The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Responses to the ALP leadership election result > Comments

Responses to the ALP leadership election result : Comments

By Tristan Ewins, published 17/10/2013

With a 'mixed mandate' from the ALP's first experiment with a rank and file component in electing the parliamentary leader, Bill Shorten needs to move straight away to implement the reforms he promised

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. All
Albanese won the popular vote with an enviable 60%.
Shorten got the job.
How does that work again?
And my feeling is some of those on the Left went with Shorten in the Caucus vote so Plibersek would be the Deputy.
Conroy is still there. Yuck! Factions rule.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/cartoons/gallery-e6frg6zx-1111119669474?page=1
Posted by halduell, Thursday, 17 October 2013 8:38:48 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
It's probably symbolic of the ALP predicament that Albanese didn't win the vote. Albanese came up through the branches, in fact he was delegate to Young Labor in the the electorate he now represents. He obviously has good people skills and is well liked, and that is why he won the popular vote.

In comparison, Shorten was chosen by the Labor elite but rejected by the masses. Labor won't come out of the wilderness until they elect an Albanese to the leadership.
Posted by Wattle, Thursday, 17 October 2013 9:18:00 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
I believe that Abanese was nobbled by the Machiavellian Bill 'WIV' Shorten perhaps via promises he may have made to advantage Caucus members if they voted for him.

Bill knows his way around the political circus (he's got two Prime-ministerial scalps hanging from his belt as proof) and he worked out that the Caucus was where the leadership election would be won. So Anthony did his best but he couldn't beat the system.

So Mr 40% beat Mr 60% and the factions still rule as do the internal hatreds (Roxon, etc).

The LABOR Party is still up the creek without a paddle!
Posted by David G, Thursday, 17 October 2013 9:52:08 AM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
So the ALP keeps talking to itself about itself. Perhaps, at some time in the future, the party will notice that it lost the last election. It might also notice that it did so because it has become a regressive rather than a prgressive party. How else to explain the gradual but constant transfer of wealth from the poor to the well to do as a result of the carbon tax and the myriad other 'green' schemes that accompany it.

It's the poor who are struggling to pay their energy bills while rich business people benefit from wind farm subsidies and carbon credits and the inner urban elite get cheap power because they can afford to put solar panels on their roofs. And all this from the party that went to the 2007 election expressing its concern for 'working families'.

Perhaps, someone in the ALP will look at the history of the corn laws in Britain and learn from it, though that seems unlikely given the nonsense that passes for History in the ALP's national curriculkum.
Posted by Senior Victorian, Thursday, 17 October 2013 10:37:27 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Senior Victorian; I get what you're saying about the ALP 'talking to itself about itself'; But only the other hand this is necessary in order to democratise the Party; and as a consequence reform the Platform and party policy. Once the PROCESS is invigorated in a way which empowers the party's mass base - then you can expect more egalitarian policies. But without process there is no policy.

re: the National Curriculum - My belief is that there is too much emphasis on academic excellence as 'the only thing that matters' - and not enough on life skills. That said, academic excellence is central. But people need to be endowed with a disposition towards civic participation if our democracy is to thrive. And in order to do so responsibly, it is also important to develop political literacy. That is: understanding of processes, ideologies, and their social basis... But this needs to be communicated without prejudice towards the Left or Right. Rather we need a curriculum which provides people with the information they need to make their own commitments - on the basis of developing a sense of their own interests; but also of their own values....
Posted by Tristan Ewins, Thursday, 17 October 2013 11:26:59 AM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
I believe Bill Shorten understands that the real aim of Labor is the treasury benches.
And getting there will require even more democratization of the Labor Party! No if buts or maybes, or fractional prevarication or obfuscation!
Labor needs to be far more inclusive and attractive to people outside the union movement or the usual working class rank and file.
The job is only just started with the election of the new leader.
If unions want more say, then let them and their membership join the labor party! And Labor needs to get to a point, where the rank and file, which includes every member of the caucus, gets an equal vote.
Had it been entirely down to the rank and file and TRUE democracy, we would have been saluting a different more politically popular leader today!
Bill is a better hustler, and performed very well, with more self evident passion! Hence the result?
Finally, all future leaders simply cannot be tested through the very fickle prism of often all too brief public popularity, but rather, the more knowlegable judgment of their pre-selecting peers?
Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Thursday, 17 October 2013 12:02:06 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
In the meantime Tony is stopping the boats, abolishing the carbon tax, cutting the waste and magnificantly striding boldly the international stage... and noone in the liberal party is wedging themselves over rejected policy nor talking about themselves or calling their former PM's bastards. Lol.
Posted by imajulianutter, Thursday, 17 October 2013 1:49:42 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Except there are huge internal divisions in the Liberals with regard the Paid Parental Leave policy....

Though regardless of whether you're talking about Labor or the Libs - robust debate and pluralism ought to be seen as a good and constructive thing...

Unless it degenerates into abuse with no constructive substance.
Posted by Tristan Ewins, Thursday, 17 October 2013 2:55:21 PM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
imajulianutter oh dear
1)Stopping the boats = stopping press releases
2)Abolishing the carbon tax = Labout already did that and will stop without any action by Tony.
3)Cutting the waste = who knows can you actually name something he done....
4)Magnificantly striding boldly the international stage = now your just having a laugh.
Posted by Cobber the hound, Thursday, 17 October 2013 5:03:46 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Yes Tristan, but that is of such minor bit in the scheme of things.

There is probably more disagreement over the treatment of the carbon dioxide tax. I'm sure by now most realise it is a crock of the smelly stuff, but some are probably still frightened of coming out & saying so.

I wonder what Labor branch Clobber the hound belongs to? His posts have a Victorian flavor, but who knows? The particular disease he is suffering does have cases in all states.
Posted by Hasbeen, Thursday, 17 October 2013 11:43:59 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Abbott stopping the waste? Like stopping politicians rorting their 'entiltlements'? Pig might fly. Abbott striding the international stage - making snivelling apologies for all the things he said in opposition, like a teenager in Confession. Embarassing.

I'd love to know what the outcome of the Caucus vote on the leadership would have been if it had been a secret ballot, out of the sight and control of Shorten's factional thugs. If Labor does just one thing to democratise itself, secret Caucus ballots would be the way to go.
Posted by Candide, Friday, 18 October 2013 10:05:24 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
I loved your "pox on both their houses" comment, Candide!

I'm trying to imagine the first sitting day in Parliament with Abbott and Shorten glaring at each other over the Dispatch Box. The Backstabber and the Bruiser in Round 1, ring the bells.

Parliament has rarely experienced such lows as are now headed our way. It is Government by the Misfits!

How come democracy throws up such pedestrian, mediocre leaders? The answer I suppose is that we get the best politicians that money can buy!

And the people with the money make sure that it's their interests that politicians serve!
Posted by David G, Friday, 18 October 2013 1:13:57 PM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Well David, Clive Palmer has demonstrated what you get when you pay big money for political representation. Its not promising, although I am looking forward to seeing the PUPs performing in parliament. I like comedy. I just hope that disillusioned voters think about investigating the Indi option in the run up to the next election and try to find local candidates to represent their interests.
Posted by Candide, Friday, 18 October 2013 4:40:46 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Candide, the two-Party system no longer serves our democracy. Greedy Bosses versus Union Thugs is hardly representative of an intelligent democracy or civilization. What's happening in Washington, a political farce of infinite proportions, shows where we will end up in the near future unless things are changed!

Independents who represent the local area are our only hope. The two main Parties are rotten to the core and no longer relevant!
Posted by David G, Friday, 18 October 2013 7:42:23 PM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy