Dear Belly,

Thanks for replying.

In my opinion Bob Hawke was the best Labor PM.
He had heart.

Dear SOG,

I appreciate your sentiments.

I recognise the mess that Labor is in currently.
However, what's the alternative?

I have to vote for the party that I feel will
not cut things that my family needs. I don't
earn a six figure salary.

Lexi I too have a soft spot for Bob...take a peek at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzfdCPx5lAM

I don't have a soft spot for Bob. At a time of tension between India and Pakistan he sold Mystere jets to Pakistan for $25M increasing the stresses in the region and jeopardising a $960M annual trade with India. He also supported the blockade against Bougainville by PNG which was condemned by the UN. It caused possibly 10,000 deaths by preventing medical supplies to flow to Bougainville. The patrol boats which were carrying out the blockade were made by ASI (Australian Shipbuilding Industries) many of whose workers lived in Bomber Beazley's district in Western Australia. Pilots on detached duty with NZ and Australian military manned the helicopters operating on Bougainville. Hawke was a hawk.

....If only Rudd had taken his chance at a double dissolution election 12 months before his knifing!

Belly, Rudd wasn't game, as he knew he would get flogged, as a direct response to the incompetence of the party he led.

Remember, he, along with his deputy (now PM) opened our borders, resided over a failed policy that cost four young lives and went to Cooenhargen looking for a trophy, where the bowl of soup was about $85.00.

Tax payers look for stability and value for money, and Rudd didn't deliver either.

SOG I beg to differ, new Labor has not yet been born, it will arrive soon, as a result of this current mass suicide.
Rechtub, I am not trying to provoke you, but without reserve saying what I think.
*The subject is beyond your understanding*
A fact we are forced to confront, Labor by its own internal behavior is now unelectable.
True believers do not outnumber those who will not vote for Labor/Gillard.
But hidden from view, in the shadow of Labors wrongs is a party just as bad,lead by a leader maybe in power even worse Liberal/Abbott.
Nothing can be done,our last chance was far more popular than both,but hated by the few, who sold the ALP in to long term opposition.
And sit,contentedly! thinking Abbott/Liberals will be bad enough to make Australia forget them!
Labor HAD NO CHOICE it had to thanks to my 3 Prime Ministers, get to electable policy's, it did not flee from its roots, it moved with them.
Now torn and dirty from its INTERNAL lack of harmony it must become new Labor.
A party not controlled as was England,s by it Trades hall/union heads.
After all if unions had all the answers, why can they not[without change] lift membership?
Change for them must include cuts in overheads such as 3 branches in one state.

SOG I beg to differ, new Labor has not yet been born,
Belly,
It hasn't even been conceived yet & when it does let's pray it's a test tube baby devoid of all the bad genes.