So very long ago an official of my union and I in separate cars stuck in traffic heard on the radio.
It had happened the ALP had won government on its own in NSW, it did not need that unloved one to govern.
Joy! we danced in the street my old warrior mate and I the car horns blew no one knew why we did it but Sydney embraces fools.
I believe in the ALP, the center unity NSW ALP, when will I dance for them again?
No not even a shuffle of the feet in my lifetime, I can not live enough years to see a rebuilding.
No budgie smuggler this time no last minute remembrance we do not know the opposition.
No rebirth on election day ,just a history of theft, betrayal, miss use of power we the rank and file gave to some times unworthy people.
I will be censored by my party maybe by my union.
But the betrayal of my party/union by some who came from mid stream who came for power not caring, never cared for them, is beyond forgiving.
Watch Penrith 27% swing? it will be far worse in some seats.

Some may come and ask why I betray my party.
In fact I know of the gifts this party gave NSW Darling Harbor, few may remember the gutless lies oppositions told about that.
Carr himself was a gift his national parks will be his legacy still in hundreds of years.
I come as surely as any Good man ever did, to the aid of my party.
Only with the trouncing it is to receive, and only with the understanding it can no longer take its roots for granted will true change come.
Greed is no secrete in Branch's every place, we know our party is hand picking candidates and riding on the backs of Branch's.
I idolize John Dela Bosca, know he should have been leader.
But highlight his wife, the worst member in our federal team for hurting the party road in to the house on your shoulders old mate.
My party in NSW will become great again, only after it is bought to its knees for even failing to understand it is not the toy of those we send to Parliament.
That the self important slugs who miss used that power are contemptible and always will be.

Dear Sincere Belly

You said:

//I believe in the ALP, the center unity NSW ALP, when will I dance for them again?//

Then you said:

//Some may come and ask why I betray my party.//

and

//I idolize John Dela Bosca, know he should have been leader.//

Belly...this is what the good book says about "idols"

You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold. Deut 29:17

That is how the 'idol' as an object is described.
"Detestable" and politicians who SEEK after 'silver and gold' in the form of nepotistic power (Della Bosca and his wife) or jobs for the boys or corrupt use of taxpayer/party funds or whatever..they are all the same "Detestable"

I truly feel sorry for you mate.. because you abandoned your faith in the only one who is true and reliable.. and placed your faith 'fleeting things' of this world, which of course have led to dissappointment.

The dark network of political and corporate corruption that I am in the process of exposing will hopefully make you realize that the things you look for will never ever ever be found in unregenerate (some might call them degenerate) politicians of either side.

I feel sorry for you in that you seem to sincerely believe they are 'there' for your interests or those of workers.. mate.. that is greatest joke of all time. (but it isn't a funny one)

Belly

We are too party obsessed in this country and it is why rational discussion sometimes fails before it even starts. We should be democracy/people/issue focussed first and foremost.

To heal you first must diagnose.

“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
Winston Churchill

Belly, well expressed. I also see what we had and distress at what we have now got. The other Labor states are managing just fine, as is WA. While NSW is still ranked eighth amongst the other states and territories (we are even behind Tasmania, we are dead last) in economic growth. With current economic activity under its decade-average growth pace. This state Labor govt, like their current federal counterparts are hopeless with our money. They chased all the investment out of NSW.

Dear Belly,

Don't despair my friend.

Have faith. Look what NSW did to the previous
PM in his own Electorate?

Voters usually get it right in the end!

Boazy in my view you are a sad case.
A truly held view, if I am to believe you humanity is to just do nothing let God fix it.
And if there is no God?
My party is in trouble not the system.
So very many flick over the subject of politics unarmed, not armed with understanding or a view of what alternatives would bring.
The party system works because it needs combined power of many to change anything.
It gives a result rarely possible under the dream but unrealistic house full of separate voices independents ever could.
Foxy my Friend not quite right.
NSW is lost for a time.
Party lost in fact some within it did this.
A self interest driven power play that removes branches and members from the inner circle running the party.

No Belly...my point is not 'let God fix it'.....not in this life anyway.
My point is.. "no party" will actually fix things...they are all scumbags as I keep on saying.

One side has it's network of snouts in the trough and the other side has it's own netowrk. Some of the minor parties are more ideologically driven... but once they have any power they will also have their snouts in the trough.

Greens will be just like that.. megalomaniacal control freak Marxists if ever there were any.

Family First..as the name implies might be a better bet because at least their 'ideology' is focused on the foundation of our social structure rather than enriching the likes of Dela Bosca and his crony wife. (and their Labor aligned corporate Queen bees)

Face it mate...it is NOT about 'good policy' it is about 'Good policy which works for OUR NETWORK" whichever side that is.

