Democracy v. Party ‘democracy’

Monday, 7 May 2012    

So far the Australian Labor Party has been resistant to thoroughgoing reform. The problem here isn’t ideology — the ALP has never been an ideological party — it’s power.

Bruce Hawker The Australian 26 April 2012

The shenanigans at the HSU may be in extremis, but they highlight several things that go beyond just one union. Read more …

Crumbling from within – an update

Tuesday, 1 May 2012    

Here we go again. Except this time it’s different.

Labor’s problem is not sleaze, but a lack of political authority. Gillard’s weekend move has just made that worse. Read more …

The problem of the “political cycle”

Sunday, 8 April 2012    

It’s about now, after a spectacular Labor defeat, that this blog should be joining other “progressive” blogs to post a “whither Labor?” piece and opening up a forum for suggestions on how Labor can recover … going back to base … core values … party reform … more say for members … hum-te-dum-de-dum. Read more …

There is no cycle

Monday, 26 March 2012    

Just as after last year’s NSW result, there was an astounding gap between the unprecedented result on Saturday and the banal reasons given for it. The best that some came up with was that maybe some polices like the sale of state assets was not that popular but otherwise it was part of the political cycle given Labor has been in so long.

Given that we haven’t been here before, exactly which cycle are they talking about? Read more …

It’s a political crisis, not a problem of media ethics

Monday, 19 March 2012    

Just as after the 2010 election, the Labor leadership challenge has resulted in another bout of media self-flagellation. Yet just as after the 2010 election, once again what is an obvious break-down in the political system is being turned into a problem of media ethics. Read more …

An (almost) classic Labor power play

Wednesday, 7 March 2012    

They've still got it - sort of.

NSW Labor would have loved to see Bob Carr in the Senate. Unfortunately his answer to us is still no.

– Twitter last Tuesday by Sam Dastyari – NSW Right general secretary.

Just signed Bob Carr’s nomination form for the ALP Senate pre-selection – Awesome!

– Twitter last Friday by Paul Howes – NSW Right union hack.

The NSW Right is the group that gives Labor governments strength, stability and campaigning ability. When the NSW Right is weak, so is the party.

– Mark Arbib at a NSW Right do this week.

There were two limitations of the Australian media exposed by its coverage of the events of the last fortnight. First it has a tendency to get tangled up into the events to the point where it thinks its own reaction constitutes a political event in itself. Secondly, it tends to mystify what are the normal internal workings of political parties. This is not an intellectual problem of journalists. It simply reflects the way that the media is being used by an increasingly dysfunctional political system to conduct even its most internal functions. Read more …

There is no third candidate

Monday, 27 February 2012    

Why is John Faulkner supporting a psychotic wrecker of the ALP?

There is now a widespread expectation in the media that Gillard will win today but that this will not settle things and that she will be dumped, possibly for a third candidate, before the next election. There is no reason to believe that this scenario would not be possible.

But what would be the point? Any third candidate would start off in a weaker position than even Gillard did, so why we should they fare any better? Read more …

There is no “People Power”

Saturday, 25 February 2012    

Who is this guy?

This is not Celebrity Big Brother.

J Gillard yesterday

OK, when this blog said Labor was now going into its zone, it wasn’t expecting it would be quite so far down its own rabbit hole. Read more …

Catalyst

Thursday, 23 February 2012    

Rudd has two advantages going for him in his challenge to the Labor leadership: one inevitable, one contingent.

What is inevitable is that the faction system and the power structures of the ALP that he has pitched himself against are on their way out. Read more …

The Piping Shrike guide to the coming leadership crisis

Monday, 20 February 2012    

We will unleash bloody vengeance on all of those who brought this vampire back to life.

One Gillard supporter

What we’ve learnt is there’s no amount of damage that Kevin Rudd isn’t prepared to inflict on Labor to regain the prime ministership.

… and another

OK, this is going to get messy. As a public service, therefore, The Piping Shrike is delighted to publish a handy cut-out ‘n’ keep guide to what’s coming up. Read more …