Richo...gs on line today

Well, it all started with Rudd, so let's hope it doesn't end with him too. The Labor party wrongly selected Rudd as leader and the price is now being paid.

Graham,things happen for a reason. There are consequences. Labor must be held to account for it's failures, misguided policies and incompetence. In the private sector, second chances are not given, yet labor was given one at the last election. If "modern labor" is all but wiped out, then it is natural selection at work. The union movement/labor party is no longer relevent to this country.Graham, it's time to stop living in the past.

Gillard may well have a reputation for being tough, but at what point does "tough" become "pig headed"? What does it take for Gillard to develop a sense of reality and to understand this toughness is not in anyone's best interest. Toughness is not a positive attribute unless it is accompanied by a sense of awareness of the context.

Richo you're right about her legacy but it's not all her fault Labor is decadent. A whole bunch of lazy people went with her for the free ride into power. They all did it for themselves not for Australia. Feel for Julia Gillard. Why?

Richo, your beloved ALP is so far from being "taken seriously" it is a joke. As you rightly say, these ridiculous announcables with no enforceability but billion dollar price tags do nothing but damage the ALP's credibility further. It will take a lot more than a return to Rudd for the ALP to avoid electoral oblivion. Rather than being a "force for good" that current ALP will compromise any principle, reverse any stance & abandon any promise in order to cling to power a little bit longer. They are just not good enough to occupy the treasury benches...

Gillard is only the front face of Labor. People find it hard to remember now, but Rudd was worse. Swan still is. Shorten is much more smooth but just as archaic in his thinking. Gillard is not the disease, the whole party is. In the next few years history will bury Labor as surely as it did the Protectionists, and there is no potential leader today who could make any difference to that.

Hi Richo, Good analysis and I do share some admiration for JG's strength of resolve, if not her ideas of what is best for Australia. The Greens can betray her any time to force an election and will if it suits them. The best bet for both the PM and the nation is to call an election now. It is hard for her to be worse off, and the nation would respond very positively.

Where is Oakeshott? Your country needs you to save it from this mess but you have gone missing! Gutless self interest rules.

Sorry Richo, but she made this rod for her and labor's back. She has been so damn cocky railing on in the Parliament with her front bench knocking and jeering the Opposition whilst the Galahs behind her nod and yell shame shame, well M/s O'Neill does continually. She deserves to have no legacy, and just remember we did not elect her Government the Independents and Greens did. We the punters do not have the same sympathy for her demise. But we want to see it out to the end and if those Labor Independents had the guts they would make it much sooner for all our sakes.

Maybe Gillard can do Yoga early every morning to channel the real Julia. I keep hearing Labor speak highly of her so this must be the AWU Julia. Julia cannot step aside because who would the AWU turn to then. Who will they going to build their Obama like campaign around then? For that to work you need to have a comeback. Perhaos Rudd would fit because clearly Labor and the AWU have not stopped to consider the celebrity factor that Julia does not have and neither celebrities to draw upon for support.She does not have the support of a left wing media apart from the ABC and she doesn't have Rudd coming in like Bill Clinton which was more about getting Hillary into office next time round rather than an act of party loyalty. I'm sure she cannot expect Rudd supporters rallying to the call of the AWU's battle plan after being they were all called a small appendage. Sadly Labor are caught between a rock and a hard place with internal dissention, disorientation and division. Perhaps Emerson can give us another rendition of Horror Movie right there on my T.V because as I have said before Gillard is doing for Labor what Natasha Dot Despoya did for the Democrats.

"The near destruction of the modern Labor Party" Hurray! It's high time the rotting stinking dinosaur carcass that is the ALP was buried for good so we can have our country back and never have to fear that it will ever again rear it's ugly head. Looking forward to taking my business out of mothballs, if I can last until September...just go now, all of you, for goodness sake so we can start fixing this mess.

Even if Julia Gillard quit which doesn't seem to be in her DNA, Wayne Swan would seek to guarantee K Rudd would not return to exact retribution on him, the nastiest detractor of the former PM. Swan will use whatever ammunition he has kept in reserve to destroy Rudd's chances, even at the prospect of causing the ruination of a Labor in the ensuing bloodbath. Bill Shorten may well inherit the leadership role but it will be a poisoned chalice. Greens leader Christine Milne will surely seek to take advantage of the ensuing carnage reaped upon Labor at the Polls by projecting her party as being focussed, well led and reliable to it's policy agenda. Her aim being to usurp the mantle of alternative government upon the ashes of a decimated Labor. She will very likely act sooner rather than later to create a catalyst, an event in parliament to precipitate a vote of no confidence in the government and a poll before Aug 12th. Any later would expose her party to Tony Abbott's promise to trigger a double dissolution to facilitate his promise to undo the carbon and mining taxes. Before Aug 12th and Abbott cannot bring on a half senate election for 1 year.

