Author(s): Russ Radcliffe

Art

The year 2010 has been one of reversals. At the start Kevin Rudd, the conscience of decent folk everywhere, was still enjoying an unprecedented run of popularity in the polls. Meanwhile, the Liberals were fast becoming a reactionary rabble who, after sacrificing most of their leadership talent, were left with only a mad monk to guide them out of the wilderness. But by mid-year Tony Abbott had become the iron man, smuggling in a new set of budgies to get the Liberals' oppositional juices flowing. Kevin Rudd was looking as rattled as a clapped out third-termer, displaying a level of political expediency that would have made John Howard blush. As Labor dumped promises and programs, it wasn't just Abbott and the green-left who thought Rudd was a gutless backflipper, even the Labor faithful had started to ask: what does this guy believe in? It's re-election, stupid! See what Australia's wittiest and most perceptive political cartoonists make of it all in Best Australian Political Cartoons 2010, your essential alternative guide to the year in politics.