Rudd Renewed (or retreaded)

Maybe you will read it here first. I think Julia's star is fading. It happens to PMs, usually about a year or so in, the initial lustre fades and they either develop an aura of authority (in my time, Menzies and Howard) or they become targets. Hawke was the exception to this, he came in with the authority and it took a long time to fade.
Julia's response to the Queensland floods has been wooden and bureaucratic and the contrast with Anna Bligh has made it more obvious. Mutterings from Canberra indicate that her office is dysfunctional and that her staff are competing to build empires. The extraordinary networker is beginning to be seen as the spinner of a large and sticky web. Lindsay Tanner knew about her and opted out. Others will be waking up.
And then there is Kevin 07. Out there in his dirty work clothes helping people clean up the mess from  the floods. The television coverage looks accidental, often not even mentioning his name, just showing him there. No need to spell it out we all know who he is.
It's just a theory but if the approval figures for Gillard slip and the Libs look like winners all previous bets could be off. A changeover of Government is only as far off as the next crisis so everyone's watching. It wouldn't surprise me if they went back to Rudd, even if they have to hold their noses while doing so.
Same goes for the Libs of course. Tony seems stuck on his three or four word slogans (big new tax or great big new tax). Turnbull did not lose by much and he's still there waiting and not even in the wings, up there on centre stage every night. Barry Cassidy's party stealers might just strike again. I for one hope so.

Great short holiday near Sydney

For a great short holiday, only about 90 minutes north of Sydney you can't go past Catalina Shores85 at Lake Macquarie. I'll post some pictures soon, but the website is catalinashores85.com.au