ALP short-circuits its own future
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday March 30, 2011
WHO is this man? After working as an electrician, he became an organiser with the Electrical Trades Union and active in Labor politics, eventually being elected to the leadership of the unions' peak body in NSW. He was also nominated by the Labor Party to a seat in the Legislative Council, before moving to the lower house to assume the parliamentary leadership at an election which saw a huge swing against Labor.It might almost be John Robertson, the man widely tipped to be Labor's next leader. In fact, though, it is Barrie Unsworth - the last NSW Labor leader but one to lead the party to a shattering defeat. History, of course, does not repeat itself exactly. The difference is that where Labor in 1988 appointed Bob Carr, no factional dinosaur, to lead and undertake renewal after the rout, in 2011, amid the smoking ruins of an election result which is worse even than 1988, the party believes a contemporary version of Unsworth is the man of the hour.The impression of an entrenched party hierarchy still unable to contemplate the significance of its defeat is confirmed in virtually all the comments of its members. The party's state secretary, Sam Dastyari, his predecessor, Senator Mark Arbib, the MLC Eddie Obeid - all seem incapable of understanding the decision voters have made. Defeat certainly is understood. But the reasons for it are not. Instead of analysis thereare excuses; instead of perception, denial. In Barry O'Farrell NSW voters have chosen an undemonstrative representative of middle Australia, a quiet achiever. In seat after seat they have chosen new representatives whose careers - and ideas - have been formed in the real world of trades, professions, businesses and economic engagement, not in the closeted and stale world of political manipulation where too many Labor MPs have spent their working lives. The electorate has rejected the party of entrenched factional interests, of quiet deals stitched up behind closed doors, of a rancid oligarchy too arrogant to stay in touch even with its own rank and file, let alone voters. But although the voters' verdict on Labor was unprecedented in Australian political history, their collective voice, apparently, is not loud enough for Labor to hear. John Robertson's selection was, it appears, stitched up months ago. It is a done deal, yet another done deal.The former planning minister Frank Sartor told the ABC on Monday night that he thought "the next Labor premier is not in the Parliament at the moment". He may be right. At present, Labor seems about to begin its inevitable journey of transformation with a single step - in the wrong direction.
© 2011 Sydney Morning Herald
