Bluegrass Consulting: Blueblog

Wednesday: 09 December

Well, well, well… you can’t say that no one saw it coming (Blueblog 16 Nov 2009).

Behind deposed Finance, Infrastructure, Ports and Waterways Minister, Joe Tripodi’s tears on Nov 15 just after he was dumped by the then NSW Premier Nathan Rees, was a furious, tactical and vengeful factional warlord - ready to take matters in his own hands… with a little help from fellow warrior - Eddie Obeid.

It took less than three weeks to mount the spill that cut the man (who Tripodi and Obeid installed as Premier only the year before), down and put him in the corner while 47 out of 68 Labor MP’s orderly lined up behind their faithful and stuck the knife in - much like the scene from the movie Flying High no doubt.

With Nathan gone, in swings A.B.N. - (Anyone But Nathan)… Frank Sartor, Kristina Keneally, I don’t think it really mattered - certainly not to the ALP State office. It was just simply time for Nathan to go.

Much like Tony Abbott, as the “ideological love child” of John Howard and Bronwyn Bishop, ascended to greatness as Federal Opposition Leader two days before… the “factional love child” of Tripodi and Obeid emerges as the victor in the NSW Government Party Room - All hail Premier Kristina Keneally!

What does this mean to the people of NSW?

• A Cabinet reshuffle of the reshuffle the month before… (It really is hard to keep track of who’s who in the zoo).
• I’d say a bit of money being spent on stationery reprints and office signage.
• Maybe a boom in the elocution training business, by way of lessons for the new leader, to try and smooth out that Ohioan accent and perhaps give her a bit more of a ‘dinky di’ feel that will appeal to the people?
• Some white-anting from the discarded former leader, Mr Rees?

So other than the Prime Minister being slightly annoyed (… understatement?) and a mental flash-image of watching CNN or Fox News as you tune into Channel 7, 9 or 10 each night… not a lot has really happened!

One good thing that has come out of all of this, is the fact that Kristina and Carmel now lead the first two-woman executive in the country… that is a move for equality, I guess.

However, I’m going to go out on a limb and say - I doubt that this point was at the forefront of ALP Honourable Members’ minds in casting their votes.

What are your thoughts? Comments?

Monday: 16 November

Apparently it is a ”highwire act without a net”… so he’ll need the hard hat!

Nathan Rees has sacked the factional Warlords - Joe Tripodi and Ian Macdonald from cabinet after he gained approval from his party faithful at state conference over the weekend, effectively allowing him to choose his own cabinet.

So what does this mean for Rees? Well personally - I can think of no act more dangerous at this point in the game… it allows all the ‘numbers men’ like Eddie Obeid, Joe Tripodi, Ian Macdonald and John Della Bosca to sit on the backbench and whisper sweet everything’s and make grand offers of promotion and power into the ears of the ambitious caucus.

Despite the premier receiving glowing support from PM Rudd, for “taking control”, it would seem that the internal party politics are now stacking up more than ever against the Premier.

I guess you have to give Nathan the credit for such a bold and gutsy move… but seriously… Tripodi has kept the right at bay for quite sometime now - one would presume that he will be less inclined to shoot down challenges for the top job from his factional buddies moving forward…?

One of the powerbrokers was quoted as saying ”He’s f-ed… It will take a few months. It won’t happen straight away. We don’t have a consensus yet on who would replace him but It will be anyone but him.”

What do you think? How long has Premier Rees got to go? - Or will he survive and conquer all? And ultimately… does it really matter? There is an election in 2011…

I’d love to hear your thoughts?

Nathan.