Comments on: Feeney: these days, everyone’s a Labor powerbroker

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 05:34:55 +0000

If not the factions controlling the ALP, then how about sleazy cabals that cannot even be linked by a shared ideology (such as “right” or “left”)?

Regardless of whether Obeid is a crook, does he have any political philosophy?

By: David Hand

David Hand — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 02:31:19 +0000

John,
All the issues I raise are current. Obeid allegedly went after $100m of taxpayers’ money by placing a mate in the key planning role only 2 or 3 years ago. This idea that the factions are no longer strong is just ALP spin to deflect the deep antipathy towards them in the next election. Suggesting that the knifing of Kevin Rudd is “trawling through history” is absurd.

My post was really asking who is running Labor if it is not the factions? Someone is calling the shots and it certainly isn’t the muppets on the back bench.

I concede that factions are in the Liberals as well but they do not have the same debilitating impact they have in Labor. Though Abbott’s one vote win in the 2009 spill came on the back of a factional move against Turnbull over the ETS, Liberal MPs were not tied to the factions like the ALP. It’s more genteel in the Libs and policy conflicts have more sway. The ETS driven leadership vote was a crisis of policy. The Liberals had been deeply divided on it all year, something gleefully exploited by Labor. I lost count of the times Penny Wong went on TV to talk about the ETS and spent most of the air time slagging Turnbull.

Though Slipper stayed around far too long, the opportunity for Gillard to win him over was because for all its faults and flaws, the Liberal machine was finally moving to de-select him for the next election.

I do concede that the Liberals are far more socially conservative than most members want them to be. It’s mainly because when a conservative leader like Abbott emerges, the contrast with Labor becomes clearer and voters prefer that.

By: John Bennetts

John Bennetts — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 00:23:52 +0000

David, most of the issues you list are decades old… such as the rise of Eddie Obeid.

That you have to trawl back in history to find examples is adequate indication that the factions may indeed not be as strong as previously.

Are you willing to accept the reverse examples? The a certain ex-Speaker for decades was supported by a powerful few Libs despite certain knowledge of the many that his private affairs were not satisfactory? That Tony Abbott’s rise to the big chair was aided by backroom alliances, ie factions? That Turnbull’s faction lost, despite public polling demonstrating that he was more favoured in a democratic sense?

By: David Hand

David Hand — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 05:57:26 +0000

So who got rid of Morris Iemma? Who lined up back bench MPs to knife Kevin Rudd when at 8pm the night before, they didn’t even know Julia was making her move? How did Craig Thompson get parachuted in from Victoria to win pre-selection in the NSW seat of Dobell?

How did Eddie get himself into position to place people in government so he could allegedly pillage $100m from the taxpayers of NSW?

Ah that’s right! Not factional leaders. That’s all right then.