Richard Farmer’s chunky bits

A time to be dictatorial. The “new leaf” version of Kevin Rudd has promised to be the consultative, first-among-equals kind of prime minister this time around. That’s probably a very good thing when it comes to running the country. The collective wisdom of a cabinet should result in better governing than when a PM tries to do everything personally.

Unfortunately for those newly promoted cabinet ministers, this is no longer the time for governing. Now is the time for campaigning. And during an election campaign the last thing a political party needs is a whole lot of ministers running around the country saying things. The newcomers, and most of the long-servers too, should (from here on in) be seen as little as possible and heard even less.

The newly consultative Kevin13 can trot them out occasionally for cameo appearances until — if and when — he is leading a government that can resume being in governing mode.

Starting not ending. Probably it’s because I’m over 70 but I can’t help thinking that many of those retiring Labor ministers are quitting politics just when they have reached the age where they have acquired sufficient wisdom to start doing the job of governing well.

An opinion poll for the day. Public Policy Polling has surveyed the popularity of politicians in the US Congress by comparing them with others.

News and views noted along the way.

• RoboCup 2013: Humanoid robots play soccer for world title — Germany, Japan take titles.
• Foreign media portrayals of the conflict in Syria are dangerously inaccurate — “It is naive not to accept that both sides are capable of manipulating the facts to serve their own interests.”
• Recycling: can it be wrong, when it feels so right?
• A global view of cross-border migration — “New research suggesting that migration benefits practically all origin and destination countries … OECD countries benefit because of greater domestic product variety and, in turn, most countries that are the source of migration countries benefit …”.
• All state schools in England allowed to set own term dates — “Schools can already vary the shape of the school day, but from September 2015 they will also be able to change the length of their terms.”
• Internet trolls: a guide to the different flavours — “It’s relatively easy to deal with those who pour forth hatred online. But the greater threat comes from the more subtle spreaders of misery and doubt.”