In today’s Sydney Morning Herald, Ross Gittins wrote a nice column which points out a few home truths about the Rudd government which I’ve thought for a while. To quote from it:
In the short time he’s been in office, Rudd has established a record of over-promising and under-delivering.
One of his greatest weaknesses is an inability to set priorities. He has a thousand things he wants to do and problems he wants to fix, and while he’s focused on fixing something, it’s his top priority.
Exactly – overpromising and under-delivering is the hallmark of this government. After the excitement of seeing a new government elected with the promise of change, and the end of the rather stale Howard government, I have to say I’m underwhelmed by what the Rudd government has actually done. For example, given a strong mandate on climate change, they’ve squibbed it completely, making concessions to every interest group under the sun, resulting in a climate change policy that’s likely to achieve 2/5 of fuck all. Broadband – nothing delivered yet, health reform – on the never never …. and so on.
Too interested in process, not enough outcome focus, in my view.
Personally done alright, with our handouts. Just had insulation installed. That said, he is really not under much pressure with all the libimplosion stuff. He can dick around for another year or so before he may be under some political pressure to deliver on something.
That said, I cannot vote.
I think it’s unrealistic to think that this government can fix all of the Howard crap in less than one term of office. He has made a plan re broadband. I agree on climate change, and yet he’s still achieving more than the Howard government ever did on that score.
I expect a lot from Rudd. I don’t however expect him to be Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic rolled into one.
That being said, don’t all new governments have unrealistic expextations on them going in? Like Obama, who’s expected to be Santa Claus, Jesus Christ and freaking Superman all at once.