http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/08/08/territory-labor-is-a-safe-bet/ now with extra source Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:29:37 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/08/08/territory-labor-is-a-safe-bet/#comment-4017 John James Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-4017 "Second term state Labor governments have so far been invulnerable.." Well this one sure wasn't! As I write the result is still in doubt though Labor may just scrape back home. First Gippsland,now this. This was a referendum on the NT Intervention and Labor's response to it, or lack thereof.<br />I should think WA Labor will be scrutinising this result carefully and girding themselves for a battle. Again, while this was a state battle, there are some messages for federal Labor also. <br />I saw Julia Gillard on ABC Insiders talking about an "unworldliness" to some of the criticism of 'Grocerywatch'<br />Long will I remember the photo of Julia in her kitchen taken during her stint as Labor health spokesperson. "Unworldliness" indeed! The world of a Labor Union apparatchik, Member of Emily's list, childless and championing the right to choose to kill the unborn, her "Rolled Gold " health disaster compounded by Labor's recent decision to 'shift 500,000- 1,000,000 privately insured constituents onto the public health payroll.<br />So the Left commentariat regard her as Labor's rising star. Every Conservative worth their salt will be saying "bring it on". This next federal election is going to be a beauty! “Second term state Labor governments have so far been invulnerable..” Well this one sure wasn’t! As I write the result is still in doubt though Labor may just scrape back home. First Gippsland,now this. This was a referendum on the NT Intervention and Labor’s response to it, or lack thereof.
I should think WA Labor will be scrutinising this result carefully and girding themselves for a battle. Again, while this was a state battle, there are some messages for federal Labor also.
I saw Julia Gillard on ABC Insiders talking about an “unworldliness” to some of the criticism of ‘Grocerywatch’
Long will I remember the photo of Julia in her kitchen taken during her stint as Labor health spokesperson. “Unworldliness” indeed! The world of a Labor Union apparatchik, Member of Emily’s list, childless and championing the right to choose to kill the unborn, her “Rolled Gold ” health disaster compounded by Labor’s recent decision to ‘shift 500,000- 1,000,000 privately insured constituents onto the public health payroll.
So the Left commentariat regard her as Labor’s rising star. Every Conservative worth their salt will be saying “bring it on”. This next federal election is going to be a beauty!

]]> http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/08/08/territory-labor-is-a-safe-bet/#comment-4018 Dave Liberts Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-4018 Labor has to develop a vision and narrative, followed up with some action, rather than be all about green papers, inquiries, focus groups and meaningless drivel (yes, FuelWatch, I'm looking at you). Hawke and Keating did it, and Howard did it, and all were re-elected on this basis even though their vision and narrative and subsequent policies were very different. John James reckons its all about Labor being the reds under the bed, but the fact is that the Australian public wouldn't mind that as long as the place was running well and equality and 'the fair go' were on prominent display. Labor has to develop a vision and narrative, followed up with some action, rather than be all about green papers, inquiries, focus groups and meaningless drivel (yes, FuelWatch, I’m looking at you). Hawke and Keating did it, and Howard did it, and all were re-elected on this basis even though their vision and narrative and subsequent policies were very different. John James reckons its all about Labor being the reds under the bed, but the fact is that the Australian public wouldn’t mind that as long as the place was running well and equality and ‘the fair go’ were on prominent display.

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