De Bruyn was born in the Netherlands in 1949 and is married with four children. He lives in Melbourne, Victoria.

Australian trade union movement and ALP

As the national head of the SDA, de Bruyn has considerable influence in Australian trade union and political affairs. This is particularly so in the ALP as delegations to the various State and Territory bodies that control party policy and pre-selections for State and Federal Parliaments are decided on a pro-rata basis of union members affiliated to the party.

De Bruyn strongly supported the ACTU’s ‘Rights at Work’ campaign against the Howard Government’s industrial relations laws passed in 2005. The union is a significant contributor to ALP election campaigns, according to Australian Electoral Commission funding disclosure returns.

Christian views

de Bruyn holds Christian views. The SDA is associated with the right-wing, "Labor Unity" or "Centre-Unity" grouping or faction of the trade union movement in Australia and the Australian Labor Party. It also has a long-established reputation as a staunch supporter of conservative Catholic parliamentarians.[2]De Bruyn, himself a Catholic, is a leading figure in the right wing faction of the ACTU and the ALP[3] 

Former ALP Prime Minister Gough Whitlam once said "Joe de Bruyn is a Dutchman who hates dykes." [7]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_de_Bruyn

 

KEVIN Rudd has called in police to investigate allegations that a bizarre video leaked during the leadership contest was posted anonymously by the Gillard camp.

Senior Labor sources have predicted police are moving closer to unlocking the mystery of the leaked video, confirming Mr Rudd is co-operating with the investigation.

But Mr Rudd would not disclose to The Sunday Telegraph whether he triggered the AFP probe himself with a formal complaint to police on the security breach in the prime minister's office.

"Consistent with Mr Rudd's past practice, he does not comment in any respect on Australian Federal Police investigations," a spokesman said.

The expletive-laden video was recorded in the prime minister's office when he was Labor leader and then leaked at the height of leadership speculation this year.

Labor sources predicted the AFP was closer to unlocking the mystery of the leaked video and tracking the computer used to post it on YouTube.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/kevin-rudd-sets-the-cops-on-prime-minister-julia-gillard/story-fndo317g-1226431655585
Have you seen the man in anger?... Anyone to have him as PM again?... I hope f*&^%$#g not!!!
Meanwhile Robert Manne has gone potty...

SOMETIMES the choices politicians have to make are excruciatingly difficult. However in the case of the present leadership bid being waged by the pro-Rudd forces, the choice before members of the federal Labor caucus is really very simple.

In June 2010, the caucus, led by the Right faction's leaders, deposed Kevin Rudd, one of the more popular prime ministers in the postwar history of Australia, and installed Julia Gillard. Almost no one now thinks it was a clever idea.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/labors-choice-is-obvious-reinstate-rudd-rapidly-20120720-22fni.html#ixzz21LJCSvHA

--------------------------------
Rudd is not PM material at this point in time, nor ever from now on... End of story and JULIA WAS THE BEST CHOICE FOR the Labor party then and still now... Had the deed not been done, we would have now a fairly confortable idiot at the helm of this country, Tony Abbott, who would be porkying his way through to make your life a misery — and blaming Labor for it... At least, we still have the NBN, we have a carbon tax and a mining tax... decent economy which is on top of the fucking world! IDIOTS, they don't see pass the length of their stupid noses!!!... 

 

http://www.news.com.au/national/swearing-kevin-rudd-video-posted-on-you-tube-under-the-title-happy-little-vegemite/story-e6frfkvr-1226274684892

 

---------------------------

 

And do not forget: Rudd was very much "on the nose" with the electorate... he would have lost the election hands down... Julia scraped in.... Kev's no Jesus Christ...

Holding grudges is pointless, Rudd tells forum

 

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has told a forum in Melbourne that it is important for former political leaders not to be resentful.

Mr Rudd was asked what it means to "forgive and forget" in public life, and answered that it was pointless to hold grudges.

"What happens for so many people who are in political life is they carry it around for a lifetime and it poisons their soul," he said.

"Because if you're someone like me, and you accumulate a 'who am I going to get next' list, you know, you just run out of paper! It just doesn't work - apart from being bad for your health."

The forum was organised to mark the 21st birthday of the magazine Eureka Street.

Mr Rudd also reflected on the ethical challenges posed by Australia's asylum seeker policy.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-17/rudd-tells-forum-holding-grudges-is-pointless/4206754

 

Julia Gillard has launched a passionate attack against Tony Abbott’s plan for a “people’s vote” on same sex marriage, saying the idea poses “real dangers” to democracy because it implies politicians are not capable of taking decisions or leading reforms.

The former Labor prime minister, who was an opponent of same-sex marriage while in politics, said she had now changed her mind, and was particularly motivated to argue against Abbott’s plan because of the “long-lived dangers” it would pose for the political system.

Since a popular vote is not needed to change the definition of marriage, she argued in the Michael Kirby lecture in Melbourne on Wednesday night, “the only foundation stone for the idea of a plebiscite or referendum is an appeal to the all too popular sentiment that politicians are inadequate, that their decision making is somehow deficient.”

“The derisory references to the ‘politicians’ choice’, makes the blunt nature of the populist appeal clear,” she said.

“There is truly something absurd about politicians themselves inviting the public to conclude that politicians are not up to making a decision. Particularly so, when it is actually in our nation’s interests to be bolstering belief in the capacity of our parliamentary system,” she said.

read more: http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/aug/26/julia-gillard-changes-her-mind-to-back-gay-marriage-and-lambasts-abbott-plan

------------------

My personal understanding here is that Julia Gillard was always in favour of gay marriage but could not say so when in power due to someone called De Bruyn...

Work it out... She needed his support to get a lot of legislation through and got it through... The gays and lesbians had to wait a bit more, that's all...

Now with Turdy Abbutt, that's a different kettle of fish.

See toon at top...