would have like to have seen Jenny Macklin sent packing from the Ministry altogether, or at least sent to a portfolio where she could have done no harm.  Her handling of the the Indigenous Affairs section of her portfolio has been irresponsible - and I base this solely on her implementation of that evil John Howard policy, the Northern Territory Emergency Response commonly known as The Intervention.

If there is any chance of sanity coming into Indigenous Affairs it may come from Jan McLucas.  Now, Jan is from Cairns not the Northern Territory.   I am not sure where she stands in relation to the Noel Pearson policy portfolio - but, remembering her origins of old, I would doubt that she would be a wholehearted supporter.  So, if Macklin wants to start doing something right, it might be an idea to give McLucas a go.
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Surprise, surprise!  Gary Gray is Special Minister for State.  Pity that this role only gets him into the Outer Cabinet.  However, I think this track will suit this stayer from the West.  Interesting breeding given that he is married to one of the Walsh (Peter and Rose) daughters.  Gray is the brother-in-law of Brian Ede, who is married to another Walsh daughter and was formerly Opposition Leader in the Northern Territory and is now happily growing wine in West Australia.  

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