Hey Hey Ho Ho! Bothism has Got to Go!
An emboldened Morrison Government means that Labor under an Albanese Leadership will respond very differently to what we are used to. How we respond to Labor under Albo’s leadership is something we should discuss. For one, Bothism has got to go!
It’s About the Long Game
In an interview with the Guardian this week, Labor leader, Anthony Albanese gave us an insight into how Labor will respond in the current political environment. Our response to that is crucial. What he put forward and the space we are in at the moment, impacts on how this will play out for Labor. Our response to Labor, as they navigate the worker hating evangelist gobshite with no visible agenda, is crucial.
Firstly, despite plenty of doubts, particularly on Twitter, Albanese firmly plants his feet as a progressive with a progressive history.
“I’m a progressive. I’ve been active for a very long period of time, and I’m determined to get a positive outcome in 2022 … because I passionately believe that only Labor governments make a positive difference to people’s lives in a long-term way and in a transformative way. (Anthony Albanese)
Albanese said it’s about the long game. About kicking with the wind in the last quarter. For soccer fans like me, it’s about slowing the game in the first half. Then deploying tactical in the second half when the other side is tired. The point is by the second half the other team will be chasing the ball and our team will be scoring goals.
Capitulate!
Another area fairly hyped up on Twitter, is aided by apparent “left friendly newspapers” such as the Guardian. The Guardian proudly publish their inside jokes in their articles such as calling Labor’s decision making in opposition to a Government with right-wing power in both houses as, “bitch and fold”. This is about Labor’s decision making around various bills. In addition, this isn’t helped by the ongoing and tiresome campaign from the Greens. The Greens deceitfully depict Labor as voting against something, when that something is a stunt. They know 100% Labor will not break Senate procedure.
Albanese’s response to this is:
“There will be a whole range of things that we do from time to time that people will wonder why we are doing them. We can’t focus on the day or the week, we have to focus on the term, and at the end of the day if you are not in government then you can’t change things in a progressive way.” (Anthony Albanese)
One reason why there has been so much anger on ‘the left of political punters on social media; is for years now, the agenda of ‘Bothism’ has been allowed to manifest. Labor has a responsibility to slay this beast. We also (as leftists) have a responsibility to not feed it.
The Bothism Agenda
One reason we are in this mess is a lot of people who sit on the left want a Labor Government, but they think they deserve better than the Labor party. This is a Party they have judged from the opposition. Or despite now two changes of leadership will judge on the basis of a hung parliament six years ago. A Party that doesn’t have the power to be judged on their implemented platform. A party who has not had the luxury of having power in both houses as democracy has wished upon us for the conservative agenda to be implemented right now.
The hung parliament of Gillard and the internal conflict of Rudd/Gillard Rudd, was a real antecedent for the Bothism agenda to grow. Seeing this opportunity, since Rudd/Gillard the agenda to fracture the left has become quite prominent. This is a right-wing agenda to encourage people to “not vote majors” knowing most minor & Independents preference the Liberals.
We have seen in action, particularly in Queensland, where I felt my Senate ticket might catch fire! It overflowed with right-wing evil filling the page. Besides Labor and the Greens, there were absolutely no other progressive choices. The other parties or individuals ranged from conservative to the absolute fruitcake variety ego maniac right-wing nationalist who wants a good old fashioned gun totin’ shoot up in towns.
The Right-Wing Agenda Enabled by The Left
The problem is there are many on the left of politics who believe the Bothism agenda is a positive thing to ‘strengthen the left’ by holding the major left party to account. When in fact, it is a right-wing agenda to split the left and it is working out quite fine for the conservatives who hate us.
Ask yourself why it is also the preferred approach of Pauline Hanson and Clive Palmer, if it ‘strengthens the left.’
Therefore, there are major players on “the left” of politics who have embraced the Bothism agenda. In the space of social media….really, who can blame some people? On Twitter and Blogs, it is a very easy way to gather thousands of followers and gain prominence in the #Auspol space.
