The wombats aren't in the habit of swallowing any old tidbit or piece of unsubstantiated trash that floats to the surface of the corporate media trough, but this one's a doozey.
According to the gossip-mongers at News.com.au, an amorphous team of "rebel Labor MPs" are positively slavering at the prospect of overthrowing the current order, and supplanting Premier Morris (I can only muster 28% support) Iemma et al with "a new "dream team" of former minister Carmel Tebbutt and rising star Nathan Rees."
Of course, Carmel - whose husband is Federal MP, and left-faction heavyweight (read, head-kicker) Anthony Albanese - would never dream of such a thing. She wants to look after her son, after all. Mind you, that WAS in May, and many an Iguana has been licked since then. And there was that travesty called "the Budget". And we still haven't seen all the fallout of that great big Circus - the one with the elephants, and christian-eating lions, and all those delegates. What was it called....? Ah yes... STATE CONFERENCE.
Mind you, even if, as a "cheeky" "left-wing source" told the Sydney Morning Herald of Tebbutt: "The only bad thing you can say about her is she's Anthony's partner", that's bad enough for me. Pity the others are worse, really.
More than anything, this all shows the woeful state that NSW Labor had led itself into: ministers found guilty or accused of speeding, drink-driving, drug use and pedophilia, graft and corruption, wife-beating, drunken loutish behaviour, and worse (I still haven't mentioned the abomination which is Mick Costa, or the generalised ineptitude with which the Government "runs" the state).
On top of all this, we have the blood-feud that's sprung up with the unions around the proposed electricity privatisations, and there is now another juicy piece of gossip to hand, which if true may well blow the lid right off the pressure-cooker. The NSW Government is planning (or at least seems more or less willing) to refer its industrial power to the Commonwealth, further undercutting the state powerbase of the unions, and saving the Government a small mint (some $20 million) along the way. The plan also has the added bonus of being a direct attack on John Della-Bosca (as if he needed MORE trouble), as well as the unions - just what Iemma and Costa wanted.
So, the stage almost seems set for a bit of High Drama (preferably the kind with plenty of bloodshed). I wouldn't be surprised if there was a move to shift Iemma (and hopefully Tripodi, Sartor and Costa). If there is, you'd better hope it comes soon - there is a building sense of imminent implosion about NSW Labor. If Tebbutt and Watkins are the best they can do, well so be it.
Just so long as noone has any illusions that the corruption, bribery, intrigue, backstabbing, privatisation and corporate thievery is going to stop anytime soon.
The stage is set, the actors upon it. "Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war!"
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