" Guidelines unveiled so proudly last year to prevent the kind of abuses that occurred during the Howard era were trashed so that a tax reform advertising campaign can be rushed to air. Cabinet Secretary Joe Ludwig can grant such an exemption on grounds of "a national emergency, extreme urgency or other compelling reason". This is not a national emergency, but it is a political one.
Make no mistake, the Government now has its back to the wall. Rudd's credibility has been shot to pieces. So what was grubby under Howard is suddenly not only justifiable now, but "urgent and compelling" according to Ludwig.
John Howard used Unchain My Heart as the theme for the GST propaganda campaign. Given his dramatic slump from 70 per cent plus heights of popularity, Rudd might want to consider another Joe Cocker hit - Now That The Magic Has Gone ". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And this bit from Barrie Cassidy on ABC
" In opposition, in an interview with Kerry O'Brien, Kevin Rudd promised he would ban all publicly funded advertising within three months of an election - "unless explicitly agreed between the leader of the government and the leader of the opposition.
O'Brien: "Is that what you will promise to do in a Labour government?"
Rudd: "That is an absolute undertaking from us. I believe this is a sick cancer within our system. It's a cancer on democracy."
Then in a later doorstop interview, he guaranteed he would have a process in place run by the auditor-general to vet these advertisements.
A journalist asked: "Would you resign if you didn't deliver that in your first term?"
Rudd: "... you have my absolute guarantee that will occur - 100 per cent guarantee. And each one of you here can hold me accountable for that."
Well he did put the auditor-general in charge in his first year; then replaced him in his third year. Now the advertisements are flowing thick and fast ".