In the anti-Liberal sections of Facebook groups and pages, the Bothism agenda attacking Labor has become so entrenched, particularly by Greens, non-party aligned Socialists, Climate Change activists, Sustainability activists and various Welfare and general Left Politics groups, that many Labor people are retreating away from these groups and forming closed Labor groups.
Unfortunately, sharing Labor memes and stories with Labor members or staunch Labor voters on Facebook is not helpful. It is up to Labor to come up with significant change around Social Media strategy to actually, sadly, counter ‘the left’ political punters on Social media.
The Social Media Bothism Narrative
These individuals and groups have enabled the “Bothism agenda” by feeding it. When it all boils down to it, politics is always, always about Capital vs Labour (and you sure as hell will feel this the next 3 years). Trying to find absolutely everything wrong with Labor and at times, hoping Labor is as bad as you want them to be (because you have other vested political interests), hurts a hell of a lot of vulnerable people who ‘the left’ is supposed to be there for in the long run.
There are prominent Twitter accounts who “Support Labor winning” but day in day out they promote Labor is no different to the Liberals. Ideologically and a study of our history, shows this view is ingrained in ignorance. It is an ignorance that has infected the collective trust in politics. Which once again, only helps the paternalistic Liberals.
Then we have Jan Fran, First Dog and Juice Media who enable this ignorance, particularly with new and young voters. Their formula to spread their Bothism message is always, “Liberals are shit but hey gotta say Labor is pretty shit too.” Well Bothism is also pretty shit. A Morrison Government is even more shit. How is the Morrison Government turning out for you so far?
Blogs or Flogs?
Then we have the Independent Media. The “media” we expect to give us the stories that Murdoch doesn’t. However, a lot of bloggers (not pointing to anyone in particular, because there are a lot of you) repeatedly publish articles completely misrepresenting Labor’s position and just harp on how crap Labor is. Again, who can blame them? The reader attraction is there. How easy is it to just scan some comments on Twitter, pick up on some reacts and do a big Hanson type rant about how shit Labor is? Written with no support for arguments, truth or substance. The pat on the backs come and its rinse and repeat.
The number of bloggers who have ingrained in people’s minds that Labor is anti-Welfare, anti-climate Change and pro-Capitalist are not only helping the Liberals but write from a place of pure ignorance, are outright lying and play into the bothism agenda of distrust and apathy. The problem with this is unless a person knows where they fit ideologically, they end up putting their faith in a right-wing Independent, Katter, Hanson or Palmer to name a few. They aren’t conservative, but they get the message via these articles, Facebook blogs etc (which are 2000 word rants) etc., that Labor doesn’t stand up for them either. Stop being part of the problem.
In saying that, Labor also needs to keep abreast of blogs and Independent ‘news’ sites and call them out as blogs or flogs. They should respond with shareable information if the content of these blogs is incorrect. Some articles reach thousands and thousands of people.
If I have upset any bloggers who constantly write from a bothism perspective and never have anything positive to say about Labor, bite me. I don’t care. Someone needs to say it.
The Stigma of a Laborist Slant
I had a heated exchange on Twitter the other day with another writer and I was accused on not being critical enough of the Labor Party. This person expressed contempt towards me, told me basically my writing was shit and wouldn’t know where to start picking it apart and also, that I am not an “Independent Blogger.”
Independent blogger to me, is I do not have anyone else control what I write about. I conduct independent research. I write from my own perspective. A blog is an opinion platform. I am an opinion writer and I am also an experienced researcher when I do not want to write opinion.
Also, I am not controlled by a writing agenda. I don’t ‘plan’ my writing, I am compelled to write. It isn’t something I can explain well. I just get to the stage where I have to put thoughts on paper. It is why you are reading quite a long post right now!
I do not and never will masquerade as a journalist, as some writers do.
