Ammonite, you're always quick with the insinuation. There are plenty of left of centre posters on the site. But it appears that your type of left has a problem when right of centre views are published as well as theirs.

This site is supposed to be about debate and engagement, and if one side of the debate doesn't want to engage that isn't just their problem, it is society's problem.

I've just done a quick count of the articles published in the last week and classified them as left/right/centre or N/A. Most of the N/A articles were about bullying, or other issues where there isn't any sort of clear divide.

The result was 10 Left, 8 Right, 3 Centre and 11 N/A. Pretty good I would have said. I also checked the reads and the Left ones were less well-read, but as there were more of them they received more reads than the Right. Centre and N/A received the best average number of reads.

BTW, I'm looking forward to seeing a criticism from you of Labor everytime your criticise the Liberals as you suggest I should do.

Ammonite:"Just a few brave progressives continuing "

Lexi will be feeling left out.

More seriously, have you considered that this simply reflects the fact that the "progressive" side of politics is on the nose with most people? I'm a reformed life-long Labor voter and I know lots of people who feel the same. I still think Howard was possibly Australia's worst ever PM, but the ALP (the name on the brass plaque at the Lodge is irrelevant) is doing its best to make him look good.

Beattie's approach worked because he was decisive and he had control of the Caucaus and a lot of personal charisma. He was a self-confessed media tart. He fed the chooks in the same way as his good friend Joh did and he is still doing it today.

Gillard simply doesn't have the personal authority, the charisma, the friendship with the media that Beattie does. Moreover, she's already thrown her reputation for honesty in the bin, so she's got nothing.

All the libnats have to do is wait.

"All the libnats have to do is wait."

Have you had a look at what we'll get with them?

Frightening.
Abbott, Hockey, Bishops 1 and 2, Andrews, Brandis, Pyne, Ruddock, and Barnaby what's-his-name and the ghosts of Minchin and the now extremely rusty, 'man of steel'.

If recycling, you wouldn't get a kilo of worhtwhile mulch from the lot. The one good thing in 2011 is that the embarrassing 'lace stockings' Downer has left the boat, but sadly, ten years too late.

Graham, do be careful, I just may be coming to get you.

Why did you have to bring Beattie into the Labor thought process? Next thing we hear is them wanting to do a "Newman", & make him leader in waiting, to replace Julia.

The worst thing is that most Ozzies don't realise how bl00dy hopeless he is. Secondly it's that huge grin, so loved by TV cameramen.

I reckoned it was worth every cent of the quarter of a million or so a year we payed him to go to the US, just to get that grinning face off our TV screens. It was getting so bad, it was not worth watching the news.

I was horrified when he came back early. Just how bad would it be, if he was running for PM. I'd have to move to some where more pleasant, like Outer Mongolia, to escape those teeth.

How could you do it to us, even in jest?