Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s3823745.htm Panellist: Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister. -- Kevin Rudd Kevin Rudd’s rise to the Prime Ministership, his subsequent fall and rise again is the stuff of political legend. He was a hero in 2007 when he led the Labor Party to victory after 11 years in Opposition, yet three years later he was dumped in favour of Julia Gillard when the polls showed Labor would struggle to win a second term. Now he’s back, fighting for his political life in an election in which all the polls favour the coalition. Kevin was born in rural Queensland in 1957, the son of a share farmer and a nurse. When Kevin was 11 his father died in a road accident and the family endured several years of financial hardship. This experience heightened the sense of social justice that pushed Kevin into joining the Labor Party at 15. A brilliant student, he was Dux of Nambour High and graduated from ANU with first class honours. He joined the Department of Foreign Affairs to work as a diplomat (he was First Secretary in the Beijing Embassy) and then became Chief of Staff to Queensland Premier Wayne Goss. He entered Parliament in 1998, having failed at his first try in 1996. He was appointed shadow minister for foreign affairs in 2001 and was elected ALP leader on December 4, 2006. After being dumped as PM he was made Minister for Foreign Affairs, a position he resigned from when he mounted an unsuccessful challenge to Julia Gillard’s leadership in February 2012. Kevin and his wife Therese married in 1981. They have three children. ---- Audience: ALP 35%, Coalition 45%, Greens 10%, Other 4%, Not specified 6% -- RUDD RECORD Margi Macdonald asked: Mr Rudd, we need leaders of vision, courage and grace. Last time you were Prime Minister, you began with vision, but unravelled, lost the support of your peers, and spent the next couple of years perniciously undermining the government from within. Mr Rudd, given your track record, how can we possibly entrust leadership of our country to you? LABOR FAITHFUL Sophie Meixner asked: I’m probably the closest thing possible to a Labor Party faithful. I think my own values align closely to what the Labor Party was built on: help for the working, for the ageing, for the vulnerable – support for those who need it the most. In 2007 as you were elected in a landslide of Labor ideals and hope, I thought I’d be a Labor voter for life. But this time I’m not voting for you. I see this election as a choice between two centre-right-wing parties. Mr Rudd, I like you. I want to vote for you. Convince me and the other disenchanted voters that Labor’s still the same party it was six years ago. WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? Anthony Steinfort asked: You have described the climate debate as "The biggest moral challenge of our time" then you terminated the carbon tax. On the matter of boat people in 2007 you have insisted that you will not lurch to the right; now you say you will not lurch to the left. You previously labelled yourself an economic conservative but now you label yourself an economic nationalist. What does Kevin Rudd stand for? Beside the weather vane of current public opinion. GONSKI QUEENSLAND Jen Ryan asked: Prime Minister – As a Queensland State High School Teacher, I see every day how much the Gonski /Better Schools Program is needed within our school system. I am worried that if the current polls are correct Tony Abbott will be elected as our next Prime Minister, leaving a massive gap in the Gonski funding and jeopardizing Queensland’s chance to sign up. However if you are elected as Prime Minister in the next election how will you convince Campbell Newman to sign on to this plan and does this even seem likely, shown that Queensland still hasn’t signed up? COSTINGS ROW Harry Meixner asked: Last week saw a funding row between the two major parties, with Labor claiming a 10 billion dollar hole in the Coalition's costings. This accusation collapsed disastrously when senior Treasury and Finance officials said they had not costed the relevant coalition policies. With many saying that this claim was completely fabricated, how can you justify it? SPENDING CUTS Carol Prater asked: As the person who manages our personal household finances, I understand when I have finances to spend and when our budget really needs to cut back. Your party has been assaulting the LNP suggesting they will cut back in a significant way and hurt everyday Australians. Based on our country’s current financial position, doesn’t it make sense that whatever party is elected they will have to make significant changes. Realistically even significant cut backs? BETTER OFF ECONOMY Mark Cridland asked: I would’ve asked Tony Abbott this question if he had the courage to turn up. Anyway. A recent survey by the University of Canberra - found that rises in average disposable incomes have far outstripped cost of living increases since Labor took office. Over the last year, the cost of household goods, transport, clothing and food has risen by less than one per cent and interest rates are at record lows. My question is simple. How have you let Tony Abbott successfully perpetuate the myth that the Australian economy is somehow on the edge of a cliff and that we are all worse off that we were 6 years ago? PAID PARENTAL LEAVE Brittany Ralph asked: As a young woman who aspires to have a well-paid position AND a family, and to contribute to my community, I see Paid Parental Leave as a workplace entitlement that should align to my income like other entitlements do. NOT as money for the rich. Is this the first