JULIA Gillard must be wishing she could go back in time say, about one year.
Sure, she wasn't Prime Minister and home was a humble brick box, but looking back, life must have seemed a whole lot rosier then.
A year ago Gillard could do no wrong. A year ago, she was Labor's rising star, the only person who could save the party from certain defeat.
Compared with Kevin Rudd, she was deemed a breath of fresh air.
She was also regarded as a straight shooter, which was no small thing for someone seemingly able to talk herself out of any amount of trouble.
The school halls program (BER) was crumbling all around her and yet there she was, untouched and still smiling.
A few choice words was all it took for Gillard to silence her critics and leave them red-faced.
She was as stinging as Paul Keating, but without the bitterness.
A year ago, she was also reasonably well liked.
People spoke affectionately about her nasal voice and her other ockerisms.
They didn't seem to grate as much. She was a woman who was going places and quickly.
There was even a T-shirt for sale that read: "Julia Gillard Totally Hot Chicks Rule!"
How different things are today. I wonder how many people are brave enough to wear that shirt anywhere other than to bed nowadays.
Today, Australia's first female Prime Minister can't seem to put a foot right.
Today, when she speaks, she isn't believed.
When she reaches out to comfort people, most notably victims of the devastating floods, her sincerity is called into question.
Today, she comes across as incapable of making a decision, at least not quickly.
When she talks about Aussies and "mateship", people cringe.
What would she, after stabbing Rudd in the back, know about mateship, after all?
When she gesticulates, it's judged to be overdone and is a source of irritation to many: "Just what is Julia doing with her hands?"
There are no more complimentary T-shirts to speak of, just a Facebook page with the title: "Julia Gillard's voice makes me want to cut my ears off."
What has happened to Labor's former golden girl?
And is the damage terminal?
For a woman so smart, it seems odd that she would repeat the mistakes of her predecessor.
First and foremost she is failing the BS test, in the same way Rudd did. If there's one thing we Aussies have, it's an inbuilt BS detector one that rarely fails.
It went off every time Rudd said "fair dinkum" and "fair shake of the sauce bottle" and it's going off now whenever Gillard softens her voice and goes all sweet-sounding.
Where were those soft tones a year ago?
We Aussies like the "real deal" and Gillard is holding back.
She admitted as much during the election campaign.
When it was all going pear-shaped she promised to reveal the "real Julia" but it feels like, here we are, still waiting.
What happened to the feisty woman who wasn't afraid to call a spade a spade?
Twelve months ago voters warmed to her because of her apparent authenticity, but her sincerity now seems more feigned than real and it's causing her big problems.
Perhaps it's the office of Prime Minister that's made her timid.
Perhaps it's the delicate nature of the present parliament. Perhaps the constant fear of tripping up is making her play too safe a hand.
Perhaps it's all of the above. Whatever it is, she has a small window to revert to her old self, otherwise voters will mark her down as a "phoney" and switch off permanently, just as they did with Rudd.
The old Gillard stood up to the union movement when it demanded substantial changes to workplace laws far more than Labor was willing to enact.
She also won plaudits when she stood up to the education union when it threatened widespread industrial bans due to the My School website.
And yet today's Gillard tiptoes around the question of a flood levy for a good fortnight, is too afraid to announce a workable policy on asylum seekers and has no position on how to price carbon.
Something's up and voters are rightly asking a few questions.
How come the new Gillard speaks so softly and sweetly, even when the old Gillard didn't?
How come the new Gillard can't make a decision, whereas the old one stood firm and didn't mind the odd stoush or two?
Late last year, Gillard declared that 2011 would be a year of "delivery and decision".
"Australians do not want their Government to campaign. Australians want their Government to govern," she said.
She is right. So what are we waiting for?
Read more about Hot Chicks Rule
Sure, she wasn't Prime Minister and home was a humble brick box, but looking back, life must have seemed a whole lot rosier then.
A year ago Gillard could do no wrong. A year ago, she was Labor's rising star, the only person who could save the party from certain defeat.
Compared with Kevin Rudd, she was deemed a breath of fresh air.
She was also regarded as a straight shooter, which was no small thing for someone seemingly able to talk herself out of any amount of trouble.
The school halls program (BER) was crumbling all around her and yet there she was, untouched and still smiling.
A few choice words was all it took for Gillard to silence her critics and leave them red-faced.
She was as stinging as Paul Keating, but without the bitterness.
A year ago, she was also reasonably well liked.
People spoke affectionately about her nasal voice and her other ockerisms.
They didn't seem to grate as much. She was a woman who was going places and quickly.
There was even a T-shirt for sale that read: "Julia Gillard Totally Hot Chicks Rule!"
How different things are today. I wonder how many people are brave enough to wear that shirt anywhere other than to bed nowadays.
Today, Australia's first female Prime Minister can't seem to put a foot right.
Today, when she speaks, she isn't believed.
When she reaches out to comfort people, most notably victims of the devastating floods, her sincerity is called into question.
Today, she comes across as incapable of making a decision, at least not quickly.
When she talks about Aussies and "mateship", people cringe.
What would she, after stabbing Rudd in the back, know about mateship, after all?
When she gesticulates, it's judged to be overdone and is a source of irritation to many: "Just what is Julia doing with her hands?"
There are no more complimentary T-shirts to speak of, just a Facebook page with the title: "Julia Gillard's voice makes me want to cut my ears off."
What has happened to Labor's former golden girl?
And is the damage terminal?
For a woman so smart, it seems odd that she would repeat the mistakes of her predecessor.
First and foremost she is failing the BS test, in the same way Rudd did. If there's one thing we Aussies have, it's an inbuilt BS detector one that rarely fails.
It went off every time Rudd said "fair dinkum" and "fair shake of the sauce bottle" and it's going off now whenever Gillard softens her voice and goes all sweet-sounding.
Where were those soft tones a year ago?
We Aussies like the "real deal" and Gillard is holding back.
She admitted as much during the election campaign.
When it was all going pear-shaped she promised to reveal the "real Julia" but it feels like, here we are, still waiting.
What happened to the feisty woman who wasn't afraid to call a spade a spade?
Twelve months ago voters warmed to her because of her apparent authenticity, but her sincerity now seems more feigned than real and it's causing her big problems.
Perhaps it's the office of Prime Minister that's made her timid.
Perhaps it's the delicate nature of the present parliament. Perhaps the constant fear of tripping up is making her play too safe a hand.
Perhaps it's all of the above. Whatever it is, she has a small window to revert to her old self, otherwise voters will mark her down as a "phoney" and switch off permanently, just as they did with Rudd.
The old Gillard stood up to the union movement when it demanded substantial changes to workplace laws far more than Labor was willing to enact.
She also won plaudits when she stood up to the education union when it threatened widespread industrial bans due to the My School website.
And yet today's Gillard tiptoes around the question of a flood levy for a good fortnight, is too afraid to announce a workable policy on asylum seekers and has no position on how to price carbon.
Something's up and voters are rightly asking a few questions.
How come the new Gillard speaks so softly and sweetly, even when the old Gillard didn't?
How come the new Gillard can't make a decision, whereas the old one stood firm and didn't mind the odd stoush or two?
Late last year, Gillard declared that 2011 would be a year of "delivery and decision".
"Australians do not want their Government to campaign. Australians want their Government to govern," she said.
She is right. So what are we waiting for?
Read more about Hot Chicks Rule
