Archive for July, 2010
July 30, 2010 at 4:39 pm · Filed under Australia
by guest author Victoria White
On Sunday night the Prime Minister Julia Gillard took on Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, in the one and only live debate of the Australian Federal election campaign. Commentators called the debate a draw, and therefore a win for the opposition, whilst live audience tracking made it clear: the women preferred the smooth talking, neatly coiffured PM, whilst the men preferred the alpha strength of the opposition leader.
In the end Julia won on points, but it was Tony who’d narrowed the expectations gap and off they went to the marginal seats where the sniping continued around climate change, immigration figures and cost of living pressures.
Then, late on Tuesday night Channel Nine broke the news of the first election scandal. It was revealed that as Deputy Prime Minister, Ms Gillard had argued against a rise in cash for age pensions and parental leave because ”old people never vote for us”. The responses from Labor HQ appeared disingenuous whilst Tony Abbott, who’d fought his own party for an increase in paid parental leave was able to tout himself as the only leader looking after families.Labor were quick to point the finger at the newly deposed ex-PM Kevin Rudd as the source of the leaks, but both the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader were keeping quiet, preferring to continue a campaign of ‘issues and substance’.
The biggest issue of the week? Julia’s front cover issue of the classic, must-read mag, The Australian Women’s Weekly, of course.
July 22, 2010 at 9:37 am · Filed under Leadership, Australia
Australia is in full election mode. Prime Minister Julia Gillard called the poll for 21 August just last Saturday. Now the airwaves are full of bickering leaders and freshly-kissed babies. If we need more serious content, we can watch PM hopeful Tony Abbott judge talent competitions on Channel Nine. Apparently songstress Kylie Minogue got through, but dogs dancing in tutus got the gong.
This is the stuff of which nations are built.
To help us better understand the policies of each leader, one national debate has been called for this Sunday evening. Then we’ll hear the promises and policies of the Labor and Liberal leaders. Gillard’s promise to clamp down on population growth goes head-to-head with Tony Abbot’s call for billions of dollars of savings. Finally - substance!
Yet before we rush to embrace this vision of democracy in action, there’s been a fly in the soup. A real big, popular, crowd-pleasing fly in the soup.
Channel Ten is now home to one of the highest ranked shows in television history. “Master Chef” is a reality competition program where aspiring cooks compete for the ultimate prize - adoration from millions of strangers and gushing acceptance on broadcast television. (Amazingly in a USA survey, high school students were asked how they would fund their retirement - 50% said with the winnings of a reality TV show.)
But here’s the conundrum. “Master Chef” is on at 7:30 pm and that’s the time the debate was scheduled. What to do? National politics and the future of Australia, or the conclusion of a cook-off?
To satisfy the national appetite, the debate time has been changed. So now we can have our debate and eat it too.
In the last two thousand years so much has changed, and yet so little. Saturday I watched “Gladiator” again and am reminded of the Roman senator’s comments as Russell Crowe prepared for a nation-winning battle:
“I think he knows what Rome is. Rome is the mob. Conjure magic for them and they’ll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they’ll roar. The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the senate, it’s the sand of the coliseum. He’ll bring them death - and they will love him for it.” - The Gladiator
In two thousand years what’s changed? Perhaps now it isn’t “bring them death” but instead “bring them death by chocolate.”
July 20, 2010 at 8:12 am · Filed under Social Media
Friendships are easier in the digital age. Instead of long letters to two or three people, I post an update and voila - all my friends know what’s happening. Ethan’s soccer team won on Saturday! We had a family reunion in Richmond on Sunday! Man do I hate cold Monday mornings! Too easy!
Friendships are harder in the digital age. My friend Jenny left Australia last month and she’s living now in Chicago. I see her postings and add witty retorts. She asked: “Need suggestions…..what type of car would be best for living in Chicago?” Numerous comments flowed - most of them practical and plain. I got creative:
Now it’s 24 hours later and Jenny hasn’t replied. She’s not been on Facebook and hasn’t added to the conversation. So immediately I feel a need to un-friend her. How am I to maintain a friendship thousands of miles apart?
That last question is extremely selfish. I myself have changed continents four or five times. I’ve left established friend networks to take up new jobs in new cities. And now that I am the one left behind, I feel the raw anger and disappointment that comes from losing a friend.
Friendships in the digital age are no easier and no harder. They require effort and upkeep. You lose people to new cities, new jobs, new opportunities. But you make new friends.
Perhaps the lesson is that you need to calibrate your expectations of friends. Jenny is busy settling into a new city. She has no network and is busy unpacking, finding a school for her twin boys, finding a new hairdresser - all the challenges I am intimately familiar with.
I’ll continue to send witty missives - and look forward to the day we can laugh over them together. What’s a good time of year to visit Chicago?
July 16, 2010 at 10:01 am · Filed under Globalisation, Australia
I’ve been in Auckland for two days now and no one has stuck out their tongue, crossed their arms, bent their legs and started chanting. Why is it Australians immediately think of the Haka - the warrior dance performed before rugby games?
I hope to be back soon. I’ll let you know if anyone goes Haka on me!
July 2, 2010 at 9:46 am · Filed under Leadership, Australia
In Australia we get to change Prime Ministers when we want. It’s a rejuvenating experience - much like dropping weight or buying a new outfit. Out with the old! In with the new!
And if a week is a long time in politics, eight days is surely longer.
Just that many days ago a leadership spill saw Prime Minister Kevin Rudd shuffled from the top job to the very last row in Parliament. His new seat - in restaurant terms - is jammed between the kitchen and the toilets.
The night before I was in Canberra and checked into my hotel late at night - just as Kevin came to the lectern to defiantly announce he was proud of his achievements and would defend his role. That very night Julia Gillard was caught in the hallway by the media flock. With ashen face she said she would be contesting the leadership in the morning. It was a terrible image - pale, unhappy, caught in the cross-hairs.
Now we have a new Prime Minister - and the central issue that brought down Kevin Rudd has been successfully resolved. The front page of The Australian shows Gillard striding with immense confidence.
From a media relations perspective, this is another example of how reporters, editors, layout artists and photo editors work to present a holistic story. There’s no confusing the message here - Julia is on top of in Australia!