Journalism is a Higher Education qualification. Whether you are a great journalist or not is irrelevant. It is a skill, a craft and it is a lot harder than me just sitting here behind my keyboard. I would not be so disrespectful to people who have earned a qualification to call myself a ‘journalist.’
Ignorant Bothism
As my site clearly states, I write with a Laborist slant. It is not a secret. The fact that a fellow writer and promoter from a major Independent Site castigated me for not attacking Labor enough, is surely part of the F’ing problem! Shunning and ridiculing pro-Labor opinion writers because you think pushing ignorant bothism is some high value, especially when Labor is in opposition, helps no one. You don’t see Bolt attacking Credlin for being too pro-Liberal.
Hell, even I read Andrew Bolt and watch Credlin, because it is important to understand the conservative argument. Sorry, but sitting on the fence flogging both majors is a cop-out, enables bothism, ignorance and apathy and it helps no one.
Sites such as The Saturday Paper and The Monthly are actual journalistic sites. These are not blog sites. (PS Paddy Manning is the BEST!)
Breaking Bothism
To break Bothism, start questioning Independent blog articles. Many independent articles are written from the position that Labor is inherently bad. They are writers like me, sitting at home behind a keyboard with no journalistic qualifications. They have political leanings to minor left or Independents.
Question if it’s the whole story. Ask in comments for a link to Hansard. A good blogger will comply. This includes the ‘new style of blog’ that is a 2000 word rant from an anti-Labor leftist in Facebook groups.
You will find by reading Hansard, it’s almost always never the full story. Do this with memes and tweets you see as well. Stop just accepting Labor are bastards. Not once have I researched an issue and found that to be the case. It’s normally due to political power in Parliament. At times, the necessity to follow a particular parliamentary procedure. An example of mendacious claims about Labor can be found here.
Hell, if you see something you are not sure of, pick up a phone and phone a Labor MP or Senator. If you see anything you find doubtful, even contact me if you like and I will get the information for you.
You can see by the above, that there are those on the left who feed the Bothism agenda and that reaches an audience Murdoch does not use and that only benefits the Liberals.
I’m not saying don’t be critical of Labor. But at least try to find facts. Also, speak up in comments if you think it’s political opportunism and not the full story. Real criticism and real solutions add to progress. Faux anger based on political opportunism or harvesting likes divides us and regresses us.
Bothism a Negative Emotional Contagion
The Bothism agenda is an insidious negative emotional contagion. We need to bear in mind that not everyone is politically engaged. One example is The Greens in the last QLD state election campaigned that the Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was corrupt resulted in people not voting “for that corrupt bitch” and voted Hanson. This campaign was fully endorsed by the Greens. They ran this knowing Pauline Hanson is an actual real threat in Queensland. We need more people who do not want Pauline Hanson or the LNP in power to stand up to the Greens. We need to insist they explain why they would run such a campaign when Pauline Hanson is actually a threat and the LNP are just slightly less worse.
Federally, we have seen a three-year campaign by the Greens and other climate activist groups (who mind you, the QLD LNP and the Hanson candidates here absolutely LOVE YOU so much it makes me ill), who have predominantly attacked Labor over the Adani issue. Stop Adani was a campaign created by a Green for the last QLD state election to win three seats in inner-city Brisbane. These seats included Labor’s, Jackie Trad. (Who is a complete Goddess BTW!). One candidate said to me how they were so impressed how well it took off. So we had to cop three years of it. We had our towns invaded upsetting people. This was to see a Morrison Government returned, who they never held to account in the first place.
We End Up with the Liberals
Many think I detest the Greens because I am some type of psycho rusted-on Labor bitch. (There is nothing wrong with that for others out there 🙂 !) I detest the Greens because their constant attacks on Labor help the Liberals. Then we end up with the Liberals which sees vulnerable people pushed down further and further. The Greens don’t get that one day can be a very long time for disadvantaged people, let alone three bloody years of a Liberal Government making life harder for them.
