Stripping Away The Spin

It’s just what every squeaky clean aspiring prime minister needs as the country prepares for a general election. The press is full of the revelation that Labor leader Kevin Rudd paid a visit to a New York strip club some years ago and was asked to leave for “inappropriate behaviour”, ie touching the artistes. While a Labor MP with him denies anything like that happened, Rudd himself says he was too drunk to remember, which hardly helps.

Not a good look for someone who stresses his family and Christian values but many people feel this will play well with the average Aussie. Queensland Premier Peter Beatty said it showed he had “blood in his veins”, a remark you could probably hear repeated in various forms in pubs and around barbies from Brisbane to Perth.

Even feminists have defended him. Eva Cox, from the Women's Electoral Lobby, said: "Going on the piss for one night basically, and doing something dumb is not a cardinal sin -- it's obviously not part of what he does generally. You can't condemn somebody for getting on the piss, we would never have elected Bob Hawke in that case." (Bob Hawke being a champion toper who became the country’s most popular prime minister).