Lexi, all, I too remember those days but not with rose colored glasses.
Politics has always been rough those, but we did debate each other.
I understand, based on much more than media reports what went wrong.
Kevin Rudd, so very full of promise, he in 2007 did a John Howard.
He bought Liberal voters with him.
In the end he manufactured his own WORK CHOICES and again copied Howard.
He and only he, did that turned our hopes in to a bursting water filled balloon.
Behind him stood not just Australia's First female Prime minister, but the Julia Gillard I always knew would fail.
Look at her history, forget the left wing Lawyer, she shed that decades ago.
See her close roll in the Simon Crean Mark Latham debacles, see today a man unfit to be in the house.
Fitzgibbon, remember his trips paid for by China and gifts, but never forget he, like Gillard sat at the feet of another empty balloon Latham.
Today.midst a plan to reform my party the ALP, factions/self interest/ It is my party groups!
Yes apparent owners of my lifetime movement, having installed a leader who can not ever win, want first not to say, I was wrong.
So while Shorten/Combet/even a returned and chastened Rudd could do better we, are ruled not by Gillard but self interest within the ALP.
We once proud of our mateship are growing apart, some are going far too far in debate,seemingly a conservative can go that little bit further than us filth the left.
Continued

The ALP government can not be re elected.
Some will talk to me of a wise electorate not being fooled, no such electorate ever existed in any country.
Except our fate.
So what now for Labor, not all doom and gloom.
NSW fell at the hands of truth filth/fools/self interest and factions.
After our scheduled train wreck, we can look back then and see this party, inhabiting the ground once the property of Sir Robert Menzies, even in part John Howard failed for many reasons.
It failed to sell its wins, it was brave enough to internally settle old scores with Rudd.
But too COWARDLY to consider telling the voters why.
It looks,and well it may,at true deception rag tag policy's and actions from the opposition, but thinks with out basis the average Aussie knows this.
Labor will rebuilt on the soil it must, the grave yard of once Liberal policy.
And the new ground of innovation and change our ground always change comes from Labor
Its fall is driven by yesterdays Ghosts, the extreme left the moderate left Greens.
A dream has developed,The Alice in wounder land view that the minority left can drive our car.
Just get in the back shut the door and shut up.
New Labor,one day back in office after Abbott's two victory's the second a DD, will have cast of its fear of the loss of ten votes to the greens and understand they drive 30 to vote conservative.
Government with guts knows you just can not govern for minority's factions dreamers.
A leader brave enought to take the steering wheel and dump the passengers will be much loved.
continued.

Lexi in a post above spoke of former days here, I cast a doubt on some parts of those days.
We did handle debate much better, maybe I did not.
Before Rudd, we did not find as many reasons to differ.
Now? I under stand the anger, but sorry GY you know how much I love this place, I think a conservative gets more room to be rude here than one of us filthy left do.
I do not post in anger but find the thought, of lining 12.000 public servants,and I think they mostly vote conservative and are useless!
Up and shooting them?
Deporting Labor voters to Nehru, taxing us to death, being unaustralian for voting labor.
Are we a kinder garden yard full of kids?
KerryAnne I have to address,it is unwise but called for.
I have had a look last night at the yabby thread and the site in general, surely you pale, the animal welfare group there are not advancing your case.
I hope you get well.
I have had my talk with GY via e mail will continue to try , and continue to in my view see a freedom for some to behave badly.
After Conservatives take government, after Labor get sits bills past and falls,does any one think the standard of debate will improve.
A split in my country's unity has taken place.
I hope the better on both sides can one day heal it but promoting hate talk will not do it.
Belly
Proud to be an Australian Labor voter.
PS antiseptic if it ever gets to court I wish to be of help to you have given evidence in many and some one must stand with you, do not however be baited, that is a tactic.

Thanks Belly, but I don't think that will be necessary.

Dear Belly, re your post 'Labor should not be elected again'
Why not?, you seem to forget that we live in a healthy Democracy, just because you and others are dissatisfied, doesn't mean that the current Government should not be re-elected.
I personally wouldn't vote for Mr. Abbott, but that doesn't mean I make sweeping statements which might offend others who are Liberal/Other Party supporters. If I elect a certain Member who I think might do well, I will, if he/she doesn't come up to scratch, I will vote him/her out at the next election, that, I think is proper Democracy, it is not our right to tell others that they 'chose' the wrong person/party.
Cheers,
NSB

NSB

>> it is not our right to tell others that they 'chose' the wrong person/party. <<

What would Shadow Minister do then? The man clearly needs a hobby.