The Anti-Labor Message Gets Through
Labor’s position on Adani was always that they could only work within the law. This is all the Greens would be able to do if they held office. Now after this has caused a tremendous amount of mass fear in QLD and parts of NSW over mass job losses and they played out a campaign for change that goes against every single change management theory in the book; Adani may still fall over. The Greens could have supported Labor knowing that when Labor was in office, that Labor would act on Climate Change. But hey, what is another three years of destructive conservative Government, and screwing over every Labor candidate north or Gympie, if it just might mean you win Melbourne Ports off Labor?
As we can see from the above, the anti-Labor messages got through, but people don’t always put all pieces of the puzzle together in their busy lives. A headline or a meme is absorbed as people scroll and they don’t take a blind bit of notice who posted it. But the message sticks. It sticks all the way to the ballot box. Labor has to do something about this urgently.
Don’t Allow Bothism to Divide Us
The reason I wrote this article is after reading Albo’s words in the Guardian the Bothism bandwagon will be clapping with glee & go full turbo. Expect the Greens to ramp up the “Labor voted with the Liberals” and other assorted mendacious attacks on the only party that can replace the Liberals.
I wanted to speak up because when it all boils down to it, it is always about Capital vs Labour. Bothism is the ignorance that only helps capital.
The Bothism bandwagon breeds ignorance & apathy. It promotes distrust in good Labor politicians who, since the dawn of time have delivered every single national reform we take for granted. The Liberals formed with the purpose to stand against the workers’ parties. That’s important.
So let’s not just sit back and watch the Bothism agenda divide the left anymore. It’s been going on far too long. Sure a lot of people enjoy big followers from bagging both majors, but after May 18 that needs a huge rethink. It’s time for more serious, in-depth discussions.
We will get rid of Morrison by not having a meltdown every time Labor supports something with amendments. In the current set up they literally have little power. Ignore the Greens who hand all power to right-wing nutters on XBench. More on that here:
It’s Time to Pick a Side Warts & All
What we are faced with right now is critical. The days of entertaining the idea that some minor party will form Government is over. The Morrison Government will be more destructive than Howard. It’s time to actually pick a side, warts and all. Because it’s always, always about Capital vs labour.
It’s good to see Labor speak out against the Greens political opportunism via Murray Watt.
It’s time we called out The Greens. Their self-indulgent stunts, like the Bob Brown convoy and their wedge tactics against Labor, are about getting themselves elected, even if it keeps the Libs and Nats in power. #StuntsNotChange pic.twitter.com/Q6Rf95e58S
— Senator Murray Watt (@MurrayWatt) July 24, 2019
And Albo absolutely gives the Liberals a hiding in his speech about drought funding. It’s up to all of us, including Labor to find ways to share these videos or the points made.
Solidarity and Patience
The reason we need to pick a side of either major warts and all is the grumbling by those involved in the Bothism agenda has helped re-elect the Liberals. In Queensland increased the Hanson vote. The campaigns by the Greens targeting Labor, have helped re-elect the Liberals.
Labor should not have to fight “the Left”.
This has resulted in an emboldened agenda by the Liberals to come down hard on workers’ rights, workers’ pay and conditions and destroying safety nets such as aged pension and Medicare. Bothism destroys the positive emotional contagion needed to build a true Left movement.
A true Left movement in real solidarity is needed because sometimes a small opportunity, an education, a traineeship, a secure job, a living wage, a union defending your rights, access to a doctor, and the security of not going hungry or without heating or housing, changes lives. The Liberals make life extremely hard for the vulnerable and those who feel they can’t speak up, or have agency taken away by the Liberals to do so. Protecting the vulnerable is a key leftist value. Campaigning against the Labor party, the only party that can replace the Liberals; is not a leftist value. It absolutely works against the left.
Pushing Labor in Government is a completely different story. (I don’t mean lie about, I mean push) They have no constraints then.
True Progressive Reform
To change lives and to protect the vulnerable we need to get behind a leader who understands the worker and the vulnerable. And even you blokes working for the mines who voted Hanson & LNP that means you. The biggest threat to Blue-collar wages & safety are the Liberals.