Look at Bob Carr ! he is trying to cash in on Cap and Trade laws.
He is the CEO of ENVEX.. look at what they do and who they are affiliated with.

Do you honestly think he and other Labour heavies/insiders are not working tooth and nail to estalbish law which benefits them?

If you can do it.. have a look at the SHARE REGISTER of that company..or look at the political connections of the Directors.

Stop being so naive as to think they care one iota about 'you' or about 'workers'...that is the biggest load of crap (and NeoCapitalist spin) I've ever seen.

"Politics is not about fairness, it is about POWER" Robert Ray on radio.

Belly...you said:

//A self interest driven power play that removes branches and members from the inner circle running the party.//

Of course...those in the Branches are never 'self interested'...right?

Carr was a gift. His gift of debt and shoddy infrastructure will be with us for decades.

Good riddance to bad rubbish!

Hopefully labor incompetence at both state and federal level will be but a bad dream next year.

sonofgloin "The other Labor states are managing just fine, as is WA."

Qld would be in massive trouble without a resurgence in mining. As it is shortly after the last election Bligh announced a number of measures to deal with the state's dire economic circumstances. Measure which had been raised by the opposition during the lead up to the election and denied by the government who at that stage claimed that the state was in good economic shape. Meanwhile charges associated with government charges are going through the roof.

Other states are not doing so well, it's just that NSW labor may have it worse.

R0bert

Shadow Minister short sharp and biased as your posts some times are.
I see you have not taken my challenge and told us what you dislike about Rabbotts team.
Watch and learn see the real story in todays polls.
Know you not on a winning nag.

R0bert, when I said the other states were doing fine, it was relative to NSW being at the bottom in the economic growth stats. I travel to most of the states, and the feeling I get is that there is more disposable income in the other states. I look at my companies figures state by state, and all states are in double figures excluding NSW.

QLD may have the same probs as NSW, and that is an incompetent government that can't do business deals and dot the I's and cross the T's. Every infrastructure project they quote ends up costing double, and quite often we pay and receive nothing. An example in point is the Sydney city to Rozelle light rail line, they worked on it for a couple of years, but the government had not turned a sod of ground when they cancelled it, no funds....It has cost us $330 million and we have nothing except reports and feasibility studies to show for our $330 million. We could have built a hospital.

In 2004 the states collectively taxed us $40 billion
In 2009 the states collectively taxed us $50 billion, that is up 25%
In 2004 the feds tax revenue was $209 billion
In 2009 the feds tax revenue was $278 billion, that is up 33%

What more can you say about incompetents.

Sorry but I have to take some of you to task.
Boazy will not be offended his self assurance will not allow him to be wrong in his mind.
Look again at the thread, my comments are there so are yours Boazy and others.
See any difference of the NSW ALP from me?
In a constructive way before a true implosion of my party I highlight why it is about to happen.
Boazy infers all the bad in the world comes from my party, the inferences Branch's are full of self interest.
Shadow just , well shadow acts like a real shadow minister, half truths far from truths and very little more.
The NSW ALP has fallen victim to rats in the ranks, after the federal Labor government before Rudd fell, on behalf of the ALP John Dela Bosca toured asking branches what went wrong.
The lesson has been lost CARR is no waster history will embrace him and his achievements my party died the day he went.
It will be re born stronger than ever AFTER it sufferers great defeat.
A greatly deserved and earned defeat.
Again can no conservative, those so easily rubbishing Labor find no fault in their team?

A further explanation of why I settle in to tell the truth is needed.
All my life I have despised rats in the ranks, those who use any party in self interest.
Those who ride into the house on the backs of say unions then betray every one starting with unions.
Good morning Mr Crean.
Not that I want a workers Paradise just a level playing Field same rules for every one.
To so dreadfully put the ALP second or third on the list after gaining power is shameful.
A former ALP leader set my party's destruction with his disturbance of leadership plans.
We have been a wreck waiting for a reef ever since he came to power.
My fellow travelers will say look at what conservatives will do to us.
Stand firm blokes, can they do worse than this mob?
Are you happy to be taken for granted?
Work so hard till polling day and be put on the shelf till needed?
My party remember put every effort in to selling its power stations, we pay increased prices so they can be sold as higher profit earners to? private Enterprise.
Bleat as much as you like but I will not stand by while my party tries to fatten its pig on electtion tion day.
Too many pigs have been eating from my partys table.
I Will be there to rebuild however.
PS Greens controlling the NSW upper house? hope so love a laugh

Wow Belly, that was brutal.......so who you gonna vote for?

There are plently of reasons not to vote for the NSW ALP this time around but I can't think of any reason to vote for O'Farrell.
Apart from cutting payroll tax what else are they offering?

If your car was playing up and you wanted to replace it, you wouldn't rush out and buy the first one you see without at least looking under the bonnet first.

Their small target strategy hasn't worked in the past and I suggest they start getting their act together very quickly.

