This proposal to modernise the Labor Party still does not address what I believe is the central problem, which is best illustrated by the Tampa affair, where Howard's strongest supporters were the Labor Party's heartland. A similar situation occurred during the last election over the Tasmanian forest workers, where we saw a liberal Prime Minister being cheered to the rafters by trade unionists. If the elite is disempowered to address this sort of problem, the party has cut off its head; if not, then the party continues to be disconnected from its supporters.

You don't have to be a maven to realise that the ALP's problems are deep-seated. The ALP's packaging department should be given a week's notice. Look at the tosh it has served up: the world's greatest treasurer who gave us 18% interest rates; Cheryl in that red dress who was cultivated and mooted as Australia's first female PM until she got an attack of PMT; Mark Latham, the unregenerate ALP bovver boy and his visceral brand of politics which meant everyone would be insulted sooner or later; a pop star with his bark hut philosophy who has jettisoned all he once held dear and may indeed embrace an ALP policy of nuclear power generation; and another ACTU heavy who was about as popular as a pig skin wallet in a synagogue.

A Labor Party in touch with the electorate! What a novel idea. It will never work. The electorate is the first group ignored by the ALP and the Lib-NP coalition. Just look at the ALP quota system of selecting candidates according to the arrangement of one's genitalia. What if a survey finds that motor cycle gangs are underrepresented. Will members of the Gypsy Jokers be recruited to take their place on the front bench? And what a front bench. Nearly all of them are paltripolitans. Let's provide them with a compass so that they might visit Parramatta so they can find out what it is 'we' want.

Sage is absolutely right. Let me give an example. What was the biggest issue dominating talk back radio and commercial TV current affairs back in May this year? It was Schapelle Corby. Half a dozen grass-roots websites were set up to support her and the issue was being taken up in droves by the young, the suburban and people not otherwise interested in politics. The government was on the defensive over its stance in not wanting to help her for fear of offending Indonesia. It was an ordinary Australian, seemingly innocent, in serious trouble overseas. But what was the ALP response? It was a firm "We support the government" each time they were pushed on the issue by the media. Instead Kim Beazley championed the issue of opposing the government's quite popular budget. And we all know how much political mileage he got out of that. Further, Beazley even parroted the government about the infamous white powder incident at the Indonesian Embassy on June 1 - the "not some innocuous white powder" that turned out to be exactly that and was probably designed just to make Corby supporters shut up.
That's how much the Beazley-led ALP cares about the Australian electorate!

The fact is Labor only wants to take on issues it feels comfortable with. When an issue like Schapelle Corby comes out of the blue, Labor chooses to tread on safe ground following parrot-like the left-liberal paradigm that the Corby issue is essentially one for ignorant, racist people who are not sensitive enough to understand that relations with Indonesia are too important to be sacrificed for some dumb girl from the Gold Coast regardless of whether she is guilty or not. What's more, trying to help Corby might have offended the Jakarta lobby and the interests of the "political classes" who know much more than about these things than does the electorate.

Corin,

Many have argued (as you have) that the starting point is explaining the failure of Labor in the past. Despite Latham's attempt there is still no clear consensus around the key areas of failure by Labor in federal politics since 96.

Until this consensus is reached then the Labor party will forever find itself with an albatross tied around its neck - and adrift in a sea created from its own factional blood letting.

Latham has attempted to create consensus around his version of Labor's failures - but this is being unproductively contested over and over again. No resolution is in sight.

In my mind the revitalization of Labor will not be realized by the next election. It will again enter the election bleeding profusely from beating itself to death. Miraculous resurrections can and do occur, but the people must be allowed to inspect the dead carcass (caucus?) of Labor first. The machine men in Labor are well known for their ‘dead parrot’ arguments. Their eradication should not be seen as a risk, but an investment in the party’s future. But I for one won’t be waiting in anticipation for this to occur. It will take courage and foresight and sacrifice, but I see no willingness to perform this self inspection and cull. Instead, we witness a never ending parrot skits being played out between Labor party leaders.

When and who will it write its own death certificate? Undertaker Latham has tried, but even he will need assistance.

Many have said that Labor stands for nothing.Has anyone really asked why?

Labor over the last 30yrs has been pandering to all the minority groups and sectional interests to secure votes,rather that doing what is right for the common good.They hurt me and millions of others in the "recession we had to have," stuffed Victoria,and now stuffed NSW,and have the audacity to premote their tired old ideals and incompetence as a plausible alternative.

We desperately need a credible alternative at this point in time since the coalition are getting too arrogant.

Labor pandered to the minorities, it became "mother" to the weird, wonderful and wacky, and while doing this it labelled Aussies who complained as 'racist', 'redneck'.
The real Australian has seen the party for the workers hijacked by the academics and the union leaders all looking for a cosy post.
Labor has become a hindrance to Australia instead of being a good alternative government ,it has become completely unnecessary.
The sooner it dissolves the better.