Senator Barnaby Joyce is in Gladstone today and he’s not exactly sure who the Coalition is up against at the forthcoming election.
“It used to be us and them but after listening to Tony Burke, Labor spokesman for Immigration, giving a very admirable defence for Minister Andrews’ decision regarding some African immigrants, I can see it’s now us and us, only they’re not us, they’re supposed to be them.
“Likewise, Mr Garrett believes in Pulp Mills in the Tamar Valley. This is an incredible epiphany for a person who was formerly the president of the Australian Conservation Foundation.
“Mr Rudd has joined the chorus of complaints about the Labor Party’s management of the state hospital system, but hang on, isn’t he in the Labor Party?
“This all seems rather incredible; or is it more likely unbelievable and slightly deceitful because they’ve either all completely compromised their former beliefs or they’re playing a little game with us?
“Mr Burke’s effort on the Insiders was one of the best renditions of capitulation politics, where the only way you can believe you can win is to adopt the policies of your philosophical opponents, telling everybody you’re the same but in a different way.
“Once upon a time there used to be a left wing in the Labor Party but, if they still exist, are they now so weak they have to tolerate the complete public humiliation of their policy positions or have they been surreptitiously advised that if they shut up now they’ll be delivered to later on?
“If that’s the deal which Mr Rudd has given, it is only fair he tells the Australian people about it otherwise we assume from their public policy statements that the Labor Party comrades have became the bastion of a new conservative wonderland and the only difference between Labor and Liberal is the I, E, A and L.
“If this is the case why do we need to change?
“In fact, we might suggest a whole new Coalition and avoid the cost of the election. You already have the policy platform of the Government and apparently this will be the same policy platform, regardless of who wins the election.
“How can you have a political fight with someone who agrees with virtually everything you do?
“Mr Rudd has arrived at the head of the change room tunnel at the start of the football game and decided to run with the government, right to left, in the first half and in the second half to run with the government, left to right; a very peculiar political football game and a total load of insincere rubbish.” Senator Joyce said.