Julia Gillard has reached the same position as John Howard in his last year when Australians were not listening to him.Howard should have stepped down and made a smooth transition to Costello and now Julia Gillard should step down and allow a smooth transition to an alternative leader of the Labor party who Australians will at least listen to.It is vital in any democracy that political leaders know when the people have stopped listening to them and allow an alternative leader to more clearly articulate their partys policies so that voters can vote on a real competition of policies.

Too bad , so sad, Graham! They brought it all upon themselves. Your party will be destroyed when the election takes place, because the electorate requires integrity borne from a new generational group of labor men and women, to come into the parliament.

Well, if JG brings the ALP to the historic low, she then can proclaim she should be credited for every future improvement! Thanks to her that ALP will be able to start with a generation of new leaders and the only way will be up from then on!

Feel sorry for her? Really? I don't. Not at all. As the Proverbs say, "they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices." - she had it coming from day 1.

All this and Tony Abbott is rendered Gaff free.He need not say a word.He is being gifted the lodge in a way that leaves him untested.He does not even have to mumble and stumble his way to the lodge.Kevin Rudd is handing it to him.

Richo - I haven't voted Labor since YOU were in parliament!!! And this column fair makes me nostalgic for those days. You may have been a "whatever it takes" kinda guy, but you were never a BS artist. You told it like it was (and is). I can't wait for your coverage on election night to see the back end of this PM and her misbegotten lot.

"Then last week out of a clear blue sky she announces a billion dollar program to make Australian companies "consider" using Australian made goods." The announcement of this policy was supposed to coincide with the Newspoll scheduled for Monday. Newspoll put the poll back a week so it coincides better with next sitting of parliament and the WA election. The $1 Billion was only meant as a distraction for 48 - 72 Hours. McTernan will have to go through is Policy Pile to find one for this Sunday.

Shorten is not that well liked either. The public are sick of Union leaders becoming politicians. That's why Rudd was so successful. The next Labor PM may not be born yet; they are so dysfunctional.

Good summary as usual. Pity that Howes and the rest just won't see the reality of the situation. Voters in the streets see it - why don't the intelligent members of govmnt see it? Maybe they will read this piece and jolt awake.

Gonski, Schmonski. All these you-beaut multi-billion dollar programmes they keep coming up with. Our society survived for a long time without them, we will get by without them. I feel I "deserve" a 19-bedroom mansion with 12 bathrooms, but alas, there's the small matter of paying for it. So we do without what we can't afford, and do so until you can afford it. True for private citizens, should also be true for government.

Denial is the word of the day. As for sympathy, you must be kidding me. Do you truly believe we should feel that way, Richo? Is it because she is a woman? Look, she breached an election promise. She has also failed on every policy front. She's detested because she is a failure and not trustworthy. The final point: it is time you Labor hardliners analyse the situation and fix it. If you think Paul Howes is helping Labor's cause with his "it is war manifesto", think again.

What do you reckon old Hawkey would say Richo if he wanted to be helpful? -I think you've nailed it - I can't see a future for Labor until you face the conflict of interest which the born to rule union royalty face on seperation of powers from government - call it what you will - it must be dealt with transparently and permanently. It does not mean unions cannot have a valuable role but they cannot sit at the Cabinet table and continue to dictate who the Prime Minister must be as they have in the case of Howard, Rudd and Gillard and for much of the last 100 years. I guess it is habit forming to enjoy this special relationship but no other organisation in Australia to the same degree operate to a different standard within the law of the land with such an obvious conflict of interest to the detriment and intimidation of the majority of other Australians.

Sympathy? You've got to be joking. Gillard is the most incompetent mendacious self-serving PM we have ever had. She has taken the stewardship of "other people's money" to new heights (lows). In tandem with Swanny, she has setup disincentives for business which will never be fully unwound. I hope the first bloke burns her toast.

I still cannot believe that there was not another person in the whole of that miserable labor party with at least a little more intelligence than Gillard. If she is the most intelligent person they have, well, they really, truly deserve to be wiped off the face of the planet permanently and wait for some intelligent person to come along in future decades. Gillard is truly pathetic.

