Two weeks on

[Pessimistic]

Howard and Crean have announced their respective 'teams'.

As a Labour supporter (did you guess) I thought this might have been Howard's chance to pick plenty of fresh talent to renew his party (the pre-tampa polls showing that unless he can find another issue they will be 'creamed' at the next election). He seemed to pick one or two (notably in Health and Education, two areas where labour made some headway) but talk of some political considerations getting in the way might mean his opportunity is now past.

Crean on the other hand seems to have picked many new faces and this might be crucial in seeming more advanced come the next election. The perception certainly is that he has. Howard and Crean are the only prominent faces from before Hawke/Keating and perhaps politics is about to enter a new era

 

[dees01]

Why should the government change many of its positions when the people they had won them a third term.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

spoken like a true conservative dees01

"if it ain't broke - don't fix it "

yeah but you guys will never admit to anything being broken in the first place ...

 

[Pessimistic]

Melbourne made the GF in 1999, why bother drafting new talent....

What I meant to say is I was glad that howard didn't as it will make it easier for a fresh team at labour to take them on. There was always more poor performers than Bronwyn in the govt.

Fishnet stockings anyone ?

"you only die once"

"ansett a 'blip' on the horizon"

and of course mr 'invisible beard' Kemp

 

[CJH]

Didn't Howard bias his cabinent against Costello supporters. Protecting himself from a knife in the back?

 

[The Hitman]

Originally posted by Pessimistic
Melbourne made the GF in 1999

Hitter races to check history books...

Er...hang on...



The Hitman

 

[Dippers Donuts]

Whilst I'm not 100% sure about Crean; as a True Believer (whoever would have guessed!!) I am prepared to give him a go and support him.

He has already made some excellent changes to the shadow ministry. It's good to see Mark Latham back on the shadow ministry benches. He's been wasted up the back for too long. Likewise Kevin Rudd and Craig Emerson are very smart policy wise and that's where Labor has been sorely lacking.

It was also good to see that the greatest labor dud I have ever seen (no not Cheryl) Con Sciacca was finally given the boot. What a dill he was.

I'm a big rap for Carmen Lawrence, she will be an asset. If circumstances were different she would make an excellent PM. Impossible now I suppose after the hatchet job that chinless wonder Richard Court did on her.

I see Kerry O'brien is the new primary industries shadow minister!! Onya Kez, welcome home mate!!

 

[Pessimistic]

Some people wonder why Petrou Giorgiou is not in there. He clearly has a lot of talent....

I think it's a missed opportunity, but I'm not exacltly sad

 

[Captain Sensible]

Its interesting that Howard has begun to turn on his own.

It looks like he has started to believe his own press and believe in his own infallability. I'm sure that the party wont let this go on for too long, but I dont think they realise that Howard would rather bring the whole ediface down than go quietly.

 

[Dr AlfAndrews]

Originally posted by Rohan_
Crean has admitted the unions stuffed Labors chances at the elections. They are ruining the Labor partys ability to deliver good economic management like the Liberals.

Labor will only get lost ground by limiting the unions power.

The tail of your logic is wagging the dog, Rohan.

The unions are sacking Labor because Labor does not represent them any more. Bit by bit, the union movement is turning to the Greens and other left wing parties. And rightly so.

Because the Labor Party is now just the minority faction in the ruling Tweedle-Dee-and Tweedle-dum Party of Australia. They are completely irrelevant because they are chasing the same conservative constituency that the Liberals represent.

It's obvious that the Liberal-Labor government will be in power for a long time to come, whichever faction dominates. It's going to be a long haul for the Left.

But be warned ... all you smug conservatives ... we are coming back strong.

The Green vote in inner Melbourne was very strong ... and will continue to grow. The unions have been crucified by the Liberal-Labor government ever since that traitor, Bob Hawke began the process with the now-infamous Accord. But the seeds of a revival of unionism are becoming apparent as more and more Australian workers find themselves working as sweated labour for uncaring arrogant bosses, with no protection of their interests.

It's gunna change ... I'm here to tell you ... the pendulum is gunna swing right back.

You can't treat people like crap and get away with it forever.

And all your Peter Reith/Tony Abbott anti-union legislation won't be worth a pinch of manure when the revived union movement gets rolling.

You're gunna lose, Rohan ... You're gunna lose.

