Individual "Never mind the Labor pollies,"

Not real concerned for them, none are likely to fall on genuinely hard times as a result of being tossed out of office.

I am interested in who gains from Julia staying on as PM longer.

I don't think it helps the coalition, it may if all goes smoothly help them pick up a few more seats but the real test for them won't be this election, it will be the one after. The longer the election is delayed the bigger the mess they have to clean up and cleaning up messes tends to make coalition governments unpopular.

It's unlikely to help Labor, an optimist might be hoping that Abbott stuffs up in a way that changes the election outcome but that's a long shot. He's not done well enough to become personally popular over the last few years but neither has he made himself unelectable despite a very strong personal campaign aimed in his direction. It's more likely that delaying the election with Julia as leader will just makes the election a bigger disaster for Labor.

The only ones I see gaining as they are the ones most likely to pick dissatisfied Labor supporters as Labor implodes. Some of them might vote Liberal during this election but when they want to go back to the left the more damaged the Labor brand the better for the Greens to have a chance of getting some of them.

I've noticed that a significant portion of those on OLO telling us what a great job Julia is doing also say they don't vote for Labor or the Libs and I doubt that they vote for Katter.

R0bert

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4581706.html
This link is of interest.
It even stoops to let Latham get a say.
He brilliant man he once was, did nothing to understand the party, its factions and knew nothing of Unions.
How many know?
Some will but not the most, knowing and understanding is unneeded for some,however.
Latham/Gillard/ and Crean three failures, each as surely linked to the other two, still.
Link has poll a different and interesting one.
I truly wounder, true, why do people think I wear the sack cloth and ashes publicly about my party.
I may have owned suits, but never was other than a bloke.
Let me be honest, suits think they can mount the stump,like a bantam rooster leave the little pile on the stump and leave, content they have been heard.
Frustrating , but my job was to hear those other blokes and women, members, tell me what they truly thought, but in the end I at least got membership forms.
Average Aussie wants nothing to do with the Comrades, the chances of more than 5% singing solidarity forever are nil.
Yet they are willing to join unions but not the ALP.
CHANGE AND REFORM WILL TURN THAT AROUND.
as HEADLINES threaten me, this morning, threat my party,s instant near death! CREAN AS leader? no please we have suffered enough.
Tell me.answer my question, why are we outside ICAC in Sydney screaming for blood in the thousands?
Why are we intent on our own defeat by keeping Gillard safe in the arms of one union, my lifetime union.
Are we in training? to sing solidarity forever as we scuttle the ALP under the weight of suits who are out of touch with membership and reality?

RObert you have tempted me to respond to your post.
Some things I need too to say.
First I would return to my job, as union official without pay if the chance came.
HSU and the actions of some, even in right wing unions, are not the average, and I know my past mates think as I do about both.
But at the hot end of unionism, away from the factory floor, few under stand, or have even heard, members threaten to resign if they are addressed as comrades again!
A day will come that sees unions grow, taking the opportunity to recruit even conservatives, as sure as I am here.
After however reform,s distance both ALP and its birth parents unions.
Currently Union heads, not members, took Rudd down, and back a once so far left woman you needed help to see that far.
Been to the races? have a bet? Gillards form looks like the clerk of the causes horse and she will follow the Ambulance home in the big one.
But reforms will result,and my inside detractors, may their lieing mouths weld shut! will say they always knew it would be so.
Detractors in party and union, not here.

did nothing to understand the party,
Belly,
If you really were to look at the situation & think you'd find that Latham had too much integrity for your party hence his being crucified.
That's the difference you don't comprehend, party- people not party people.

Why is the ALP backing Gillard?

It's obviously not because her untrustworthiness nor her gift for creating crisis after crisis, it has more to do with the complete lack of a viable alternative.

Rudd who is the most popular is tainted both by his incompetence in governing and the vilification by Juliar's supporters.

The alternatives are Shorten Crean and Smith. All political light weights with little public backing.

Juliar has driven HMAS ALP onto the iceberg, and no one is stupid enough to take the helm on the way to the bottom.

SM, you have omitted any mention of Bob Carr?

He is Labor’s third most popular potential leader and is a political ‘heavyweight’ compared to the ‘lightweights’ you mentioned.

I think your omission of him, while mentioning every other possible leader, is very telling.

<< …it has more to do with the complete lack of a viable alternative. >>

The only reason why he is not a viable alternative is apparently because he just doesn’t want the job. If he did, I reckon he’d be their man, for sure…. and he’d be in the position within a couple of days!

Crikey, I can see Labor making the worst possible choice going for a return to KRudd!

Heavens above, I hope Bob sees the folly in that and puts his name forward if they are heading in that direction!