Graham to be fair the prime minster has had major issues outside her control. We all know N.S.W will a disaster for labor due to the state issue about mining leases and I doubt very much if labor will have any federal members but history will prove that she is a prime minster with a can do attitude and history will judge her as a prime minster with the labor tradition of conviction. Her policy outcomes to date have been outstanding: best preforming economy in the world, vision for australian economy with four pillar plan 1. price on carbon 2. the N.b.n 3. the largest investment in both education and infrastructure spending 5. Superannuation from 9%to 12% just to name a few. So on balance she will be remembered and respected as a true labor champion who like the ministry which you were involved in both Hawke and Keating government who modernised our country in 20th century and Gillard has given us a change in 21st century.

Richo, do you ask yourself why? Let me give you a heads up on why the Australian public seem to hate more than ever before. It is not Gillard, she is but a token, a representative. It is the Union movement! It has been exposed as it never has before. The corruption in the HSU, the AWU and probably every other union out there has burned the Astralian people. Until the Labor party cleans that mess up off the floor, it is headed for oblivion, and it is about time you all focused on that rather than Gillard's clumsiness.

Graham, I have never been a fan of the Labor party and never will be. However, I have always respected what Hawke and Keating did with the policies they brought to fruition to the benefit of all Australians. Only they, with the help of the Liberals in the Senate, would have been able to do this. This stupid, stupid condescending, chip on the shoulder woman who is the PM has completely reversed what they had accomplished, brought in class and gender warfare (so 1950s), the constant lies and spin and with the obvious chips on her shoulders - all of which have exacerbated the problems she has created for herself. No wonder Australians are sick of this lot.

Thanks Graham, I do feel for the older members like you who are seeing the once great Labor Party beung destroyed. I am not a Labor voter but I do believe we need two strong parties and the Greens cannot be one of them. Must admit I have said this more than once. The best thing that Labor can do is have an Election ASAP and get it over with. The Party needs to clear the deck and rebuild, it cannot do that from where it is now. The good thing about being in Opposition for Labor right now is it would have clear air to bring in new good people and make some plans. For nearly 12 years in Opposition there was a game of musical chairs trying to win Elections instead of focusing on being a good alternative government. If any Labor MP, no matter who is serious an Election is what they would be after. Are they there to serve our country or to serve themselves. I think you should know the answer to that.

Many ALP MPs are looking for a "circuitbreaker" to deliver them from their tresspasses. Unfortunately the answer is an early election led by anyone other than Gillard, and then many years rebuilding. To do anything else will increase the damage and the time in opposition.

Sorry Richo, no sympathy. She and the rest of the no-talent line-up in Cabinet are their own worst enemies. They have the Midas touch in reverse.

Surely Rudd can see he is being used. Ludwig removed him once before and put Gillard in the job. Ludwig would be planning another knife in the back for Rudd and would replace him with Shorten when the time was right. FGS, wake up Australia, Ludwig is running your country.

The ALP requires destruction in order to rebuild. The party needs people of the ilk of Hawke, Keating & their respective cabinet members who had the interests of Australia at heart.

How much longer can this go on? How much more will Swan borrow to fund this reckless spending? Surely not until September!

Graham, the problem is not just gillard, she is a disaster no question, but the problem is much greater, the labor party and the unions are now seen as the greatest threat to Australias economic management, social fabric, and democratic freedoms. If that means they do not have a place in parliament then that is how it should be. Australia does not owe the labor party and the unions anything.

Wayne Swan and Rudd working together, you have to be joking. Sorry Richo, give up they are .......

Brilliant Richo, truthful and magnificent in it's projection of reality for those concerned. It is hard to believe that, with the reasonable prosperity Australia enjoys, the Gillard Government is in such dire straits. I believe the back-stabbing of Kevin Rudd, the Gillard lies and the embracing of the Greens has encouraged Australians to turn against and even despise the Gillard Government. You speak the truth,however cruel, that without a miracle, the Gillard Government will inflict terrible damage on the Australian Labor Party.

Richo has been using the random political cliche generator app. The app removes the hassle of researching and collating a coherent essay that would score above D+ in a Dawkins University. When you get a chance, put down your jelly and two fruits and update the database comrade. A fact is missing, she did win the last legitimate, AEC supervised, real life election then negotiated government.