Wobbles with respect.
I like your posts, understand we are on the same side of the fence BUT.
I worked my guts out to keep a very hard to hold seat in the last election.
Before during the campaign we saw the candidate every few hours.
We won, I had a hard day from 6 getting ready to after monitoring the count.
Have fought many honest fair battles , NEVER once seen that candidate not even a passing glance.
Only, and nothing less, pulling down and rebuilding this mess can help.
In the strangest way, this impending destruction is a tonic for my party it will return the party to mid stream not the insanity of its current path.
Do you understand wobbles this party who planned to sell our power who danced in underpants who hide criminal behavior think they can win?
Because Mr no one is unknown?
And because they think you and I have no place to go.
I have.

Belly:>>Do you understand wobbles this party who planned to sell our power who danced in underpants who hide criminal behavior think they can win?Because Mr no one is unknown? And because they think you and I have no place to go.I have.<<

Belly that is what I asked of you, with no reply. Where do you go? Vote for the Greens and you vote Labor via preference.

Belly old mate..

I am equally cynical about both sides of politics..not just the ALP.

My Bible says ALL.. ALL have sinned..not just Labour.

Carr ..just look at where he is now CEO of ENVEX the carbon trading company and he (along with connected people no doubt) stand to make a lottttttt of money if cap and trade laws are imposed on us.
http://www.envex.com.au/

I run Envex by remote control :) from my Gore bunker in the USA via my company Generation Investements and the Chicago Climate Exchange.

http://www.chicagoclimatex.com/content.jsf?id=821

DIRECTORS.
http://www.chicagoclimatex.com/content.jsf?id=67

"Maurice Strong"

sonofgloin: << Vote for the Greens and you vote Labor via preference. >>

A common misconception. It's up to voters to indicate their preferences, particularly in the case of NSW elections. "How to vote" cards distributed outside polling booths are only useful to electors who haven't bothered to do their due diligence on the candidates in their electorates.

If voters want to vote for the Greens (or any other party), there's nothing to stop them putting the ALP as their last preference.

CJ Morgan>> A common misconception. It's up to voters to indicate their preferences, particularly in the case of NSW elections. "How to vote" cards distributed outside polling booths are only useful to electors who haven't bothered to do their due diligence on the candidates in their electorates.<<

Yes CJ there is a heap I need to learn about the actual act of polling. Such as do the Greens how to vote cards direct you to a Labor preference if they preference Labor? I have voted in only one election, and that was a long long time ago.

Sticking with a theme this is an intriguing thought I stumbled on. What if the Greens split their preference votes 50/50 Liberal/Labor.
By not voting Greens second ... Labor voters will be voting for an Abbott government ... and Liberal voters would be voting for a Rudd government. Sounds like a fine solution and it announces that the Greens have reached critical mass as a third party.

AH sonofagun nooo no the thread is not about federal elections.
I will FEDERALLY, vote ALP and preference the greens, what else for a thinking voter.
Did not fully understand your question.
Thought it was a throw away remark like tell us what you really think
Greens both houses.
Preference as always used as C J Morgan said mark the squares not the party CAREFULLY.

My vote will not go to Labor in this state this time first time in my life.
I do think, true, my party is best served by time on the opposition bench's in NSW.

I have created a problem for myself in real life.
A man less than half my age on the way up has been offended by my statements.
Will I back down? not likely in fact no.
Just As I stood a kid not yet teenager beside my father on polling day at a small village Yandera is as near as I Can spell it.
And watched dad who was ready to fight but aware he could not wipe spit from his face after offering an ALP how to vote to a bigot.
I best serve the NSW ALP by reminding it, party members should pick only the best candidates.
Putting high profile but un skilled stars in is leading to idiots dropping their pants other eating with developers.
I could go on but my party needs the smack it has coming and not me but those trying to hide our failures are damaging the party.
IF every welded on ALP voter stayed loyal the fact swingers are not a chance of voting for us Will still bring our biggest ever defeat.
This self educated bush bread old fella has some advice for his party.
Yes get educated people in the house no no union officials as a reward.
Measure the worthiness of each candidate by one other measure pride and passion in the party, understanding of why our party exists and how it came about.
It is not you know a Cash cow for those WE put in power.
If I could tell of a NSW Government departments total failure to investigate contractors who are near criminals and those who gave them those contracts.
If I could highlight the Minister who will not order that investigation posters would be stunned.
The incoming government will inform us all, my promise to the victims is one day the story will come out, in full.

Well done, Belly!

"I have created a problem for myself
in real life. A man less than half
my age on the way up has been offended
by my statements."