Anthony Albanese will deliver a true progressive platform. Albo understands because he is a housing commission kid like me. One thing I know about Housing Commission kids is no matter how successful we become, that housing commission kid pipes up and reminds us who we are every day.
That housing commission kid, a kid who has benefited in life from Gough and Hawke reforms, and values these reforms, has stood for years in public office to protect everything the Liberals seek to destroy. He has used that lived experience to speak up for others. He understands us because he connects with a life most of us live or have lived.
That is why we should fight every single day for Anthony Albanese to be our next Prime Minister.
Solidarity & Patience my friends.
Cover pic courtesy of Young Labor
The Independent site mentioned in my article is NOT AIMN
This article originally published on The Red Window Blog
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Return to home pageSo far, from the energised far-right we have been told that :
they want to include the family home in the pensions asset test; evidently designed to scare the pants of our senior citizens (Craig Kelly)
they want to allow those earning below $50,000 to only have superannuation if they feel like it : implying that they expect those people to rely entirely on the means-tested pension in retirement (Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg)
they want to scrap Medicare and privatise the whole health system in Australia (CEO of Health Insurer NIB)
they demand that the ABC and SBS be merged and ultimately sold off (Liberal Party WA state Conference).
They will either implode in a mushroom cloud of ideological infighting or they will destroy this country – perhaps both !
The author seems to hate the Greens on rather weak evidence. Without the Greens’ preferences Labor would have lost the election by far more. Labor could even have won thanks to that deal , were it not for Palmer as well as for the many lies and slogans Terence writes about. Author is being dishonest not to admit the above.
Agree with you Terence we are in a dark place with a Government intent on pulling the rug from under us, and hoping we wont notice till its gone.
Thank you Trish Corry,
Yes I have been critical of Albanese and the path he seems to be heading, yes I have seen the Greens attacks, yes I have called out the Greens, yes I do and will continue to tell the truth about Neoliberalism in any party!
But your article has put things in perspective for me so YES I will remain a Labor man, in spite of telling my MP, that I will not.
I did get hoodwinked by the Green campaign.
PS
I was a lone voice telling anyone that a vote for a so called independent or a minor party will end up a vote for the LNP. I have been proved right.
Not that, that is a consolation for the sorry outcome of the election.
S G B
Mnnn? Playing the long game? Like how Labor played it prior to the 2019 election? Leaving making a stand on anything right up until the last few minutes of the last quarter? I have a different slant than a soccer follower. Aussie Rules, mate! If you are so far behind by the last quarter, and the punters only remember the rotten kicks that went way wide of the goal posts and didn’t even get a behind, the game is all over, red rover! What the author is neglecting to comment on is that the bulk of voters aren’t interested in nuance or interested in how well Albo performs in the parliamentary circus. Because like a circus it only comes around once in a while when the punters are allowed to participate. That the circus is year long for politicians, journalists and some keyboard warriors doesn’t mean diddly squat to most of the people who vote.
What they do remember, though, is when a party doesn’t take a stand or backs down on a previously held stand. Or is too gutless to speak up loud and clear for asylum seekers in detention. Or speak strongly about raising Newstarve. Or about stopping Adani (and Clive Palmer). Just imagine if it had said Stop Adani, it would have got rid of the CFMMEU and Setka!
What Labor is lacking is dynamism. It comes across as a tired old horse that just wants its stable and a good feed. The Greens, for all their counterproductivity and sheer bloody mindedness in not compromising, have way more energy. Labor ought to get together with the Greens for the sake of the country, and for their own sake, because the Greens still have legs for the whole game whereas Labor is tired and still lagging in the change room discussing the same old tactics. Labor had brilliant policies prior to the last election and relied on nuance to bring them home. Whereas the Greens and LNP spoke clearly, succinctly and in a non nuanced way ( and in the LNP’s case hardly at all about policy).