There is only one way Labor can survive the self-inflicted political destruction that's coming its way. Bill Shorten should immediately take over as caretaker Prime Minister with an irrevocable promise to the Australian people to call an election within 30 days. Labor hardheads should then rally the troops to a common cause. Not to keep Tony Abbott out, but to keep themselves "in". They should ditch all negativity about Abbott and the Coalition and run a very positive campaign that is truly relevant to the broader electorate, drawing on Labor values and progressive centre left rather than far left ideology. Lastly, they should bring forward their future leaders as quickly as possible so that a "changing of the guard" is not only real, but also seen to be real. This should not include Mr Rudd who should bow out gracefully regardless of his pop star popularity. Renewal of spirit and positivity of mind are now the only things that may reduce the loss of seats from 35-40 down to 15-20. I am not a Labor voter, but I do want an effective opposition. If Labor is decimated, I don't believe they will be able to form an effective opposition and this is not in Australia's interests.

She is only bucketed by Coalition supporters, the media and the likes of you. She is still more popular with Labor voters than Kevin Rudd.

Graham - you are part of the problem, not part of the solution. Gillard lied to the electorate - and continues to disregard us. How do you expect us to respond to that? Gillard will go down in history as the worst ever PM - and she isn't finished yet! And the blame and smear game she continues to play makes us hate her all the more.

Amen brother!

You have to wonder what the caucus is actually thinking. They are frozen like deer stuck in the headlights. Labor is going to be annihilated and everybody knows it. The repercussions are going to be devastating. All for what? Someone like Gillard? You have to be kidding!

A desperate column with an iron fist in a velvet glove, mind you a violin may have been a nice touch. Mr. Richardson you too are bout of touch, how many life boats have bypassed the stubborn Prime Minister?

Actually, this is more than just Gillard. Yes, I concede that she is inept, and a good example of the Peter Principle - someone who got promoted beyond her competence level. But doesn't that also apply to most of her government? Think Swan, Albanese, Wong, Emerson, Plibersek, Roxon, Ludwig, Garrett, Dreyfus, Macklin and Conroy. Add Rudd to this - the man who never had the experience, people skills or temperament for cabinet, much less the PM role. Bringing Rudd back would cause Labor to implode, destroying the credibility and careers of many ministers, including Shorten who put Gillard in the role. Rudd cannot erase his past chaotic, blundering prime ministership, the Obeid and Thomson matters. And as every Labor MP passed the carbon tax, they all are guilty of ratifying a lie: no Labor election promise can be believed. The Labor brand is toxic and they are kidding themselves if they think it's all Gillard's fault. She would never have been in minority government had it not been for Rudd's ineptitude and treachery.

This offering shows the failings of modern Labor, obvious it seems to everyone except 'Labor insiders'. Mr.Richardson is centred on 'toughness' ,polling results, ring-arounds, whisperings, 'what mates will think" etc. Labor's problem is it has no articulate vision/narrative (thank you Paul Keating). Take any issue - climate change , refugees, defence, health,environment, Palestine/Israel , economy, grocery prices, fuel prices, export industries (eg live cattle), manufacturing R&D and Labor gives us no idea of what the long-term goal is - just a constant shrill stream of back flips and blaming others (what about a little executive responsibility, maybe the voter would actually respect that, rather than just hearing its "Tony Abbott's fault"). Rudd was no different, worse if anything. If Shorten has a coherent view on anything which lasts beyond the next poll we are yet to hear it. Keep up the good work Richo, the more you give us insights into modern Labor the more reasons you give us to vote for someone else.

Richio, you swing from defending the PM to calling for her to go in the space of a week. Things must be dire indeed. What I don't get with labor is how the party faithful stood by all the really poor decisions she made, in the name of party unity it seems. More robust debate and holding the leader to account might have helped labor.

Her legacy Richo is the worst primeministership, the worst Fed Govt, the worst policies and the worst debt! Great legacy! We will be paying dearly for the Labor experiment for 25 years. Based on a decade for the Howard Govt to pay off $96 billion in Hawke/Keating debt to Rudd/Guillard debt of $250 BILLION and rising! Great legacy, one we will not be able to either forgive or definitely forget!

Well Richo i hope she stays. The thought of Labor being annihilated in September sounds fantastic.

The ALP,as it now stands,needs to be smashed so that a genuine revival into a social democrat style party can be achieved.What is good for the ALP must be good for Australia,not the other way round.

Mate.. She can't care about the Labor party in any recess of her mind. She doesn't need to leave NDIS and Gonski as a legacy as she can fall back on all her mistakes and errors of judgement as her gift to us all. Swan doesn't care either and Milne is irrelevant. Even if your mates shaft you...you can always give them the finger and say.."I told you so" while blowing a raspberry. Such is life I suppose.

