ALP needs fresh start
The Australian Labor Party is not in good shape. In fact, it's become a joke. They've been in opposition for a decade. It's as though the ALP has firmly established itself as an organisation that sits on the Speaker's left in parliament. The Speaker's right has never seemed further away than now.
Beazley needs to go. And in a way, it saddens me to say it. He came oh-so-close to victory in 1998, and was doing well the second time around until Tampa reared its head in '01. This third time around, he looks pretty pathetic. I try to imagine Kim giving his victory speech in 2007. I keep trying... I try harder... I keep seeing a concession speech. Kim Beazley will not win the next election. At least not at this rate.
I won't harp on about Julia Gillard. I've mentioned her in previous posts. I'm hoping that she will be the next leader of the Labor Party. And I hope that will be very soon, and not as a result of Beazley being burned at the stake after another election loss. Here are two really good recent articles about Gillard:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/julias-not-got-what-it-takes-balls/2006/03/13/1142098401951.html
&
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18415654%255E7583,00.html
Phillip Adams, of whom I am a great fan and avid reader, is backing Kevin Rudd. I agree that he's probably the brightest that Labor's got, and I wouldn't be disappointed if he did indeed rise to the leadership. Here is Adams' most recent pro-Rudd column:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18368637%255E12272,00.html
Australia needs an alternative.
posted by Anthony Stoddart @ 5:57 PM
5 Comments:
At Tue Mar 14, 05:36:00 PM,
Mikey_Capital said…
Alas the trouble is that neither Rudd or Gillard are well liked within caucus enough for Beazo to step down. Rudd did the right thing by staying mum on this, and Gillard did the right thing by ripping off a scabby bandaid to say the factions system sucks.
I am a member of the ALP (since October 2004) and fortunately here in the ACT those not in factions rule the roost - with Stanhope non aligned. And long may it stay that way.
You're right. Kim got close in 98 (50.1% of the two party vote in fact) but he got rolled on Tampa.
But he's a smart man, a brilliant orator, who alas has been targetted by the media as a soon to be gone leader. Much like Simon Creen - who on all accounts is a lovely bloke well liked by federal members. He had to go because he just wasn't electable.
But even with ratings as low as 27%, uncle Kim is still doing better than Howard was when he was an opposition leader - at 18%.
I hope Kim sticks in. And I hope the media give him a chance. I've sat in the public gallery and watched him speak, laying out policy the ALP would bring to government if it were elected. Perhaps three media were there, and four government members. And it was the best speech I have heard in my life.
But alas for Kim. At the moment he's the tree in the forest who falls and no one hears because no one is there.
At Tue Mar 14, 09:22:00 PM,
Anthony Stoddart said…
I would agree that he is smart. He is, of course, a Rhodes Scholar. I for one haven't seen any evidence of his brilliance in oratory, though he can be quite effective during Question Time.
As far as giving him a chance, hasn't he been given adequate chance from both the media and the public already? I mean, it will be his third attempt if he is leader at the next election.
At Wed Mar 15, 08:00:00 PM,
Sarah said…
Kevin Rudd is making every effort to put himself out there with attacks on the government. I've always held the view that Beazley is a coward when it comes to leading attacks on the government, the Tampa merely being the most shameful example because of the human cost involved. I think I've previously been dismissive of Rudd because to me he comes across as the highschool goodygoody with something to prove. But that didn't stop Howard from being in power for 10 years.
My preference would be to see Julia Gillard- as PM!
At Thu Mar 16, 05:43:00 PM,
Kate said…
Julia Gillard has written in to The Australian today, responding to the Albrechtsen article:
'AMONGST an extraordinary outpouring of senseless bile, Janet Albrechtsen ("Why Julia Gillard will never be PM", Opinion, 15/3) claims that in 2003, in the lead-up to the 2004 ALP national conference, I was asked to draft Labor's immigration policy. She claims that I returned to the Labor sub-committee dealing with the matter, my draft was rejected within an hour and a new policy imposed on me.
This is completely untrue. Indeed, it is so wrong as to be laughable.
I wrote Labor's immigration policy in 2002. It was launched in December 2002. It was my own work and I remain proud of it. I worked with a shadow cabinet sub-committee and it was a terrific sounding board. At no point was a policy imposed on me. Everything the sub-committee considered was written by me.
In 2003, I became Labor's health spokeswoman. I was not even Labor's immigration spokeswoman in 2003 in the lead-up to the 2004 national conference.
I would also like to record the fact that despite Albrechtsen's assertions to the contrary, I am a strong supporter of the American alliance and had the opportunity in January this year to visit the US and meet with officials to discuss furthering the alliance.
Whatever Albrechtsen set out to prove with her article, the only thing she has proved is that she will never be a quality commentator.'
Julia Gillard
Opposition health spokeswoman
I think it is ridiculous to suggest that the ALP would be any worse off now if Gillard was leading, rather than Beazley. At least under Gillard we'd have some sense of what Labor stood for and a leader not afraid to lead.
At Fri Mar 17, 07:24:00 PM,
Sarah said…
Yeah, try and beat 18% 'preferred PM' ratings. The only reason Julia Gillard won't be PM is that she appears to have genuine convictions that she will stand by even to the detriment of her own career (although she is a politician, and I am a cynic...). And she's a woman. She might have a shot at becoming opposition leader, but not PM. I wouldn't hold my breath for either.
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