[parallels] the implosion of labour
I’m going to be short on facts and high on impressions. Who wants to know about the intricacies of Australian politics anyway?
Australia was becoming tired of John Howard’s grey politics, of his conservative, no-fun policies and the country’s steady-as-she-goes seeming slow descent into mediocrity on the world stage. Many remember the skyrocket Gough Whitlam from the early 70s, when he stood tall in the world and the world took notice.
In Australia, there were grumblings, which became shrill as Howard had an unfortunate meeting with George Bush on the White House lawn where Bush clearly showed that Howard and his country were a low priority, despite the rhetoric. This p-ed off many Australians, including the conservatives.
Enter Mark Latham. Brash, ebullient, full of vigour and confidence – here was the great white hope at last for Labour. New policies on everything from education to the environment, a new broom. One of his first acts was to appoint Peter Garrett, president of the Australian Conservation Foundation and former lead singer with the rock band Midnight Oil, as a Labor candidate in Kingsford Smith, a safe Sydney electorate vacated by the retiring former minister Laurie Brereton.
It hit the fan. The local party had already earmarked the seat for a tireless party hack and the young upstart was not going to break in like this. Just as Blair silenced the critics when it became apparent he was actually going to win, so it was with Latham. This was a new, young Labour, with experts in all key positions.
It never happened. It imploded and John Howard must have been smiling wrily as he stood back and watched. He hadn’t had to do a thing. It really came down to Mark Latham’s illness – a heart condition and though he came through it and was declared ‘sound’, Australia wondered. Then came various erratic statements from Latham’s mouth, unlike Gordon Brown and Peter Costello where they mainly came from their supporters.
Australia’s approval of Latham began to slip and the Labour sharks began to circle. John Howard became a little jauntier and the atmosphere shifted. It’s a matter of record now that Howard won significantly, Latham immediately withdrew completely from politics and soon after, the Latham Diaries were published.
Was there ever such a collection of vitriolic spite – about Beazley, about everyone on the Labour side. It wasn’t so much the hotly disputed ‘revelations’ but the appalling tone. It was Nixonian street-hood-head-kicking stuff and Australia now saw what they had just escaped from by the skin of their teeth. The man had gone completely to pieces.
Australia breathed a collective sigh of relief, except for the left infested press and Howard enjoyed a new lease of life. Labour is back in the wilderness where it so loves to dwell.
Australia was becoming tired of John Howard’s grey politics, of his conservative, no-fun policies and the country’s steady-as-she-goes seeming slow descent into mediocrity on the world stage. Many remember the skyrocket Gough Whitlam from the early 70s, when he stood tall in the world and the world took notice.
In Australia, there were grumblings, which became shrill as Howard had an unfortunate meeting with George Bush on the White House lawn where Bush clearly showed that Howard and his country were a low priority, despite the rhetoric. This p-ed off many Australians, including the conservatives.
Enter Mark Latham. Brash, ebullient, full of vigour and confidence – here was the great white hope at last for Labour. New policies on everything from education to the environment, a new broom. One of his first acts was to appoint Peter Garrett, president of the Australian Conservation Foundation and former lead singer with the rock band Midnight Oil, as a Labor candidate in Kingsford Smith, a safe Sydney electorate vacated by the retiring former minister Laurie Brereton.
It hit the fan. The local party had already earmarked the seat for a tireless party hack and the young upstart was not going to break in like this. Just as Blair silenced the critics when it became apparent he was actually going to win, so it was with Latham. This was a new, young Labour, with experts in all key positions.
It never happened. It imploded and John Howard must have been smiling wrily as he stood back and watched. He hadn’t had to do a thing. It really came down to Mark Latham’s illness – a heart condition and though he came through it and was declared ‘sound’, Australia wondered. Then came various erratic statements from Latham’s mouth, unlike Gordon Brown and Peter Costello where they mainly came from their supporters.
Australia’s approval of Latham began to slip and the Labour sharks began to circle. John Howard became a little jauntier and the atmosphere shifted. It’s a matter of record now that Howard won significantly, Latham immediately withdrew completely from politics and soon after, the Latham Diaries were published.
Was there ever such a collection of vitriolic spite – about Beazley, about everyone on the Labour side. It wasn’t so much the hotly disputed ‘revelations’ but the appalling tone. It was Nixonian street-hood-head-kicking stuff and Australia now saw what they had just escaped from by the skin of their teeth. The man had gone completely to pieces.
Australia breathed a collective sigh of relief, except for the left infested press and Howard enjoyed a new lease of life. Labour is back in the wilderness where it so loves to dwell.
posted by James Higham @ 16:19
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