Tony,
It's not just NSW, the threads are starting to unravel in Victoria as well,Darebin council is in crisis again and here too the "Lebanese Element"is becoming as problematic here as the "Greek element" was in the 1990's:
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/darebin-council-could-face-sack-20121128-2aef2.html
The recently incorporated Darebin council is a good example of modern grass roots Labor in microcosm, as far as I know we'd never had a Liberal councillor until the 2012 election and many of the "independants" have been exposed as Labor ward heelers or cronies.

"It will be an interesting contest as luminaries of the Labor Right try to convince voters that they should reject Abbott, despite their growing affinity with his policy leanings and political style."

Yes, the absurdity of politics as a team sport with very little to distinguish on ideology.

The demise of the Labor Party started with Keating's neo-liberal agenda and the privatisation of public assets. It has become not just a party that cannot contain or eradicate it's most corrupt elements but a party that has lost it's way with devolving of power to the top. The grass roots focus is sadly missed.

It's not a problem confined to NSW, but every state?
One remembers well the, [lay preacher,] B Petersen era, the white shoe brigade, the gerrymander, the state police acting as a wing of government, the secret police, the Minister for everything and the alleged brown paper bags full of money?
Corruption and cronyism seems particularly a problem of so called right wing politics?
It seems to me that right wing politics and traditional Labour, is a mix which simply does not fit!
Nor are staffers, who go straight from university into staff positions and then directly into politics, without any REAL WORLD experience!?
And politics is an instrument of recent convenience for some so called millionaire politicians, and or business failures, who use/see it as a personal vehicle to progress personal political and or commercial ambition/business salvation, rather than reform or a better deal for the less well off?
One notes, both Hawke and Keating retired as millionaires, and the average super package, [untaxed,] for politicians, is around four million?
And they talk of taxing ordinary folks super packages, if they're above a million?
In the original Westminster tradition politics was unpaid and voluntary!
And conservative politics was progressive! How things have changed!
If only the Labour party membership were means tested, we likely could have confined the corruption and cronyism, to its more traditional home, or conservative politics?
Personally, I think the only way to eliminate this problem, is simply place the incumbent last on the ballot paper, for several elections; or at least until all the dross is cleaned out of politics and the reforms we need are finally, reality.
Alternatively, we could have a policy of just two terms?
That way there'd be enough turnover to seriously limit or curtail corruption!?
Rhrosty.

dare I say that it is only the Christian influence in individual lives that gives any decent moral basis. No surprise that much of Labour and some of Liberal and almost all of Greens is morally bereft. I await the usual screams. No wonder so many support the porn industry, the baby killing industry and then put their self righteousness on display when visiting schools and hospital. Lance Armstrong would be a 'good ' captains pick for the current state of affairs.

Tony makes some valid points, especially about the narrowness of ethics defined as conforming to the rules, and inadequacy of managerialism to foster genuinely ethical behaviour.

However, I think he goes too far in implying that those policy shifts of which he disapproves are also a product of “diseased ethics”. Supporting the privatisation of the Commonwealth Bank, or telecommunications reregulation, is a world away from using an official credit card to pay prostitutes or using insider information to profit from mining developments.

In fact, recognising that people can advocate policies and sincerely believe them to be in the national interest - even if you happen to disagree with them – is one of the planks of ethical political behaviour that is increasingly lacking nowadays

Come on Rhrosty, you bring up an example of the rhorts practised by labour, all its life, & then attribute it to Old Joh, & the Nationals. What are you, a kid who doesn't know, or a conman?

I rather enjoyed the gerrymander, as it was a prime example of fool Labor tricks, coming back to bite them. It was introduced by Labor, when the farming districts were full of farm labour. Kept them in power, illegitimately for many years. Then the farms stopped using labour.

I did not appreciate old Joh, & wanted him gone, until I saw the terrible mess Goss, Beattie & Bleigh made of the state. Even so, I couldn't help smiling every time yet another Labor polly started bleating how unfair the gerrymander was.

Looks like you do your research in the wrong sites mate. You must be using one of those where the lefties rewrite history to suit their narrative.