The author also made the comment about the LNP making it extremely hard for the vulnerable. Ask the vulnerable how they feel when Labor is wishy washy on asylum seekers in detention and on raising Newstarve. When they dance to the LNP tune, instead of being the beacon of hope, the light on the hill for the vulnerable. Naah, nuance ain’t going to cut it but a bold, dynamic Labor party, in alliance with the Greens, just might!
Whilst I dislike the phrase bitch and fold, Labor has admitted that that is its strategy. They cannot win a vote in the lower house (and probably not the upper either) so they express their objections and then vote for the bill so no-one can say stood in the way of whatever. It’s pure politics, playing dodge the wedge. Whilst I understand the political motivation, that is not what most people want. If something is wrong, we want you to vote against it.
The Greens stance on many issues represents what many of us feel which is why they continue to have a significant presence in the Senate. Only Labor can offer a genuine alternate government, but it doesn’t fill one with confidence when they would prefer to vote for something they disagree with than be called names by the government.
Rather than accepting a side, warts and all, surely it is the issues that matter. If we want Labor to get elected, then it should be them listening to what concerns us rather than asking for us to just accept their parliamentary tactics.
They often say the right things – they know that it is the navy and coastguard intercepting boats, not offshore detention, that has stemmed the flow of people arriving by boat. Yet they still support holding these people hostage. They say we will resettle them in a third country and they did have the Malaysia solution blocked, but the very concept of holding these people in indefinite detention in another country is unacceptable.
I have more sympathy for their approach to Adani because I think they felt it would never go ahead anyway due to inability to secure finance or insurance etc and they didn’t want to leave themselves open to being sued. But they did not get their messaging right. They should have gone into those towns saying the future of the coal industry is uncertain – we must generate other employment alternatives for these areas. Perhaps they did and it was just not reported well, as Trish points out is sometimes the case.
Letting Labor know when we disagree is not being traitorous – it’s giving them the opportunity to listen and respond to our concerns.
In New England any real social change for the better has occurred when we have had a dedicated local member working of the Australian voters in the electorate. This goes back to the late David Drummond (Country Party, NSW & Cth)) and also includes Bill McCarthy (ALP Armidale & Northern Tablelands) Richard Torbay (Northern Tablelands) Tony Windsor (Tamworth & New England).
The Notional$ MPs at both NSW and Cth level have been self-serving non-thinkers and Barnyard Joyce is a classic example.
I think that Albanese is making the most of a parlous situation and the coalition are piling on with wedge politics while they can. Inevitably this will run out of steam when they eventually have to do something controversial and that is actually beneficial to the nation.
Having said that, the tactic of completely ignoring Scomo in Question Time is quite amusing and obviously infuriates the prime minister : how good is that .
Actions speak louder than words.
Personally I long for a real progressive ALP again.
However this is not what Albo is doing – he is trying to be even more like the LNP and less like the Greens, he is leading the race to the bottom.
So it seems to me.
The mantra of “whatever we need to do to get in power” is a failed plan – we need principled opposition to the corporate fascists, not more emulation.
The LNP keep winning precisely because there are so many options on the right of politics to capture the disaffected whilst the left strives to eliminate all opposition to Labor.
We are not talking about teams here where we pick a side to win the game, where adopting the tactics and positions of the other opposing team is fine if it leads to victory.
Politics is about policies and how they will effect the people and that is what elections should be fought on. There is little point in winning if in order to do so, you have become those you seek to replace.
As Labor lurches yet again to the right, the LNP will also and we all lose sight of the centre.
I remember when Malcolm Fraser, hated conservative sacker of Whitlam quit the Liberal Party and thinking how what he was saying fitted better with Labor than the Liberals, and then realising that he was saying the same things he said in 1975, he had not shifted, the major parties had and the arch conservative was now considered a leftie.