It is unfortunate when breach of anonymity on a forum like OLO enables someone 'on the way up' (himself?) to play the man and not the ball. He may have claimed to be offended by your views, but in his focus upon his 'career' he has failed to acknowledge the full-spectrum public service, not just one to the ALP, you have performed by telling it the way you believe it to be. Much more of that 'telling it like you believe it to be' is needed right across the political spectrum throughout Australia.

The MSM seems to be selectively filtering such feedback, so forums like OLO are, apart from personal contact, one of the few places where sincerely interested political aspirants can get in touch with what people really think. After all, the offended one (presuming him to be computer-literate) could always engage you in discussion on OLO, since your real identity is an open secret. That way he could point out for all the error of you ways, should error there be.

Of course, that would mean actually engaging with the rank-and-file, wouldn't it? Perhaps that's a bit infra-dig for an 'up and coming' political aspirant. You could always invite him on to OLO, by name, to debate with you. That would also be a public service. The community at large needs to be able to judge the quality of those 'on the way up' aspirants, if only to know who to vote against. OLO is a good place to do that.

Digressing briefly, wasn't it magnificent seeing some of those long-standing rank-and-file members of the ALP leaving their hospital beds to cast their votes at the recent pre-selection for the Division of Robertson? That's the sort of 'big Australia' I like to see: big on representation, small on political dogma and career politicians.

Good job!

Thanks mate, problem is I am near the age I Can retire.
Will go past it but it remains an option.
Being bound by anothers views is not.
I push youth to the front but understand pride in our past has meaning.
My party and my country needs more who think before following.
And I confidently say this destruction Will place us on the right track and in time a better party will result.
After election day slugs will come out and say I told you so.
If they wish to help now before the smash it would not be hard to get a Harbor bridge walk going Obed and Tripoly would look good free falling in the moonlight.

In 2 hours the polls open in NSW for the state seat of Penrith.
The result is already known.
The biggest swing against Labor in its history.
Why?
Is the ALP going to learn from this?
Yes but not in the short term, it will take the trip to the trash bin we are to take next year.
I speak only of state politics Rudd warts and all will get his second term.
A few years ago ,asked to man the same national party voting booth I had for years,
Saw fresh faced City ALP foot soldiers joy filled at the impending Latham victory come after I had put the early shift in.
So full of pride in a win that never was to be.
Me? I knew the result and at 8.30 am shook the hand of the National booth captain and went home to wait for the suffering to begin.
Those manning Penrith booths for me already trashed team know too we are looking at a nightmare.
Home made fed and bred in the home of NSW ALP my faction center unity has let us down.

So why?
Bob Carr was no matter what the opposition says a great and good leader.
Our last leader in this state.
While it is federal poltics Peter Garrett is one of a huge number that while not even a party member was handed some one else's seat.
Telling branch members we do not matter.
The day I stood at conference and saw our party tell its members we did not matter reminded me of the mutiny on the bounty, who is this states ALP.
Power generation did not get sold, it will, but we pay MUCH more because my ALP betrayed us all.
Men better placed in a gangster movie run my party, it remains to people like me, bound for no glory but much trouble, to rebuild it.
one day, maybe after my work life is over I will tell of the gutless yes minister state ministers who believe a dysfunctional public service, who lie to them to save taking action.
If I lived in Penrith?
After voting green ,no other way exists for me, I would watch the footy and hide my head not in shame but in grief for my miss used party.

I am more than a little surprised as we head toward the worst ever defeat in NSW ALP history no panic has set in within the government.
Factions do not always do damage, in their hands the center unity has crafted a faction that usually kept the party in power.
Now changes have been made, far too many and the wrong ones.
If today two leading faction heads said they would leave politics at the end of this term[my preference is for prison cell]if we dumped about 5 more, including the leader.
If we put A man with a plan in place, John Dela Bosca.
If his first week was spent on his knees telling us how wrong the government was.
ALP would still inherit the opposition bench's, but in numbers above single figures.
And victory would still go to a man few know even less care about.
An indictment of my party yes but despite anything I serve my party better for seeing it as it is.

Bob Carr was wise to abandon ship as the consequences of his policies became apparent. Rudd waited too long. I wish more labor leaders would follow his lead before Australia follows the lead of NSW.

The basket case known as the NSW ALP has nothing to do with federal politics.
Much more to do with feral politics.
It exists at some times in all party's ,yours too Shadow Minister.
Carr is very much a Hero of the party, history shows ALP has ruled this state more often than not.
For this reason I hold the filth accountable, not all but too many are an insult to my party.
Personal GREED , self interest and promotion has for a time destroyed my party.
After the smash we will be stronger than ever but much pain must come first.
Shadow Minister I invite you again to tell us of your party's miss deeds, inform us how many Howard Ministers had to leave, got stood down, or never did despite the clear evidence they should be,tell us of your foolish man gun in hand who flew to Iraq, had photos taken looking so silly.
Your blind side to your party's ills is not helping them.