Kevin has had it easy, a much longer honeymoon you could say than any other previous government.
Brendan Nelson was right down in leadership polls and Kevin was off to Bali, kicking up a storm for the globe, and then being lauded as the "We're Sorry Spruiker" and just what is the follow up!
And then we have had his 2020

But after nine months the media are starting to say er...Kevin! , well that was last week and out he has come firing, or well lets say playing good cop bad cop (well headmaster anyway)
First of all it's a shaking of Turnbull'S hand and then "Gee Malcom, why don't we kick the republic along" - Mal was astute enough not to get sucked in!

And then the HM - the finger wagging on any sceptics about global warming!
My message to Kev on that:
Re: Rudd lashes climate change sceptics
You can lash all you like, using whatever rhetoric you choose but history will show you should have been consigned to the rubbish bin of politics.

The globe may well be warming whether it is in a warming stage of a cycle or just the trend that some scientists believe will see the earth taken out by the sun.
. Sun will swallow earth: astronomers

Mere gobblygook we may dare to say, but is it any more than what the IPCC claims?
What is the IPCC - a collection of scientists with what credentials and who elected them there? and PM you know full well what it is like having gatherings of people trying to decide on something - the parliament, committees, 2020 etc., and all very different views and no small wonder then that some IPCC members disassociate themselves from the claims.

. Opposition To Global Warming Severely Suppressed , just one of many sites that talk of not just sceptism but suppression of airing different views.

What do you put the drying of the Murray at about 1900 down to?

And then the classic of all, that only bureucratic bungling could create in the poorest example of leadership logic, or lack of credible advice from your fellow thick headed bureaucrats:

. Australia places some carbon weights collectively around the populace and producers necks to the delight of those other Mandarin and other language speakers to the north and many more north and west of our nation - why delight?

Oh velley good Kevvie they vill be velly well saying for we be importing more coal and exporting more products to Australia and Oh don't you worry so much about our carbon for the Olympics is finished!

Yes Kevin, what is the Mandarin word for excessive carbon and stuff you Jack? for all a carbon tax is going to do is make producers in Australia less able to compete on the already very unlevel world playing field ($1/d Vs $200/d) and lack of industrial regulation - a life ain't valued too highly by some in some countries.

And then we have the extra carbon to go with the transport of imports!
Wake up to yourself, surely you would have the opportunity to see industry in China, but perhaps not!

And now to top it off, we have "clean coal" being stored where?; trials in Qld. to pump it into underground coal seams being supported by Japanese and Anna very pleased with that, and now you want to store it under the sea!

Heard of Lake Nyos in Cameroon have we?, only 1800 snuffed out in their sleep there by CO2!!!!!!!

. BBC - Science & Nature - Horizon - Killer Lakes - Transcript

A Classic if ever there was one.

And then more finger wagging for Malcom, who mind you has made millions as a merchant banker dared say some truth!, and we get:
Rudd targets Turnbull over RBA remarks

Yep, the Liberals have the leader they probably will do best with and Kevin may just have some more acid put on his leadership credentials or ability.

You have to wonder what Rudd has been doing. He started off ok, but he seems to be lost in the wilderness now.

One thing I hate is when the current government blames the previous one for any problems happening now, ie. the pensioner issue going on now.

The economy is going to start to tank now, which has a lot to do with problems in the U.S. but it is unlikely voters will think this way at the next election. At least interest rates and fuel prices will start to ease a little.

__________________
All spam and self promotion posts will be deleted and accounts banned. Valued members can promote their business in their signature only.

Well it would be wrong to take so much flack from the opposition on the issue, particularly when they suddenly wake up to the political expediency as soon as they lose government.

Rudd's problem is Labor is still acting like it's in opposition (scrambling to set the agenda constantly) and can't remember what it was like to be in government.

When you have factional hacks like Swan who have bugger all experience in government in major portfolios, you know there is a problem.

If Labor loses seats at the next election (they won't lose the election) watch for Gillard. Unlike Rudd, she cuts through like a knife to hot butter.

I have to take a mouthful or two of seawater you could say (and spit it out) for there is already some underground CO2 storage occurring in places, and right here in Australia (actually down Anglesea way Mike I think it is) as a trial whilst one of the more prominent UG storage programs running now for about ten years has been under the North Sea off Norway, a natural gas (Methane) extraction having CO2 separated and then piped back about 600 metres or so below the sea bed into a saline rock layer, all being monitored by siesmic reports.

There are a few other locations, but I haven't read up on them yet, but on what I have read, it still begs the Question of Rudd pushing an agenda of establishing some sort of technical research body with a $100M seed for the concept of Australia to be the centre of excellence when the technique is already established, and there is already a research body in existence.

It would surely make more sense for his advisors on this one to get up to speed with what is happening in their own backyard and abroad, and just support what is going on, and there is a lot more going on than just sweeping CO2 under the carpet so to speak, other alternatives being experimented with at US Universities involving:
1. Solar power to convert CO2 to CO(and thence fuel) and Oxygen
2. Photosynthesis production of algae to thrive on CO2 and then harvested for new age fuel.
I'm all for reducing the CO2 by whatever means possible rather than just storing it, or attempting to (and for how long safely)

And my own pet search is to find a chemical reversal process for whereas CO2 is our number one terrorist, it is also produced in commercial quantities as a specific process, having quite a few applications, and it's production comes from a chemical process using an acid on Calcium Carbonate (think it is - have to read up again, as Chemistry was not my strong suite) to produce quick lime and CO2.

In addition to that, scientists are already measuring CO2 levels remotely (using sensors and mobile phones information senders) and able to report greater plant growth with higher CO2 levels and that fact has been documented in arguments against global warming too along with who determines natures balance, but my thought is that again more research could go into accelerating plant growth in the form of trees for lumber, plants for fodder and even possibly vegetables for human consumption, and generally, all aspects of CO2 need to be researched.

Meanwhile back at the ranch of economics, perhaps it is Kevins way to use an overseas trip to get himself together a bit, and I must admit to being surprised at the international politicking on the US/Global economic crunch for here we have near economic meltdown, orchestrated or administered at least with support of you know who - GWB, worlds worse ever President, and not that our own past Liberal governement is totally out of the blame game but at this stage we have it being said our economy is strong (as the iron being exported)
But then Nancy Pelosi (Democats[US Labour]HR leader) is one of the first last week to talk of the party being over and hence getting the Government bailout to be conditional, and then prepared to support the variation rather than see more taxpayers money go the same way as GWB would have had it go.

And surprise, surprise, we also have our own Labour leader talking up using taxpayers money to save the big businesses whilst with the other part of his tongue and that of the Swans giving a lick again to our economy - but at the same time, the Swan has his $4B mini fix locally (you have to wonder at the detail and who'll benefit)

It does leave you wondering just how much thought Rudd puts into thinking about what the Australian people might just think of the situation, or does he still think he is being unheard of on the world stage, or maybe hopes Aussies will think more of him for some more international mouthing.