Whatever constitutes the "Left" in Australian politics and society, Roskam demonstrates that he has no idea what it is. It certainly has little do with the ALP, which in recent years has moved to occupy that right-wing niche formerly characterised by the Liberals. The latter mob have shifted even further to the "Right" and now look like some sort of ghastly hybrid of the DLP and One Nation. As for the Nationals... who?

The only significant Australian political party that might be characterised as broadly "Left" is the Greens - which is of course why the others tend to spend so much time and effort trying to discredit them.

The real poverty here is the povety of thought demonstrated, as usual, by the left-wingers.

This is hilarious. In response to an article detailing the decline in thought on the left, the first response to the Coalition's efforts in reducing poverty was...

"Poverty of pocket, or poverty of happiness?"

Surely that's what the article was saying... the left are annoyed that working Australians have decided to buy material goods with their 20% increase in real wages over the last 11 years - and i'm not talking about solar panels, free trade coffee or hybrid cars! They're choosing to renovate their homes, or send their children to non-government schools... and who's ever heard of a person at a non-government school being happy... and surely only people living in apartments and town houses are happy, because suburbia is evil?

Please, don't criticise Labor Right. In NSW, they've proved themselves to be the only group that identifies itself with working class politics that has enough respect for the working class to let themselves make their own choices because they themselves know best how to attain their own happiness. Labor Left have always been parasitically middle class and scornful of those workers who just want their lot bettered, and thus sensibly have voted Coalition.

Howard, like Fahey, Askin and Menzies before him, phrased liberalism as ordinary people's freedom, prosperity and choices. The cultural left disagee with these three... and you won't be leading the Labor party if you've faction is based around middle-class uni students who have never done a hard day's work in their lives.

I suggest that people (the lefties particularly) read Clive Hamilton's book "Affluenza" and then start a debate about real poverty.
The idea that the ALP is somehow the saviour of the poor and those in need of any form of social welfare is nonsense...they gave up that game years ago but continue to ride on a completely undeserved reputation.
The Coalition has actually done more but lefties will never wear that and it is, of course, not politically correct to say it.

Of course, the left cares about the poor and the poverty-striken. That's why, whenever they gain power anywhere, anytime, they work so hard and so successfully to create more poor and poverty-striken.

With you there mhaze. Of course, so many of the left earn their living by talking about, at, or down to the poor. Obviously they want as many as possible.
Then again, Richardson did show them that its easier to buy the bludger vote, so perhaps thats where their main interest is now.