Gillard Government suffocates as despair and disallusionment sets in

Gillard's political solution to the asylum problem has been seen through for what it was by the Australian High Court. To attack the Court by saying that it has not endorsed Government policy is curious, unsafe and misguided.

Gillard the Lawyer well knows the duty of a Court. It certainly is not there as another arm of Government to implement Government policy. Parliament does retain supremacy and as much it could pass legislation to circumvent the ruling of the Court but any Government that does that is threading on thin ice.

What it certainly indicates is how desperate she has become in her Government's attempt to negate Abbott's imposing electoral impact.

Sadly, for someone that promised so much, when she rolled Rudd, so little has been delivered and what she has delivered is not what she promised. No wonder her authority and legitimacy is in sharp focus and has become the butt of many jokes.

For the ALP there is no easy way out, no quick solution, and no panacea.

Politics, is a fickle science and time does heal wounds and dissipates mistakes but if the polls are not reversed by the time the next election is due the member of the ALP that will retain their seat may well be able to meet in a local Telstra telephone cubical.

The above scenario if it were to come to pass would not be healthy for a parliamentary democracy. Parliament, to function ideally needs a robust and spirited Opposition to keep the Government on its toes. Incidentally, one of the reasons why Abbott has Gillard on the ropes.

My gut feeling is that if the ALP's brokers see it this way, they may well replace Gillard 6 months out of an election, with an ALP elder that retains the respect of the electorate in the hope that it would minimise the carnage.

Names that come to mind are the likes of Simon Crean or Stephen Smith. Lindsay Tanner would have been ideal but he chose to vacate in disgust after the way Rudd was rolled.

Author: Ross Parisi

Smithfield. Cairns. Australia. 03.09.2011