My problem with the ‘bitch and fold’ process is it seems to demonstrate the ALP don’t have a clue. If you disagree with something by all means say it and stand by your convictions in front of the media and in the Parliament. On the contrary if you believe something coming up is worthwhile, say so, vote for it and move on. Does anyone really think that people will give a rats about some piece of legislation that was voted on over two and a half years ago come the next election?
Voting against something because of your convictions, or the history of the ALP as being the workers party can also become very useful when the legislation or its implementation goes pear shaped – which some of Morrison’s stuff will really quickly (as the only real policy presented to the electorate was a non-specific ‘trust us, it’ll be more of the same’).
Sure – to rerun 2016 to 2019 is a silly process for the ALP to consider (to keep doing the same failed thing hoping the next time it will be successful is a ridiculous proposition) however there is 100 years of history of the ALP that determines the policy. While the policy on how to implement the traditions of attempting to develop a fair and equitable society might change – the fundamentals shouldn’t. And a number of the ALP Parliamentarians have been active in the ALP for decades – the correct answer should be in their blood. Its time they reflect and act accordingly.
I agree with Trish Corry. Its an interesting piece she has written. Labor has a difficult road to hoe at present. Theyre damned if they do and damned if they dont. Their amendments were obviously supeior (pass stage 1 and bring stage 2 orward now for extra stimulation of the economy. Leave Stage 3. But they dont have the numbers, and in the end if they had voted against it, workers would not have got their $1080 tax refunds this year.
With the drought fund, what was the point of voting against it.
Im with Trish re the Greens. Yes they have energy and they can indulge themselves without consequences. They will never have to appeal to more than half the country. I do like their progressiveness, but at the end of the day, they would be better served thinking a bit smarter about which kind of government they want to end up with. Right now theyre busy mobilising to go up to North Queensland again yelling Adani, and playing into the hands of the gleeful LNP, with a State election coming up next year. Is this what they really want? A LNP State Government? Really? Its what theyre working towards whether they think so or not. In fact Ive gone right off them.
Great article Trish. Thank you. Albo’s seat of Grayndler, my home, tells an interesting tale. It’s marginally Labor at the local level, strongly Green in the State parliament and staunchly Labor federally. From personal experience Labor probably needs a hearts and minds campaign to win over downhearted Greens’ supporters while condemning the Greens’ political mechanism. Also a strong Country Labor caucus to coax the so called “bush” to reconsider its voting patterns. As for a new policy platform; I’m crafting an article as I type. Cheers Comrade!
You are entitled to your opinions, Trish, but I disagree absolutely. Bitch and roll over is all I see.
Labor should not be fighting the Left, Trish.
Labor no longer has the right to consider itself the Only opposition.
The ALLiance of Greens/Socialists/Progressives are all The Opposition too, so the sooner Albo wakes up that potential on offer and joins forces to dump the LNP in 2022, the better for us all.
But your constant niggling at the Greens will just prove to continue to be obstructive, if you can’t awaken out of your stupor.
Hear, hear Hotspringer.
Still blaming the left for the right’s rigidity? Bipartisanship and right faction collusion with toryism is the death of democracy in this country.
(sighs).
Bad news about Adani.
Just remind me again how many Greens got a seat in the House of Representatives and Senate.
Because it looks to me that the numbers are pretty small
And then how many other self declared Left progressive parties have seats in parliament.
The Greens are spoilers, making rediculous claims and spruiking policies that will never see the light of day.
Anyone who thinks the Labor party will tolerate the current green nut case tactics, are clearly – well a nut case!
To Stephengb, it is not the case that the Greens or Socialists or Progressives should be begging the current right wing controlled Labor party into the tent, the true case is that Labor should be begging to be given admission into #TheALLiance of Greens/Socialists/Progressives and recently departed disgusted Labor people who couldn’t hang on with their nails any longer.
Ignore that fact at your peril
The housing commission kid of a single mother who benefits from what drove Whitlam, the aspiration to create a fair & just society that improves the lot of all.