Union Hacks with law degrees does not represent talent no matter where they come from. On the matter of leaving a legacy, she has done that all right, no one will ever forget her, for all the wrong reasons.

Richo, what is the MODERN Labor party? What does modern Labor stand for that the old Labor party didn't stand for? Can Julia or Wayne answer these questions? If this is MODERN Labor then give me the old Labor any day.

sympathy ! Why would we the Australian public feel the least bit of sympathy for Julia Gillard. We want her and EVERY member of this current Federal Labor Party GONE. Not in September but NOW.

Your last few words sums it up Richo "a force for good in Australian Politics" Therein lays the problem. The ALP are not acting for the good of Australia, voters can see that.

Well said Richo, an honest appraisal. Maybe the root cause of the current Labor situation relates directly to the large proportion of federal members, and caucus, who originate from Union affiliations. By nature union organisers rarely have the welfare of the employer at heart; it is all about the workers, the union, and their rights and privileges. Hence few have the ability to understand, own or run a business, let alone govern Australia. So it is an egotistical, unionistic attitude of: It is all about me mate; plus, not seeing the wood for the trees, that possible hamstrings the current federal government.

Graham, you give a bad name to toughness. Gillard is not tough, she is PIG HEADED. Tough people make good decisions against the flow, they accept it when they make a mistake, they will reverse a wrong decision because they are tough and have confidence in themselves. Gillard lacks the above, hence the relentless plunge to the bottom. The Canberra press gallery have not helped Labor as they have been far too uncritical of the mistakes and spin when Joe average can see them like neon lights. They could have helped Labor by a much more critical analysis of unfunded promises and schemes etc and helped the Government be more honest and believable, now it is too late.

"For the party's sake". The classic Labor/Union mantra - cares deeply about "the party" but couldn't give two hoots about the good of the country.

Well said Richo. The Labor movement is always at it's best when it's leaders are genuinely motivated by protecting the interests of others over their own. I fear that this type of thinking doesn't exist anymore in the modern labor party, at least not within 2000kms of Canberra.

When Gillard & Swan perform a Samson act and bring the whole sorry mess crashing down on top them you can bet true to form, that they will be blaming everyone but themselves

What a remarkable volte face from your last piece in which you were extolling Gillard's ability to do whatever it takes to maintain her position. Inconsistencies like that are a perfect example of what is wrong with this government, it stands for nothing but retaining the trappings of power

Regardless of whether she stays or goes, Gillard's place in history is already assured - the woman who killed the Labor Party.

Gillard could do many things to save Labor but it's not likely because she has never batted for the party!! She is only in it for herself and it's been on constant display !!! Voters are completely disillusioned with Labor the brand now because they are not fixing it!!! They appear too scared to say or do anything - like being controlled, brainwashed??? Which is it??? One must conclude therefore that they are just cut from the same cloth as her!! Voters can now see this and thats why Labor is dead! Voters dont want to be controlled , as recent 'policies ' have threatened , as they are obviously controlled ! Labor must realise that they work for the public. Their arrogance and threats will not be tolerated!!!! Labor deserves this termoil , they have earned it!

I can't for the life of me understand why Labor are intent on self destruction. Bill Shorten, Paul Howes and Julia Gillard along with a fair contribution from John McTernan will destroy this party and consign Labor to the opposition benches for at least 3 terms.

The "permanent reminder of her prime ministership" will not be anything to be proud about. As a senior citizen that has seen all PM's from Menzies to Gillard I can attest that the Rudd Gillard farce is the worst this nature has endured. And, that is saying something when you consider the disasters that were Whitlam and Fraser.

You've highlighted something skimmed over by most of Australia's stella journos -- the Palestine observer vote. Forget caucus disquiet depending on what a random 1400 people might say having just read the paper or listened to the radio, the real issue is what happened after that vote. The PM was rolled by her own Cabinet, not caucus, but Cabinet. How this didn't attract days of commentary and analysis, I don't know.

Ahh richo, all these years outside of politics, yet he still reads the electorate like an open book. And what's left unsaid is instrumental... It doesn't matter what happens, labor is going to get whalloped come the election, whenever it is... Can't wait!

Well written and true. Gillard won't resign, she will only go screaming and kicking and it won't be nice. I'm sorry to see the demise of the Labor Party but I feel they have lost their way. They listen too much to the unions and not enough to the people they are supposed to represent. My great grandfather helped form the Labor Party and he would be spinning in his grave with what's going on now within in the party. Tell Gillard & Swan to stop playing games and start listening to the people! If they don't it will end in tears and noone will care - SAD REALLY

Do you really think another leader would do anything for the party? It just reeks of whay happened in NSW prior to the 2011 election. That didn't help Labor. I don't think the party knows what it even stands for these days, and a lot of the things that are being announced do not seem to be for the benefit of Australia and ALL Australians. They have to stop pandering to minority groups and playing politics.

