Senator Arbib also told embassy officers that, unlike Mr Beazley, he supported Australia's military commitment in Iraq ''as well as the war on terrorism in general''.

After the election of the Rudd government, Senator Arbib offered reassurance about Ms Gillard's political leanings, describing her as ''one of the most pragmatic politicians in the ALP''.

He confirmed Mr Rudd's tendencies towards micro-management and told the embassy ''Rudd's staff would like to get their boss to spend less time on foreign policy and delegate more, but that they recognise that this is a hopeless task''.

In October last year, as Mr Rudd's popular support began to sag, Senator Arbib openly canvassed leadership tensions within the government, telling diplomats Mr Rudd wanted ''to ensure that there are viable alternatives to Gillard within the Labor Party to forestall a challenge''.

Mr Rudd's brother, Greg, told embassy officers a similar story.

Senator Arbib said Mr Rudd still appreciated Ms Gillard's strengths, while another unidentified adviser to Mr Rudd told diplomats that ''while the PM respects Gillard, his reluctance to share power will eventually lead to a falling-out, while Gillard will not want to acquiesce in creating potential rivals''.

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/yank-in-the-ranks-20101208-18pwi.html

from Annabel Crabb

It seems somehow appropriate, after the year we've had in politics, that centre stage should presently be occupied by a nomadic, ghostly web-monkey with no fixed address and an intimate ongoing complication with the Swedish police.

There has never been a better time for non-state actors, after all.

Whether it was the Katter-Windsor-Oakeshott pantomime horse, the parade of mining executives who heralded the early end of the Rudd era, or the ghastly theatre of Mark Latham returning from the grave with the cadaver of Pauline Hanson clamped in his jaws, Australian politics has been unusually susceptible to rogue third-party forces this year.

And as the summer break approaches, its post-election torpor punctuated only by the discreet click of the occasional NSW MP closing the door on a political career - 19 by this week, and still counting - it seems reasonable to assume that WikiLeaks will continue to provide daily diversion.

Like an Advent calendar for journalists ("On the 12th day of Christmas, WikiLeaks gave to me; The love notes of Berlusconi") Assange's outfit is full of promise.

And the good news for journos is that it works both ways; you can help yourself to the spoils from the website, gratis, while extracting further column inches from the theme that Assange himself is a dangerous lunatic who cares naught for the brave souls on the front line.

How can it not run and run?

...

There are more Australian cables to come, apparently. And a collection of documents directly concerning the Vatican is due for release next week, I'm told.

This must all be extremely annoying for North Korea, whose plans to spend the Southern summer being the craziest rogue state on the global block have been knocked for six by Assange.

But what does North Korea have?

Anti-aircraft artillery; the sniff of a few fuel rods and a reputation for non-consecutive impulses.

Julian Assange, however, has hundreds of thousands of emails capturing diplomats saying what they actually mean.

It's no contest, really.

read more at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/09/3089283.htm?site=thedrum

In a shock development in Labor's internal wrangling, right-wing powerbroker Mark Arbib - known as a 'king maker' in the party - has resigned from Parliament.

Senator Arbib is quitting his positions as Assistant-Treasurer, Small Business, and Sports Minister as a "gesture to unite and to heal".

His support was key to elevating Kevin Rudd to party leader in 2006, and then in 2010, to dumping him in favour of Julia Gillard.

He hopes his decision will help the party heal but he also wants to spend more time with his family.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-27/arbib-resigns-from-parliament/3855488

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A SHOCK???? No shock to me... He's entitled to make a "gesture"... Nonetheless, he, as a "faceless man', did a "proper job"... By now, without Arbib's such 'machinations" and his faceless mates, we would have an Abbott government, no climate change policy (or one that would favour the rich—  without tackling climate change) and a return to pork choices, with bankers' bonuses double the insane size they are now, while the poor would be trodden on or flogged... That is why Abbott keeps harping at the "faceless men"... Abbott is totally pissed off: he was out manoeuvred by the "faceless men"... Yes Tony is totally peeved... Meanwhile he launched today his 42nd censure motion against the Labor Government which he lost once more... 42 wastes of time, and, of course, hardly reported by the Abbott-loving media...