news flash!!!

This morning started like most Thursday mornings -- entirely too early, and running slightly late. I managed to make it in time for my 8:30 class in one piece, though, and emerged relatively unscathed -- to learn that, in the 90 minutes I'd spent in an academic bubble, Australia had gone and got itself a new Prime Minister.

Who does that!? With no election! Just immediately, a quickie little in-house vote and, voila, welcome to the first female Prime Minister of Australia. Forget the ad campaigns, forget the fundraisers, forget the speeches, forget the debates, forget the banners, forget the articles, forget the rallies, forget the promises -- heck, forget the voters!

Clearly I don't have a very deep understanding of Australian politics, but from what I gather whichever political party is in office can change its leader (i.e., the PM) more or less at will. Thus, the former PM Kevin Rudd's party held a little powwow about 9 this morning and decided that, really, they'd rather Julia Gillard take over. Evidently people tend to prefer her to the leader of the opposition, Tony Abbott, but it doesn't seem like that's saying too much. Why exactly it was so important to oust KRudd so quickly is a bit unclear to me, but clearly it couldn't have waited till after lunch.

Not there was any scandal; Australians just don't like to mess around once they make up their minds evidently. Whenever else you call him, you certainly couldn't have called KRudd a lame duck. Though, gosh, I don't remember any new policies from about 9:15 onward ... perhaps he was going a bit soft.

And so now, yes, Australia has a brand new Prime Minister. Julia Gillard is a woman and has hair dyed an appalling shade of red. I really know very little else about her -- but seeing as I didn't even know her name before 10 this morning, I think I'm making good progress.

And who knows? Maybe now KRudd needs a few more friends -- he can still find me on Facebook if he likes.