Graham, its beyond ridiculous for you to suggest julia gillard deserves sympathy when as you admit - she is responsible for the massive messes she creates. be sorry for people who live in pain and can't even get on hospital waiting lists for much needed operations that are dismissed as being "elective". be sorry for people who have lost their jobs, people who cannot pay their power bills because of labor stuff ups. dont waste your time feeling sorry for julia. she's looking more self satisfied and arrogant every day - and she'll still be doing very nicely at the taxpayers expense after they deliver their verdict on her years of disaster.

I thought you were `a friend' of the PM too Graham, but I guess like all fairweather friends, you need to distance yourself now it looks like she will fall. But I suspect she'll take the party with her. See if you can avoid being pulled under by the suction as she goes down.

Richo,s article has a major error, ALP today is not a major, modern labor party, it is a confrontational organisation from the past. An organisation that works against management instead of with them.It does not matter who runs ALP todays,their product is dead,finished,gone and unmarketable . Maybe in 10 years Rudd can come back as ALP(new)

Never mind the Labor party what about us? Could Australia recover in just 10 years? I think it will take a generation for Australia to recover from the Gillard/Swan disaster.

.." it would be worth the price to see Labor back in the game". How about " it would be worth the price to stop destroying our economy"? Graham, you still think like a politician. Its not about the party, its about the country.

Prime Minister Rudd was all-talk-and-no-action. Useless first time around, and the talk of him possibly taking over from Gillard for a second tilt at the Prime Ministership is a yawn. He is not the answer. Nor is Gillard who is way out of her depth. The problem with federal Labor goes deeper than the personal ineptitude of Rudd and Gillard. For the past 6 years we have had policy incompetence on a massively costly scale - for eg, the mining tax, the carbon tax and boat arrivals. These three areas alone will ensure budget deficits in the billions of dollars for years to come. Labor needs to do some soul searching and come up with policies which produce sensible outcomes with the nation's best interests foremost. Not policies that just create expensive counter-productive bureaucracies whose core mission is to churn money. Labor also needs to stop the spin and stop the personal attacks on the opposition. In short, from the leader down, they need people and policies of integrity. Until such time, they will be found wanting in the polls. In the meantime, we can only hope that something's gotta give and that we will be sent to the ballot box sooner than September.

I am at an absolute loss to understand why it must be either Gillard or Rudd. Is the quality of the people elected in labor held seats so poor that the can't even find one person that has the support and capability to take over the leadership. Sure I believe labor will go down at the next election but how badly hinges on how this matter is resolved. If they cant run their own party how on earth can they run the country.

Graham, I understand your concerns about the destruction of the Labor party but the majority are more concerned with the destruction and damage she has caused on our nation.We don't care what she dreads of a morning, we dread waking up to find that she and this government are still there and it wasn't just a nightmare.

Gillard and Swan don't seem to know what accountability means. For them everything that goes wrong is someone else's fault. The furthering of self interest is their greatest skill. Now, it seems their hanging in there to maximise their post election pension entitlements. Never in the country's history has there been such huge increases in remuneration of the Govt and public service (40 percent for many) among highest in the world. It's obscene and it represents an all out assault on present and future taxpayers. We need huge retrospective reform here.

I can only hope you're right for once with "the legacy Gillard leaves behind would be the near destruction of the modern Labor Party".

Last year when things looked grim Michelle Gratten wrote a piece in the Age calling on the PM to "Fall on her sword" Of course that was ignored, but how much better would the situation be now if Gillard had followed that advice. She didn't and she won't now, for the same reason. Her massive lack of self perception coupled with an overdose of self-confidence. Gillard honestly believes she is the best person for the job. Toughness is a quality, but only to a point where it becomes stubbornness....then it's a serious liability!

Sure she's dreadful, but remember after the 2007 election all the pundits were saying the next Liberal PM isn't even in Parliament yet? All these pollies are so loathed now that the government is likely to change at every election until there is some sort of reform. Labor is only as dead as the liberals were in 2007.

