I voted Labor in the unwinnable election that Keating won. I found his gloating more honest than the humility politicians adopt after they have won an election. "I am humbled by..." What nonsense! My dictionary defines to humble as to defeat decisively or to bring bring down in power or status. The loser is humbled not the winner. Then Keating spoiled it. He called it a victory for the true believers. I don't like being called a true believer. I voted Labor because I thought at that time they were better than the alternative.

....They will stand on shaky feet.

Yes Belly, and who fault is that.

This mess your lot have caused is goimg to be a very painful hole to dig ourselves out from, and nom doubt labor die hards will play the blame game, much like the one QLD labor are trying to bring on.

If only Julia had accepted defeat three years ago.

Dear rehctub,

If you were in a contest and there was a chance of winning would you accept defeat? I wouldn't, and I wouldn't expect it of anyone else.

SOG thanks, Lexi Hawky/Keiting/history already agrees with me, they warts and all, stand tall.
Whitlam, know it is not the right spelling, had to do his best, before being elected.
He had to drag the party and its faceless men in to this century.
He never achieved as much as both former ones but had an intellect of giant proportions, pity his ego was often not understood.
I need to clear up this, I am not insider in Party or union.
It was always my wish to serve and include union members, not promote myself.
And my party ? branches are in my area, unwelcomeing!
But as a campaigner I am far more active than most, of the self promoters I mean.
A sure and visible sign is there for those who gave birth to.
The total deception, that Rudd was the one bringing discontent to the party is there.
Shorten looked more concerned than normal on tv last night.
He once was a craftsman when speaking in public.
*If only Rudd had taken his chance at a double dissolution election 12 months before his knifing!
He would in all eyes, be the great man I know he is.
He is now gone, no chance he will return.

Ending the war on Rudd, with in the government may help.
IF it has, and I doubt it, opens the eyes of those who knifed him, and those who supported that action.
However had Rudd never been born Labors trouble would have still taken place, sooner rather than later.
Great policy,s, Labor is the birth place of change, mixed with Gillards gut busting belly flops.
The confrontation, party and its birth parent Unions has not yet taken place.
Mum and dad still claim the ALP to be their child, to do with as they will.
Australia will never except that.
Post September, a reality will emerge, that both must travel different paths, or both could die.
I think unions should fund the ALP, but if it says they then own it, let us fund it with chook raffles down at the pub.
Those claiming Labor dogged on the working class by becoming more Mainstream may care to comment on its right forcing defeat on us rather than give up control of the party..

Lexi>> Just curious.
Who do you think was a truly great Labor PM?<<

Lexi let us not talk exclusively about achievements but more so the philosophy of old Labor as opposed to new Labor that came with Whitlam and continues today.

John Curtain’s words are the ones I have always embraced as the reason the ALP existed.
“Our movement is one for humanity, not one for material gain.”
A great old Labor sentiment, but new centralist Labor wants corporate and pleb, you can’t have both, one must submit to the other.

Jim Scullin fought for Federal Arbitration and an increase on import tariffs to protect our domestic economy.
New Labor under Whitlam slashed tariffs in his first year of office leading to a 30% rise in imports that year, the beginning of the demolition of our economy and betrayal of the working class.

Old Labor founded the Commonwealth Bank and the Commonwealth Shipping Line, new Labor sold them off.

As I said to you on another thread Lexi my belle, if this new Labor suits you, so be it, it does not suit me.