Umm, am i missing something.

'Ask any Labor representative what our party stands for, and you'll hear the same themes: opportunity for every child, open engagement with the world, dignity in work, a voice for invisible Australians'.

That is deep...

Please, Mr Leigh, perhaps you could spend some time explaining why Labor is not actually delivering on many issue, and why NSW Labor suffered one of its most humiliating losses ever.

"In my view, this does not reflect any crisis of ideology. Ask any Labor representative what our party stands for, and you'll hear the same themes: opportunity for every child, open engagement with the world, dignity in work, a voice for invisible Australians."

Ask any voter in NSW what labor stands for, and the answer will not be Andrew's stock standard list of platitudes, it will be that Labor stands for self interest, spin, and jobs for pals, over delivery.

I understand why Andrew Leigh says: "In my view, this does not reflect any crisis of ideology."

He is part of the problem, not the solution. The Labor Party has deserted the working class and is now dominated by "progressives" like Dr Leigh.

While professing to support "opportunity for every child", he supports policies that foster poor quality education, high unemployment and sub-standard health care, with a religious belief in the power of government to solve every problem.

When Labor starts focusing on outcomes for ordinary people instead of processes and methods, it will regain their trust. Not before.

Good to see some considered and thoughtful insights on OLO. I think Andrew has cut to the core of what is going on. When any organisation loses members as did NSW Labor then the right questions need to be asked and best most considered responses enacted.

I am not sure what the answer is for the ALP. The loss of hundreds of disaffected/dissatisfied/loyal members being pushed out by a disaster ridden isolated staffer/Suffix Street led Parliamentary Party enslaved to an ever shrinking self referencing power as career culture turned cancerous - eating it’s own branch must scare the shite out of the rest of the ALP .

Ultimately the rich in NSW will be Ok and the comfortable pseudo- intellectuals will have the greens to prosecute the latest sexy cause without having to ever take responsibility - but - without a strong vibrant engaged party for those who are nether rich nor have the privilege of a tertiary education the ramifications will be palpable. Second best health, education, housing, environment and ever more scrutiny. etc. And children who most benefit from the provision of all these services will suffer the most – and will continue to pay well into their adult lives. And that is the real crime of the corruption at the heat of NSW Labor – not the stupid scandals – that it is the people of NSW who need a Labor Governments are the ones who will pay for the power hungry, greedy arrogant, stupid, vain and ugly faceless men in NSW Labor who really did think it was all about them.

The NSW ALP was a government driven by self interest, internally focused, out of touch with its support base, bankrupt and stagnant. It was their electorate that left “them” behind. The NSW ALP failed to drag itself kicking and screaming into the 1960’s.

Now they ask what went wrong, who is to blame, how did this happen and what do we need to do to fix it?

It’s simple really, get rid of all the people who were responsible and start again. When John Robertson stops pretending he cares for anything other than “his” position and stops asking dumb questions there may be a glimmer of hope.

As for “Life of the Party”? Monty Python might say “It’s an ex-Parrot.”

Don’t ring us, we’ll call you.

'you'll hear the same themes: opportunity for every child, open engagement with the world, dignity in work, a voice for invisible Australians.'

No Andrew you won't. You don't have to listen VERY hard to hear: less opportunity for every child, less engagement with the world, less dignity in work (if you can find any) and the voice of the government telling us what we can or can't do.

Remembering an old adage which applies very well, to the ALP, the NLP, the Greens and most of the other rats and mice: we are all equal, but some are more equal than others.

It's time for some real change - there's not much ideological difference really, between the ALP and the NLP if the truth be told. And as for the Greens - mmm ...

Perhaps the LDP might offer some real solutions - they surely can't do worse than what we've had and what we've got at the moment.

If the vote was simply anti labor, the greens and other left wing parties would have picked up most of the votes, however, nearly all of them went to the coalition.

This clearly shows that whilst labor self destructed, the coalition presented an attractive alternative government.

If the Liberal Party believes “In the inalienable rights and freedoms of all peoples; and we work towards a lean government that minimises interference in our daily lives; and maximises individual and private sector initiative”, and “In government that nurtures and encourages its citizens through incentive, rather than putting limits on people through the punishing disincentives of burdensome taxes and the stifling structures of Labor's corporate state and bureaucratic red tape”, “In a just and humane society in which the importance of the family and the role of law and justice is maintained.”, “In equal opportunity for all Australians; and the encouragement and facilitation of wealth so that all may enjoy the highest possible standards of living, health, education and social justice”.
If these things are what they believe in, I want to know why they insist – as does the Labor party, in demanding a top tax with poor facilities for wage earners. The low tax of the 47% or 45% as now, allows many people to exploit it , which drives up the costs of goods and services and puts an unreasonable strain on the ability of workers to buy a home, feed and cloth their family and really to face the ever rising costs associated with the low top tax and the continuing increasment of unjustified salaries to every tom dick and harry who happens to be able to obtain an improvement in status, mostly due to party politics. The economic situation over the last ten or twenty years in particularly, have caused lost homes and broken marriages, more crime, stealing and robbery under arms and probably more that we don't hear of. Harold Holt realised a higher top tax was needed to prevent obscene salaries and other incomes, but didn't realise a higher level of no tax was also required, but not any of the treasurers or Prime Ministers since then have recognised that either. A top tax of between 65% and 70% is needed and no tax about $30,000 depending on the results in respect to the GDP should be considered.

The Labour Party; what a joke. The unions are running our national interests, and with the conclusion of the much hyped 'GFC' Australian families are worse of than ever before.
Keneally and her government have had long enough. They have been fighting not only with the opposition, but with themselves. the sale of NSW Power is a huge mistake... Or at least for the price that she has proposed. Bob Carr proposed to sell this for a significant number larger, which would have helped both lower their out of control debt AND help struggling families; which they always state they are trying to do, but in reality just make it harder for families and destroy the economy.
We need a conservative government to get us out of this mess; and Barry O'Farrel is the one to lead them.