Glad to see Mr Richardson concedes Labor is not a force for good in Australian politics. The problem, however, is not just the leadership. I refer you to the excellent, insightful analysis by Waleed Aly in another newspaper today. And no, Richo, I don't have, and will not have, any sympathy for Ms Gillard. Her problems are entirely of her own making, she is exactly where she is by her own (and Labor's) hand, ambition and incompetence. The fact the gig may not be quite as she imagined it to be is a simple case of stiff cheddar. On a day when double-digit increases in electricity prices are to be announced, don't bother navel-gazing about leadership. This is yet another impost on the very "working families" now abandoned for "modern families" or is it "blue collar workers" or whoever next week. Hardworking Australians of all ages, professions, skills and payscales are fed up with this constant intelligence vacuum, confected class warfare and policy posturing without any substance to support it. Not to mention the huge and accelerating deficit and borrowings we, the hard working, will have to pay off for years to come. We're over Labor, Richo, that's the bottom line.

It is refreshing to read that at least one well known labor person sees it for what it is. Gillard is about the worst person who ever led the labor party. She forever speaks about labor values but what she really means is Gillard values. She proposes grandiose schemes that in theory are excellent but in reality are not funded. Now she, assisted by that other nonentity Plibersek, wants to bypass the states with her latest health scheme. For the good of the party she should disappear but then, who wants to take on leadership of a crowd that is doomed at the next election? Political suicide although a handsome pension for life is inviting.

Graham, when even you are saying it's time to go, maybe it really is time to go! However, it may just be a case of shifting the deck chairs on the Titanic. There's a great rip in the structure of the Labor Party which no amount of weight shifting is going to fix. Short of a miracle, it's going down. For Labor supporters, it's time to try to save the passengers and crew because they are going to have to build a new ship! I expect the only solution is for Ms Gillard and Mr Swan to stick it out and do a great mea culpa, admit the failures of many of their policies and try to fix them up even if it means embarrassing reverses. They won't save themselves, but they might manage to save more of the crew. Likely? Not on your Julie!

Perhaps you would have to feel some simpathy Richo but I think the vast majority do not. In my opinion it is large chunks of this present "talent pool" that are the problem. It would be desirable for them to be gone. Never has a federal government tried so hard to limit free speach or maintain secrecy to prevent the public from learning outcomes of studies, reviews and findings. Even pay scales at the good old ABC are top secret. Gillard keeps coming out with multi-billion dollar policies with no plan for funding. This most recent 1 billion dollar plan to try and make companies "consider" buying Australian, shows clearly that despite all the better financial manager chest beating, running up any amount of debt is just fine with this government if they think it might buy a couple of votes!

Richo, thank you for your honesty. I was predictng this fate for Labor's a year ago, but even though politically I support Liberal I also recognise that for our system to work properly we require a strong opposition and we won't have one for some time now. There is a great opportunity though for Labor to rebuild and come back renewed, stronger, relevant. This won't happen tomorrow, but if Labor was to clean out those responsible - at least all those on the front bench have to go, greatly reduce union involvement, work out what the Party stands for we could have a great Party again in say 10+ years.

Never thought the day would come when we read that an ALP elder seeks to remove an ALP Prime Minister for the 'good of the party'.Reality dictates that such an action would be for the benefit of the nation. The problem is, who would replace Julia? Krudd seems to be a very definate No both within caucus and the electorate; that leaves Crean, a has-been,Combet, not in a fit, Macklin, ineffective as a deputy leader, and Shorten. However Shorten installed Gillard and has nailed his colours to the Gillard masthead. To jump ship now and after all his loyal words in support of Julia would be a most cynical act- even under the guise of 'for the good of the party'.Would Shorten,with his Prime Ministerial aspirations, really wish to take on the leadership for a few months and then sit on the opposition benches for a decade? Probably not. Better to let Julia tough it out as stated, suffer defeat and then have the ALP caucus elect a new leader, deputy leader and shadow treasurer and start with a clean sheet.Paul Howes having loyally vowed to put his members into campaigning for Julia in marginal seats would also have to switch allegiance demonstrating complete union fickleness.

Gillard's legacy of failure & deceit will be all that is remembered of this worst government we have endured, even worse than Gough's. Her win for herself at any cost to others is not an attitude that attracts sympathy, she has brought the questioning of the honesty of every statement she makes upon herself.

Richo, i don't believe she is that tough i just don't think she has the qualifications to be a prime minister. In my view she had rudd in her sights long before she acutally knifed him,the only thing she was chasing was ambition and she wanted to be australias first female prime minister, well she achieved that she also achieved being australias worst prime minister. The only thing on this womens mind is personal glory, no, tough she ain't.

