The latest Newspoll numbers must have caused much wailing and gnashing of teeth in Kevin Rudd’s bunker today. His personal approval rating is the lowest since he became leader, which must be hugely frustrating to a man who probably tracks his relationship with his own wife by polling her.

No doubt the teenagers who constitute his personal staff will have had their Mountain Dew and Skittles rations docked in a fit of Prime Ministerial pique, for despite all his time in China, Kevin Rudd is not exactly a master of Zen calm. And I expect that even now, their Blackberries are beeping with an order that until the election, even the two hours’ sleep they get each night is cancelled. Because for a government that’s done so much to try and be popular, the sudden lack of lustre must seem like a major crisis, especially when Tony Abbott’s main contribution as Opposition Leader seems to be taking the form of gaffes.

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I wish Tony Abbott had a gay child. Then there’s a chance he might have enough empathy to propose a policy that benefits them, as he’s just done for women with his maternity leave proposal. But instead, he’s given voice to his inner homophobic panic on national television several times in the past few days.

Of course, it’s a good thing to speak one’s mind without running every word through a focus group, and that’s why Abbott has been so appealing to an audience that’s tiring of the tepid utterances of Kevin Rudd. But it’s another thing to speak without thinking, and in particular to speak without empathy.

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It’s the top-grossing film of all time, and, extraordinarily, it’s not even that bad! Here’s a list of reasons why, even though the Academy probably won’t give it the Best Picture nod, Avatar deserves it.

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Oh no, those evil artists have done it again! Have they no shame? No morality? Do they not have children of their own? I’ve just heard on the radio that somebody has dared to paint the convicted paedophile Dennis Ferguson (who looks creepy even in a suit) in this year’s Archibald Prize. And I’ve just heard the ever-bizarre tones of our Premier, Kristina Keneally, condemning it. Which means that instead of reacting with common sense or leadership, she’s chosen the predictable demagogue option, throwing fuel on the fire of what will presumably be yet another tabloid firestorm over a work of art.

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After the success of My School, Julia Gillard has decided to create My University, a website that will provide similar objective rankings on the quality of our tertiary institutions. It’s another fabulous initiative from the Rudd Government, which is better at producing data-filled reports than any government ever, even though it isn’t so great at acting on them when they warn that an insulation scheme will lead to electrocutions.

Nevertheless, the Government believes in delivering unbiased information to the public so that we can make informed decisions about issues that are important to all of us. So surely the Government should launch another website to provide objective information that can be used to make another vital choice – who to vote for.

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Poor Lara Bingle. First someone steals her Aston Martin, and then the guy she used to shag, reportedly behind his wife’s back, turns out to be somewhat ungentlemanly. Imagine her surprise. And while you do, ask yourself when Brendan Fevola would have had the opportunity to take a photo of her in the shower, since I see from the previously-linked article that both denied having an affair at the time.

But this invasion of Bingle’s privacy must not stand. How is she supposed to maintain her career as a bikini model when people keep circulating photos of her semi-naked? Continue Reading →

NSW Labor has posted a wonderful new website so we can get to know our new Premier, almost three months after she was elected imposed on us, and a full year before she faces the polls. I took a tour to discover the woman we like to call “Kristina Keneally”, because we don’t yet know or like her enough to have a nickname for her. And guess what? She’s a woman! She’s blonde! And she was born in America! As for what she’s done so far, or what she’s planning to do… did I mention she’s blonde? Continue Reading →