Gillard the least of Labor's worries

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Gillard the least of Labor's worries

Senator John Faulkner exempted Labor parliamentary leaders from specific criticism during his recent Neville Wran Lecture, but he certainly didn't help Julia Gillard by once again focusing media attention on Labor's membership weaknesses. by John Warhurst

It gave Kevin Rudd the opportunity to repeat his own diagnosis of Labor's internal problems and for union leader Paul Howes, who had helped bring him down 12 months ago, to attack Rudd as a hypocrite who was a major part of the problem.

All of this was predictable. But it did nothing to settle Labor's problems at the federal level; rather it only contributed to further gloom about Labor's prospects.

In fact, whatever Gillard's take on the many valid points about greater membership participation that Faulkner made they are not primarily her responsibility and there is little she herself can do about them anyway. Past party leaders, like Gough Whitlam, have tackled such issues from Opposition with nothing to lose. Recent Opposition leaders, like Simon Crean, expended energy on internal reform for little benefit in terms of his leadership.

Article published on Eurekastreet- to read more or for further information click link

Faulkner's lecture came just before Gillard's first anniversary as prime minister at a time when the media are floating the possibility that she will go the way of Rudd. It has reached the stage that the Independents, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott, are being questioned about a change of Labor PM.

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