It seems to me that the greatest furphy the labor party has forced down our throats was exposed when Maxine McKew discovered to her surprise that Julia Gillard is actually not that smart. She clearly is a wily operator and has been successful in getting close enough to former labor leaders to be seen as a natural successor, but that did not make her smart. If she was smart she would have been able, long ago, to understand that she lacks judgement. Almost every policy she has been identified with from Medicare Gold to the BER and cash for clunkers, has underscored the realisation that she lacks judgement. She can declare war on the states if she wishes, she can tear up the health agreement if she chooses but what she cannot do is make us believe anything she says. If it is, for example, a choice between believing the Queensland or Victorian premiers or her, you don't have to be Einstein to figure out who people will believe. The truth is that she and the ALP have one and only one choice and her personality appears to be an obstacle to that even being considered.

Riccho, the amazing thing about this mob, is that the story is always all about Labor, Labor's future, Julia, Julia's future, - Australia, the country they happen to inhabit, does not get a look in! In fact, to stay in power they held hands with the Greens and presented us as a raving lefty sovereign risk to investors. I resent too the way the Greens think they alone care about the environment and act like we're all heathens to their God Giah! I truly resent that. We have been over the Real Julia and Saint Swan stories for ages, for us out here in the real world, it's all about AUSTRALIA's future, not Labor Green's. They have messed with our future prosperity.

It's ok Richo - if Modern Labor is destroyed they can start afreash from the gound up. True renewal. Australia needs a good opposition as well as a good government and unfortunately the current ALP will provide neither so has to go.

Richo - your interference is misjudged. Gillard and Labor are currently headed exactly where they deserve to be sent - to oblivion. Your other mistake is to believe that Kevin Rudd offers any solution. He does NOT, and if anything really terrifies voters more than Gillard, it is the prospect of Kevin13 from Queensland. The universal lampooning of Rudd was Gillard's trigger to knife him, and that feeling still persists. Rudd is loathed by the general population. Labor must turn to a new and younger leader, probably outside the current cabinet, and definitely not an ex IR lawyer or ex union official. Labor needs a bright young leader who can speak and govern for ALL Australians, not just the minority.

Well, you're in the know Grahame Richardson: If you say it is so then it is! So, it's bye Labor party for the next decade ... Anyone taking bets on the next poll?

The destruction of the dinosaur aka the Labor Party, would be a good thing for Australia. It will allow space for a new centre-left party to emerge that wasn't beholden to the union movement; wouldn't try to out-Green the Greens political party; and, hopefully, would look to its greatest leader and Australia's greatest PM, Bob Hawke, for inspiration. Die Labor die, so that something better may arise.

If the ALP wishes to ever again be a "force for good" in Australian politics, first they have to define and understand the meaning of GOOD. Then they have to actually do some good, as opposed to whatever it takes. If this is asking too much, then the ALP is destroyed.

I watched 4 Corners last week re the story on the once middle class many of whom have lost their houses and jobs and now live out of their cars or cheap motels. One story told of an ex manager now earning $228.00 a week. For the love of me after viewing the program I cannot understand the attitude of Australians who for various reasons cannot come to grips with the fact we are the luckiest people in the western world.

Labor stalwarts - Graham Richardson with Neil Mitchell 9 25 am today - claim that the decimation awaiting them at the polls will destroy the modern Labor party for 15 years. However the destruction scenario naturally trumps them surviving - period. If merely in the ideas area - let the left show how anything they glibly quote as 'Labor values.' - monikers they astonishingly espouse as 'the Labor brand,' - compares with the inevitable Liberal guys! One could fill a telephone book with an even basic policy differential that should cause the left to disband in shame. Let someone point out arenas of their choosing where a Labor continuum could be justified on any grounds. Geoff Seidner

Mr Richardson doesn't seem to understand that the current ALP is a dinasaur of times long gone. There might be some future talent in the government who can become leadership material, but KRudd is not the messiah and Shorten et al are so linked to the union movement as to be unelectable. The first thing the ALP needs to do is to stop the union to politician nexus, drop the deely faded socialism mantra, get rid of the token appointments and cease trying to import British or US democratic type politicking. This is Australia and we do and think differently here; we are far more cynical and can see right through spin over substance. The ALP also needs to stop preselecting females into electorates- because they are females! The view that the female punters will automatically elect another female is founded on a [misguided] belief that we are a bit silly. We really don't give a toss for the gender war. Preselection should be on merit and merit only - NOT on a union/gender/family base. Since the 2010 election this government has been almost totally focused on Abbott; almost every utterance includes Abbott. Start governing, because there aren't too many days left.