There is no argument against that, Florence
Stephengb
Remind us again how many seats the Nationals won with 4.5% of the national vote…
I thought debating was all about anticipating and then rebutting one’s opponent’s arguments. I have this horrible image of the Labor “brains trust” arguing about whether or not to vote for the tax bill wot was goin’ to let orl the mums ‘n dads keep their hard earned:
Albo: “If we don’t support it, we’re WEDGED,” (murmurs of assent, some with head in hands.) “they can always say we don’t believe in tax relief.”
Tanya: “Well, we could say …..er, ah …..any ideas, anyone?”
(Unidentified voice from the rear, brightly) “What would Gough or Bob or Paul or even Kev say?”
Albo: “Well, Bob’s the only one who never lost an election and he’s no help now.”
(General comments of “better to be a small target”, “we’re stuffed”, “it’s Bill’s fault”, “the media will understand”, “what’s the next item on the agenda” etc)
That ‘stop Adani’ was created to win 3 seats in Queensland seems to me to be highly questionable. The ‘stop Adani’ movement began at the time Adani was first mentioned because the whole idea seemed so dodgy because of the baggage associate with the Adani company, its demands for infrastructure, the reduction in royalties, the false claims about jobs, the sneaky beginning of operations even before legislation was finalised, the reluctance for finance institutions to support it – all of this gradually infiltrated its way into being accepted despite the evidence against it and stacks of political farce.
And not only that. The burning of fossil fuels goes right against the science. It reveals a terrible ignorance of what Climate Change is all about.
That the Coalition would fondle a lump of coal in Parliament is a sure sign of idiocy. Their duplicity was betrayed by the fact the coal was varnished so they would not be blackened by the coal dust. It was a farce.
Bob Brown was right to protest in Queensland. The idea that a Tasmanian cannot protest in Queensland is a denial of the Commonwealth status of Australia and its democracy. In fact it is anti-democracy. Yet government has spruiked the idea that it is illegal for anyone not closely located near contentious matters to protest.
Adani, if it goes ahead, will create terrible disappointment. India promises an imminent reduction in the burning of coal. Australians will suffer.
Re:
Yes he was probably right in the whole scheme of things. But perhaps it was wrong in the immediate political context. Or are right and wrong absolutes? Always devoid of context(s)?
If so, then what about good and bad? Is it possible … that we might be more nuanced? You know – chew gum and fart at the same time ?
I think that is a large part of the problem MN. Is it ok to manoeuvre for political success or should one stick to what one considers in the best interests of the country? The argument is given that we cannot do anything unless we are in power but should we accept doing anything to get there? If you condone Labor tactics because you want to win an election, then surely, whatever the Coalition throws up in the same contest must also be accepted. They want to win too. Sometimes, you have to set your own standards because it’s too easy to not.
We cannot afford the type of purism that the Greens offer. At the last election a lot of progressive groups were posting a grid with ticks and crosses to show which party had the best record on a number of environmental issues. Plenty of red crosses for the Liberals, some green ticks and red crosses on Labor, all green ticks on the Greens – begging the question of when have the Greens actually implemented anything to help the environment or progressive causes and social justice issues. Such perfect records for the Greens must have pulled votes away from a wishy-washy ALP. And a Green vote does not necessarily end up with Labor. There is a leakage of at least 20% Green preferences away from ALP
Personally I do not forgive the Greens their purism on the price on carbon when they voted against the Gillard Labor Government’s proposals as not going far enough. Nor do I forget their repeated instances of political naivety such as when they voted with the Liberals in 2016 to change the way the Senate is elected, giving greater possibilities for election to the various RWNJ parties
As much as I think the parliamentary circus is divorced from everyday Australians, Albo’s tactic of ignoring the Scumster at Question Time, is a beauty. The Scumster, having been a child actor loves performing so is miffed at not commandeering the despatch boxes at QT. What he will do though is cultivate more opportunities to speak to the divorced via their favourite speaking tubes provided by Murdoch Media. How does the Left (all of it) counteract that?
king1394,
pot calling the kettle black?