When the Cheshire emerges...

Well weren't we all in a spin about the political crisis today? Writing this as the subs still await the major wrap-up... as you'd expect, news doesn't stop for anyone, but as it develops we have to stop for IT. While I'm fine with that being within the nature of the job, tonight I miss out on an particular information night in Dubbo which is happening right now... so a little peeved this had to be today of all days.

I know Australian politics is in a bad way, but were we expecting this? So soon? And Simon Crean of all people to call it... wow. Big day for our country. But it sucks to be him now that the whole thing was a total fail. Talk about an anti-climax... his sacking's not really a surprise.

What concerns me about this is the obvious lack of trust within the Labor party. There's a lot wrong with how this came about and the fact that it's not the first time. Tony Abbott would be ecstatic with all of this - but having said that, it's still hard to look his way as inspiration.

So Julia Gillard went into a ballot unopposed, which is weird in itself. But the real winner of this is Kevin Rudd. His choice to uphold his word puts him in high esteem of the public along with his peers, and while it doesn't get him close to the leadership now it'll do well for him should he somehow be up there by the next election (Michael's suggestion at work that one was).

Internationally, Australian politics is rightly seen as being in a bit of a shambles. This BBC article is pretty good at explaining why.

What do you think about today's events?

But at the same time I think they kind of are...

Putting things into context, I always had the idea that the Kiwis were similar to Australians, which they definitely are in their laidback atttiude. But among other things, sampling the best of the sweet stuff in New Zealand made me realise that they do have their differences.

Except for when it comes their news.

While a story of how one parent was petitioning for bail laws to be changed was worthy of nationwide news and a lead, it fell second best all day to showing Australian reports of Julia Gillard going head-to-head with Kevin Rudd for the leadership (again). They do have their own political parties don't they?!

Of course they do.

What I'm really getting at here is that sometimes, just sometimes I think they DO want our approval and to be connected to us.

We have rivalries, yes. They pay us Aussies out like there's no tomorrow, yes. And we give them a bit of a stickling too. But we help them. They WANT us there. We are brothers.

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In totally unrelated, and now slightly untimely, news, I have to mention the madness that was what they dubbed 1D-Day. One Direction hitting Sydney yesterday was absolutely ridiculous. I'm six hours away and thought they were screaming right in my ear. I, like everyone else in my workplace, just don't get it. Perhaps if I was 14 again...