time in history that a Labor leader has turned their back on workplace entitlements? PAID PARENTAL LEAVE Jamie Cooper asked: How can you continue to play on the upper limits of Tony Abbott’s Paid Parental Leave that will affect so few people? His scheme will help so many more people on the lower and average wages than the current plan. For example when my wife and I have a child as we plan too, Minimum Wage which your policy pays, will hurt our income. Yet a fair policy of keeping our wage for the time of leave will allow us to give our new family what it needs. SOLE PARENT June Connell asked: Do you know each day sole parents who have been placed onto Newstart from parenting payments, from January this year, are becoming homeless? Then cannot afford to feed and supply basic needs for families. Work is difficult to find. I'm studying teaching while trying to live on $260 a week Newstart payments and Family Tax benefits for my 12 year old. I rely on friends buying us food. I am biding time til I am homeless. The ALP and Liberals continue to push for middle income welfare. Have a heart and reinstate parenting payments. SOLE PARENT Tara Mckenna asked: Mr Rudd, since being put onto Newstart I have lost $230 per fortnight. I'm not unemployed, haven't been unemployed for over four years. My children are now going without as I cannot afford the things we could before. What is your answer to this? Single parents are not dole bludgers. AGED CARE Nicole Shenko asked: I would like to know what the plans for the health system are considering the ageing population (23% by 2047) will require more nursing staff, yet aged care recruitment is not even on the radar (currently there's a 1 to 120 ratio of aged care nurse to patient) and post graduate positions are decreasing. In light of the fact that by 2050 there will be only 2.4 people working for every person over 65, who's funding the system? FARMERS, COLES & WOOLIES Marjorie Porter asked: Mr Rudd, Given your exposure to dairy farming in your early life, do you think it is appropriate that while Coles and Woolworths achieve record profits from unprecedented market power, they sell fresh milk for $1 a litre, causing 2 out of 3 dairy farmers to struggle to pay their monthly bills while many other have to sell up and leave the land? Many politicians from both sides of politics appear to be too gutless – where do you stand? Dairy farmers are asking for a Mandatory Code of Conduct. Do you support this? MURDOCH Joey Vidakovic asked: Prime Minister, with the Murdoch family having complete control of main media across Australia. Do you think it's hard for Australians to get an honest, un biased opinion of yourself and the Labor party in this campaign? SMALL BUSINESS WORKING FAMILIES Brad Roden asked: Mr Prime Minister: The most highly taxed few percent of this country, pay for this country. We pay our fair share in taxes, employ people in our small businesses and contribute to a wealthier nation. Yet we always seem to be in the cross-hairs of Labor governments. Our Private School choices relieve the burden on the public school system, and our Private Health choice does the same. If we stopped doing both of these, these public services would collapse. Why are we the enemy of Labour? We are working families too! SMALL BUSINESS APPRENTICES Chris Lehmann asked: Mr Rudd, I'm a small businessperson and employer of apprentices. I note with interest your announcement on "incentives" for small business and apprentices. I'm struggling to get excited about this "support" and "incentives" when it is weighed against the recently announced $100/wk pay rises for 1st and 2nd year apprentices. The reality is the vast majority of apprentices are are employed by small, not big business. So I guess I'm asking you why do you give with one hand and take away with another? Wouldn’t we be better off just letting small business get on with it, rather than putting burdens on them, then trying to compensate them? I'd really like to know, because it’s tough out there for small business. UNIONS & MANUFACTURING Susan Connolly asked: Over the past decade I have seen unionised workforces, particularly in manufacturing, drive up wages to the point where the businesses are being moved offshore or simply closing down, ultimately leading to job losses. What do you plan to do in your capacity as PM to change this? Do you think that a review of Fair Work Australia is required? CHRISTIAN VOTES Matt Prater asked: I’m a pastor of a local church. And I work in Christian radio. From what I’m hearing, most Christians I connect with are voting against you, because they are disillusioned and because you appear to be chopping and changing your beliefs to get votes, with regards to things like marriage. Why should we vote for you? SUPER LIES Dr Gary Champion asked: Mr Rudd, prior to the 2007 election you promised not to touch superannuation -not "a jot, not a tittle". Then when you were in government, you smashed concessional contributions. This particularly hurt people such as myself, who are self employed; subsequently we have to work longer to retire comfortably. Why did you lie and why did you hurt those who wish to help themselves? IF LABOR LOSES? Sam Pavouris asked: Mr Rudd, the people of Griffith need to know before polling day, if the labour party losses the election on Saturday; will you step down as leader of the labour party and, assuming you win your seat will you then resign as the member for Griffith? HISTORY’S JUDGEMENT Carmel Gardner asked: Prime Minister Rudd, how do you believe history will perceive your time as Australia's prime minister if you do not win this election?