RENTS IN THE SKY

Illawara, NSW, Australia

The gun barrels had opened, the day begun, an evil rent in the sky not withstanding. What came through was so lunatic even he was surprised, and suddenly fearful. The times had been so out of discord, he had been in hiding for so long, that even the sudden drop in temperature did not act as fair warning. There had been so many places fled, for sure, that the fleeing had become indistinguishable from travel, terror indistinguishable from pain.
"Spida? Stapo?"
"So they made it all up?"
"Yes, they made it all up."
"Nasty."
"They were a vicious little pack. They wouldn't leave him alone."
"He was a nasty little bastard. Nobody could see what he saw in him."
All this time later, caught in a vacuumed place, his head still travelled in a flapping arc. Outraged, distressed. The terrible consequence of having lowered his guard. Of having walked off cliffs. Of being a pale imitation of a functioning person.
The inability to handle his own emotions still saw him acting strangely. While the world moved on; thousands died in a typhoon the Philipinnes, Australia had a new Parliament, the Red Shirts were back on the streets of Bangkok. "We had no idea..."

THE BIGGER STORY:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/kevin-rudd-calls-time-on-a-turbulent-political-career/story-fn59niix-1226759377682#mm-premium

AN emotional Kevin Rudd has announced he will leave parliament this week, naming the apology to the Stolen Generations as the highlight of his prime ministership and saying it was time he gave something back to his family.

The former prime minister, in a surprise move, rose during the adjournment debate last night and declared his decision had been made after much soul-searching, and he would leave politics without malice. His decision means Bill Shorten faces a by-election in Mr Rudd's Brisbane seat of Griffith, which is likely to be held early next year.

In announcing his retirement, Mr Rudd, 56, said the slings and arrows of parliament "hit home to our families as well".

"For our family, recent statements since the September election have been particularly hurtful," he said. "As parliamentarians, you might say we become inured to all of this, although I doubt it."

Mr Rudd said the official apology to indigenous Australians in 2008 remained the highlight of his political career.

"Nothing has brought me greater joy in political life than the smiles I have seen on the faces of our Aboriginal brothers and sisters, young and old, country and city, as a result of the apology," he said. "I hope, though, that what we've achieved through some healing of the soul will be the first step; the second of course is closing the gap to achieve a healing of broken bodies as well."

Mr Rudd thanked his wife, Therese Rein, with whom he will celebrate his 32nd wedding anniversary tomorrow, and said he would spend some time overseas with her as he plotted the next phase of his life.

Tony Abbott paid tribute to Mr Rudd and praised his apology to the Stolen Generations.

"Our country had a unifying and healing moment, the like of which we very very rarely see," the Prime Minister said.

He said it was a great moment in the nation's history and had happened because of Mr Rudd.

Mr Abbott said that as much as he put John Howard on a pedestal, "in this respect at least, his (Rudd's) immediate predecessor had lacked the imagination to grasp that opportunity".

Mr Rudd, however, had had "the decency to see it, here was something that needed to be done".

Mr Abbott said sooner or later everyone outlived their usefulness. "It is the essence of wisdom to know when the time has come to serve one's country and to serve one's ideals in a different capacity," he said.

The Opposition Leader said Mr Rudd could leave parliament with his head held high. He had been a leader of the Labor Party under difficult circumstances and at the last election, his contribution meant the party staved off a wipe-out and Australians would be well served by a relatively strong opposition.

"As prime minister and foreign minister, Kevin made sure Australia became a respected leader on the international stage," Mr Shorten said. Mr Rudd paused several times to compose himself as he announced his decision to quit.

Mr Rudd won the 2007 election, returning Labor to power after more than 11 years in opposition but was dumped in June 2010 in a coup that installed Julia Gillard. After losing a leadership ballot against Ms Gillard in February last year, he returned to the prime ministership at a second ballot in June this year, but lost the September 7 election.

Mr Rudd said it was a privilege to be asked to return to the prime ministership this year. But it had not been for the "faint hearted".

He said Labor had been able to "save the furniture" at the election.

"I'm glad that all you folk in the frontbench were returned in one piece as well, and that we return Labor as a fighting force for the next election."

He said the internal reforms made to the ALP this year were a "great experience for the party", but should be only the first step.

Mr Rudd said that as prime minister he had navigated Australia through the great financial crisis without a recession or mass unemployment, and maintained the nation's AAA credit rating. His government had introduced a national curriculum, the first paid parental leave scheme and a pension increase.

Malcolm Turnbull, who was opposition leader during Mr Rudd's first stint as prime minister, said he had never met anyone more determined than Mr Rudd.

He said Mr Rudd had overcome setbacks that would have crushed other people. "Your determination is unequalled by anyone I've worked with in politics," Mr Turnbull said. "I don't know anyone that is just so filled with energy and determination and a preparedness to overcome any setback."

Anthony Albanese, Mr Rudd's deputy after he returned to the prime ministership for the second time, praised Mr Rudd and expressed confidence that Labor would hold his seat of Griffith in a by-election. "Kevin Rudd led Labor to a historic victory from opposition in 2007," Mr Albanese said. "Only Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke have managed that feat since World War II."

He said Mr Rudd's most-significant achievement was seeing Australia through the GFC by devising what economists had recognised as the world's most-effective stimulus plan.

- See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/kevin-rudd-calls-time-on-a-turbulent-political-career/story-fn59niix-1226759377682#sthash.iFlAzLuw.dpuf