Rise of the Gingers..

Christ on a stick…

It’s 7.20 am and I’m watching the sun come up over the hills through the window of the Perth Domestic Airport. I’m on my way to Sydney for a couple of conferences, and the free internet booth here at Gate 16 tells me that we may shortly be witness to a fairly major piece of Australian history.

Last night the media was literally falling over itself to cover the controversy that was the outbreak of mutiny within the ranks of the ALP – with Julia Gillard finally openly challenging Kevin Rudd for the leadership. When I saw the breaking news last night I at first dismissed it as sensationalist journalism – the media’s been gushing about Julia Gillard (who, until now has been vehement in her support for KRudd and denying that she ought to take the top job).

The ALP went to the polls twenty minutes ago in Canberra, and now I’m feverishly reloading ABC news to see if there have been any developments. Because, if things are going the way that the Sydney Morning Herald says they are – it looks like Gillard is thrashing Rudd 70 votes to 30. Within the next hour or so, it looks as though Australia will have it’s first female Prime Minister.

I had thought that she might take over after the election, despite her protestations to the contrary until now – but never thought that this would happen. It seemed to be political suicide for the ALP to have a change of leadership so close to an election, and it would not have been unreasonable to assume that the ALP would limp over the finish line at the election before considering giving the top job to the second in command (after all, for all the flogging that Rudd has been getting in the media lately, he was still polling higher than Abbott).

But, it all happened within a few hours – it was marvellous to watch it unfold. Unfortunately the computer I’m on at the moment won’t let me copy and paste – otherwise I’d be getting pretty link happy right about now. I’m sure there are some very sleep deprived journos at Parliament House right now that will be providing us with all the juicy details shortly..

All snide comments about souless rangas aside – I’m actually really excited. Sure, I still trust the ALP as far as I can throw them and will always be a Greenie scumbag, but to have a leftist, migrant female Prime Minister after the dark years of Howard and then the disappointment and betrayal of Rudd – to me is a welcome change.

I’m just happy that I was awake and aware enough to witness this. It’s a great day to be an Austalian woman – even if it is only symbolic.  So – good luck Julia. You’re inheriting a great burden, and I hope that you do us girls proud.

Well, my flight has started boarding. The sun’s up. It’s a new day.

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~ by soverysmall on June 23, 2010.