h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Jeff Kennett is Gone!!!
The King is Dead!
His reign of Terror is over.

For those who came in late...
Jeff was an Autocrat. Having been educated at one of Victoria's top Private schools (Scotch College), he was obviously one who saw to it that all his upper-middle class bourgois buddies came out smelling of money, while average, struggling Aussies got sucked deeper and deeper into the Late Capitalist machine (earning less, spending more).
- He sacked teachers and closed down State-funded schools (leaving classrooms even more crowded and Private Schools, like Scotch, getting even more taxpayers money).
- He privatised all State utilities, thus leaving us without any alternate form of revenue-raising.
- He built a huge unnecessary casino (to bring money into Victoria), but then took away the 'High-Rollers' tax, so that those who could afford to waste money in this immoral way didn't really lose out, while poor people, hoping to get an extra buck were left destitute.
- Allowed the deterioration of the Hospitals and Ambulance service (again, State, not Private).
- Took away compensation from Workers (for on-the-job injuries).
- He did away with the Auditor-General, thus leaving no check on his government's spending.
- He silenced all members of his party during the election campaign: he was the only person allowed to speak of policy to people and the media.
- He was rude, arrogant, held contempt for anyone who's opinion differed with his, and (so I hear) was a wife-bashing misogynist!

OK, so he built some footy stadiums. Big deal. A State that covers up its problems by placating the public with entertainment and monumental building programs is obviously rotten - look at Imperial Rome and Egypt!

But, to his credit, he did do something that no one else has managed to achieve in Australian politics; something that many poli's on the left have most likely wanted to see for a hundred years: He managed to split up the Liberal/National Party coalition. No longer are the National (country) Party forming government with the Libs (city bourgoisie), and no longer are they voting with them.

Not only that, but now that he's lost, he's cracking the shites, he's spitting the dummy, he's taking his ball and going home. What's wrong Jeff? If no one wants to play the game by your rules, then you just won't play, is that it? Didn't Scotch College teach you how to be noble in defeat?

Or is it because you won't be able to rort the taxpayers' money any longer, depriving you of all those wonderful perks you gave yourself?

Not only that, but he's going around now saying, "What did I do to Victoria to deserve this? After all that I've done for you..." If you don't know the answer to that, Jeff, then you're a bigger fuckwit than I already thought.

Yes my fellow Victorians, the times are certainly a-changing. And just a couple of months before Millennium.

Nice one.