A pitiful tale of one of the ALP's faceless men, a duplicitous Kevin Rudd, and the pokie backdown

It was virtually guaranteed on the day that Peter "Slippery Pete" Slipper was installed into the role of Speaker of the House of Representatives. But it was no less despicable when it came - the caving of Julia Gillard to cashed-up campaigning by pokie-addiction-addicted "clubs".

This outstanding oped piece by Anne Summers looks at the role played in this sordid episode by one the the New South Wales Labor Party's so called "faceless men" Karl Bitar, still playing his games ever after being forced to leave the ALP machine.

And Kevin Rudd played a role to boot, seemingly putting the possibility of another go at power above principle.

It may be the greatest disappointment of Julia's term in Parliament that she couldn't hold firm on this simplest of issues. An issue with across the board community support even despite the campaigning millions spent by the clubs.

Sigh...

UPDATE 01/02/2012: a pertinent quote from a Greens media release today:

Clubs and hotels donated $1.85 million last year to the Coalition and Labor parties, while simultaneously campaigning against pokies reform.