Comments on: Branch stacking brouhaha: Victorian ALP factions fight it out http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/08/26/alp-factions-hit-back-on-race-mathews-stacks/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:48:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: MichaelT http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/08/26/alp-factions-hit-back-on-race-mathews-stacks/#comment-35603 MichaelT Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:58:18 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/08/26/alp-factions-hit-back-on-race-mathews-stacks/#comment-35603 The Left seem to be playing the man instead of the ball here - which is symptomatic of the whole problem. I couldn't understand the sequence which went: 1 Labor has lots of members in strong Liberal electorates 2 Labor has few members in strong Labour electorates 3 Labor has lots of members in marginals Conclusion: "higher memberships correlate directly with pre-selection power grabs". The conclusion seems plausible, but point 1 doesn't seem to fit with it? I don't imagine there would be too many pre-selection power grabs in Liberal strongholds. The Left seem to be playing the man instead of the ball here - which is symptomatic of the whole problem.

I couldn’t understand the sequence which went:

1 Labor has lots of members in strong Liberal electorates
2 Labor has few members in strong Labour electorates
3 Labor has lots of members in marginals
Conclusion: “higher memberships correlate directly with pre-selection power grabs”.

The conclusion seems plausible, but point 1 doesn’t seem to fit with it? I don’t imagine there would be too many pre-selection power grabs in Liberal strongholds.

]]> By: Mr Squid http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/08/26/alp-factions-hit-back-on-race-mathews-stacks/#comment-35551 Mr Squid Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:51:34 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/08/26/alp-factions-hit-back-on-race-mathews-stacks/#comment-35551 Race Mathews? What a twit nonentity! I recall him entering a Casey Labor Party function prior to his election with the words (to iola) oh well, now for the hoi polloi. Race Mathews? What a twit nonentity! I recall him entering a Casey Labor Party function prior to his election with the words (to iola) oh well, now for the hoi polloi.

]]> By: Greg Angelo http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/08/26/alp-factions-hit-back-on-race-mathews-stacks/#comment-35549 Greg Angelo Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:43:06 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/08/26/alp-factions-hit-back-on-race-mathews-stacks/#comment-35549 Whatever the rights and wrongs of the allegations, the one issue to emerge from this muckraking is that factional rorting within the ALP is a disgrace, made even more so by the fact that the beneficiaries of this disgusting activity eventually go on to be our legislators and the administrators of legal due process and law enforcement. What a parody of due process this is. I would be bold enough to say that nobody withinin the power structure the ALP has got to where they are without some form of factional rorting. What is also evident is that the party is unwilling/incapable/indifferent/or just bloody-minded in not facing up to these issues. In the race to the bottom, it is the most the egrecious and devious manipulator who is rewarded by success. Unfortunately I suspect the Liberal party is no better, and with thecurrent so-called democratic processes leading to the selection of political leaders through factionalism we are doomed to have our political masters spawned in this process, like maggots on a rotting carcass. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the allegations, the one issue to emerge from this muckraking is that factional rorting within the ALP is a disgrace, made even more so by the fact that the beneficiaries of this disgusting activity eventually go on to be our legislators and the administrators of legal due process and law enforcement.

What a parody of due process this is. I would be bold enough to say that nobody withinin the power structure the ALP has got to where they are without some form of factional rorting.

What is also evident is that the party is unwilling/incapable/indifferent/or just bloody-minded in not facing up to these issues.

In the race to the bottom, it is the most the egrecious and devious manipulator who is rewarded by success.

Unfortunately I suspect the Liberal party is no better, and with thecurrent so-called democratic processes leading to the selection of political leaders through factionalism we are doomed to have our political masters spawned in this process, like maggots on a rotting carcass.

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