venetia_sassy | Return/first post to DW/does this crossposting thing work? (Reply)

I have got to stop doing this. A few days of feeling lousy and suddenly I haven't posted for months. Oops? Ah well. I'm feeling ... okay at the moment. Liking the cooler weather (liking is putting it mildly) and I feel a bit steadier, a bit more stable, health-wise. Until I do just a bit too much and then I feel like hell and my routine goes to pieces and I really have to remember that Pacing Is Important. Pacing Is Not Optional. Not if I want to feel vaguely human anyway.

But have you heard our exciting news? We have a female Prime Minister for the first time! Suddenly. Very suddenly.

I like Gillard fairly well but I have mixed feelings about the whole business. I was thrilled when Rudd won the election - no more dear Johnny Howard! - but I've been quite disappointed in him the last year or so. Too many broken promises and the proposed internet filter still has me seeing red. I was seriously reluctant to vote Labor this time around but there is no way I'd vote Coalition so I'm hoping Gillard will turn things around ... but I don't like how sudden the change was and his own party turning on him. Factions. Too many factions. But we'll see how things go. And with regards to the immensely stupid net filter, the proposal has been shelved until after the election. Hopefully Conroy will be voted out which will give Labor the excuse to quietly dispose of an immensely unpopular idea that industry experts keep telling them won't work. And then they can put the money towards actually catching pedophiles instead of blacklisting dentists and school canteen websites.

I believe my main point in all this is that while I am delighted Australia has its first female Prime Minister, I wish it had happened under better circumstances. And since so many of our politicians seem to be utter morons, maybe Julia will actually be an improvement. Here's hoping!