**Power To The People**

 

[Frodo]

Originally posted by Dippers Donuts

I'm a big rap for Carmen Lawrence, she will be an asset. If circumstances were different she would make an excellent PM. Impossible now I suppose after the hatchet job that chinless wonder Richard Court did on her.

What rubbish is that???????? Carmen was found to be as dishonest as possible, despite her 'not remembering' most of what happenned as WA premier. She is a loathesome liability to the Labour party...and unfortunately my MP.

 

[Frodo]

Originally posted by Rohan_
Crean has admitted the unions stuffed Labors chances at the elections. They are ruining the Labor partys ability to deliver good economic management like the Liberals.

Labor will only get lost ground by limiting the unions power.

This is very true. It is not only the perception of the public but the reality that Labour represents the unions and not the people. This will always be a limiting factor in votes cast for Labour and needs changing more along the lines of Tony Blair in England. Yes it brings Labour more to middle of the road policies and sensible industrial relations policies like secret ballots before strikes but the reality is that many more people would vote Labour and they would win government for more than just one term.

Take the Gallop WA government. They won power and have persued radical left wing policies and lied through their teeths. Next election they are 'gone'. They are hated. Is that what federal labour wants? Nope, I think a long term plan is a much better idea with a minimum three terms a realistic goal.

 

[Dr AlfAndrews]

There's no point winning power if you have to sell out your principles to do so. The Blair government in Britain doesn't have the right to call itself a Labour government. Tony Blair is just Maggie Thatcher with a friendly face.

The 2 party system is a sham. It's really a one party system with 2 competing factions ... and it's kept in place by the mass media. I don't care who wins the elections any more ... the real fight happens elsewhere ... and it happens slowly.

 

[madboy]

Originally posted by The Hitman


Hitter races to check history books...

Er...hang on...



The Hitman

Didn't you know this, Hitter? It was quite an accomplishment for the Dees, having finished 14th after the Home and Away season! (Pessimistic: you meant Season 2000, didn't you?)

 

[Dippers Donuts]

Originally posted by Frodo


What rubbish is that???????? Carmen was found to be as dishonest as possible, despite her 'not remembering' most of what happenned as WA premier. She is a loathesome liability to the Labour party...and unfortunately my MP.

Keep spinning Tory boy...

A jury of her peers found Lawrence not guilty of giving false evidence at the Easton royal commission. Simple as that - no question of dishonesty at all.

The real criminal in this messy business was Richard Court, the idiot son of the West Australian elite, for his shameless squandering of taxpayers money in his pursuit of Lawrence.

Yes, it is unfortunate that you are one of her constituents...

 

[Frodo]

Originally posted by Dippers Donuts


Keep spinning Tory boy...

A jury of her peers found Lawrence not guilty of giving false evidence at the Easton royal commission. Simple as that - no question of dishonesty at all.

The real criminal in this messy business was Richard Court, the idiot son of the West Australian elite, for his shameless squandering of taxpayers money in his pursuit of Lawrence.

Yes, it is unfortunate that you are one of her constituents...

In all honesty she escaped by claiming she couldn't remember anything... a legal ploy...but everyone in WA knew she was guilty.

ohhhhh....and I voted Labour 3 times in my life........how many times have you voted Liberal? Change the union control of Labour and I may vote for them again. I was certainly tempted in the WA alection as I agreed strongly with Labours 1 person 1 vote platform. My upbringing was in a coal mining village and my Father a union convenor, but that was when unions were about people and not politics.

 

[Dippers Donuts]

Originally posted by Frodo


In all honesty she escaped by claiming she couldn't remember anything... a legal ploy...but everyone in WA knew she was guilty.

ohhhhh....and I voted Labour 3 times in my life........how many times have you voted Liberal? Change the union control of Labour and I may vote for them again. I was certainly tempted in the WA alection as I agreed strongly with Labours 1 person 1 vote platform. My upbringing was in a coal mining village and my Father a union convenor, but that was when unions were about people and not politics.

Right...like everyone in WA knows who the Claremont serial killer is

I was tempted to vote Liberal once but broke out in a nasty rash and was forced to retire to my bed for a week...

 

[mantis]

Originally posted by Frodo


In all honesty she escaped by claiming she couldn't remember anything... a legal ploy...but everyone in WA knew she was guilty.

Not everyone.

 

[Frodo]

Originally posted by mantis



Not everyone.

I bet