KEVIN RUDD has made an art form of promoting conservatives to boards and key policy positions as a method of disarming his critics.
The tactic, pioneered by state Labor governments, has extended beyond former politicians to captains of industry who have been appointed to policy development committees.
The appointment yesterday of Robert Hill, the former Coalition environment and defence minister, as chairman of the Australian Carbon Trust, was both meritorious and overtly political.
Mr Hill, like Malcolm Turnbull, was a Howard government environment minister who received little sympathy for his desire to ratify Kyoto or implement an emissions trading scheme.
His appointment at the most delicate stage of the fight over the trading scheme legislation was timed for maximum impact.
Other conservatives given jobs by Mr Rudd include John Howard's former chief of staff, Arthur Sinodinos, the former Nationals leader Tim Fischer, the former ACT chief minister Kate Carnell, and the former NSW Liberal leader Peter Collins.
The former treasurer Peter Costello has been offered a job upon his retirement from Parliament.
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