tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004769.post114232829203668996..comments2024-02-21T19:17:51.003+11:00Comments on Ari on the web: Another take on Labor's woesAri Sharphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077102567908140945noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004769.post-1142590298048051962006-03-17T21:11:00.000+11:002006-03-17T21:11:00.000+11:00Ari, I was reading Gerard Henderson's 'A Howard Vi...Ari, I was reading Gerard Henderson's 'A Howard Victory?' written in the last months of Keating, and its conclusions were opposite to yours.<BR/><BR/>Despite's GH's pedigree, he was envious of much of Labor's organisation. <BR/><BR/>These include a strong party head office, a career structure for hopefuls (eg unions & possibly NGOs), recruiting student politics, an ability to parachute 'star candidates' into safe seats, etc etc. <BR/><BR/>He was particularly praiseworthy of Labor's nurturing of a 'professional political class', the lack of which he saw as a reason why Hewson's Liberals failed. <BR/><BR/>Interestingly, what Henderson praised in Labor seems to be a large part of what you see as their problems today. <BR/><BR/>Lack of talent seems to be an issue with unpopular oppositions, with the federal Liberals of the 80s suffering at least as badly as ALP now. But it seems to vanish once power has been attained. <BR/><BR/>Peter www.melbourneontransit.blogspot.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004769.post-1142513230838688502006-03-16T23:47:00.000+11:002006-03-16T23:47:00.000+11:00Nice article, Ari. Though I'm not surprised it wa...Nice article, Ari. Though I'm not surprised it wasn't run. By way of constructive criticism, I think it went too quickly from the opening thesis of how many Labor folk have been staffers, straight almost the whole article on student politics.<BR/><BR/>Each are valid stories in their own right, but I think separate, notwithstanding their obvious connection. (Did that sound weird?)<BR/><BR/>Perhaps save the dissertation on student pollies for the campus journal - the big papers aren't interested. And take the opening stanza of this piece and concentrate more on the culture of staffer > parliament. The talent over loyalty angle is good. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004769.post-1142336686523514682006-03-14T22:44:00.000+11:002006-03-14T22:44:00.000+11:00so is student unionism the reality TV of politics?...so is student unionism the reality TV of politics?boy_fromOzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12354698665016613894noreply@blogger.com