Neither of the major parties have our interests at heart.They would sell their mothers for an extra vote.It is time for a new political party Belly.

Aime and Arjay have echoed my thoughts.

Belly the ALP have the potential to do so much more but will they, after their big conference, revisit their roots and egalitarian values. As Aime states the ALP, like the Conservative parties have got into bed with vested interests and have forgotten who they represent.

To be fair many politicians do believe getting into bed with big business is the way to best serve the electorates but they are just plain wrong. Big business do not have the interests of the citizenry at heart and they don't represent anyone but their own interests.

Trouble is there is no real leadership in either party. It was painful watching Joe Hockey respond to the Budget. More opposition for opposition's sake with no real meaty analysis of the Budget and offering better alternatives. The Liberals have no better alternative. They cannot even cost their own offerings.

You would think a Labor Party with a high membership from the union movement would stand for something but alas many of them are perpetuating the same neo-liberal line and have become careerists first and representatives last.

The ALP can learn from their failures but will they? From a once committed Labor voter there needs to be a major overhaul of values including reviewing Australia's place in a globalised world.

The ALP just needs to grow a spine and stick with some of the better policies like the Murray Darling Basin Plan, Sustainable Population and the Mining Tax. These policies, among others, have been watered down under pressure from big interest groups.

For my penny's worth, the test should be integrity and like Aime said bowing to big companies like Monsanto, Big Tobacco (watch them pressure the ALP out of plain packaging) or issues around food labelling are just some examples where the government (both parties) fail miserably.

I would love the ALP to regroup and get rid of the Keating baggage but are they sufficiently motivated to replace the spin with substance.

Well I do not agree Pelican, never ever could find common ground with the rude and crudeness of Aime.
Nor the lost nature of our proud ex prison in mate.
Yes Labor is different than it was in 1955, 1965, 1970, but it was in opposition in those years.
We have had new party's arjay,you must remember the promise of the Democrats.
The brief flickering flame that was one nation.
We see the greens,once bound for higher sliding to wards a sidelined shell.
Labors adoption of even harder than Howard's off shore refugees answer tells us much.
I have different wants and wishes than my party's mainstream.
Cheaper solar power for any one who wants it but no profit making pay backs.
A form of work not the dole for every unemployed person.
End the baby bonus but no tax on food clothing and education for new children.
Carbon? ETS Nuclear power[Japan built on sand we will not]
UNIONISTS they do not control the ALP few are members except in QLD a very good leader has his members in branches no other can.
Now you see My views are different,I could add more,but my party is the ALP not the Belly's dream team.
It and only it, can be elected instead of conservatives.
No new party can do more than take votes from one or the other,give power to the other side.
Labor can not drift away from middle Australia and not give us an opposition government.
Why would we send people back to a country not part of the UN convention?
Because folks people,voters, demand it.
Some would gladly sink those boats at sea.
If we are to change the things we can we must except those we can not.
And remember always membership of a party is no assurance you will get every thing but rest assured if you look across those parliamentary isles you will see why your vote is important.

"Well I do not agree Pelican, never ever could find common ground with the rude and crudeness of Aime."

I might be a little rude at times Belly when I feel I've been hard done by, but Crude? Crikey Belly. Some have said I have the attributes of Mary McKillop, but typical of many members of the ALP (who probably still get around the race tracks breaking legs) you dismissed me before you had the chance to get to know me.

I was sort of hoping you might address some of the points I made so we could then go on to finding some middle ground. That's how I work Belly. Toss a cat amongst the pigeons, then work with the other party to get it out.

I wrote (paper) letter after letter to the ALP expressing my concerns of where some of their policies were heading, yet even as a member I got no response, no recognition at all, so I did the honourable thing and resigned. All they seemed to want from me was my yearly membership fee.

You shot the messenger Belly and left me with the impression that you're typical of Labor Party heavies or a want-to-be. If you don't like the message you're hearing, then dismissal is your order of the day and your stance has further reinforced the notion that the ALP are a party of power hungry union thugs that only hear what they want to hear. I will have no association or contact with the ALP or it's members again!

Belly

I went back and read Aime's original post - if you think that's being rude and crude - what the hell do you make of some of the other posters on OLO?

Agree with the points that Pelican and Aime made, although have to admit that it is difficult for Labor "to grow a spine" in a minority government with so many riding Gillard's back.

For me to change my vote from Greens to Labor at the next election - the Labor party had better return to its roots and gotten on with governing FOR people and not the whims of big business.

What Ammonite said : )