http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/turning-their-backs-on-the-abbott-avalanche/story-e6frezz0-1226625466155

UNLESS there is an electoral miracle, the Gillard government will lose badly on September 14.

The election will be potentially devastating for Labor, especially in states like NSW and Queensland where it will lose some of its most talented members and possibly several senior ministers including Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan.

In the aftermath Labor will need to use common sense and a strategic approach to rebuild the party. Indeed it needs to start thinking about that now, otherwise a coalition government led by Tony Abbott will be in office for a generation.

So what should the strategy be post an election loss (a big one apparently) for the ALP ?

More union influence and other dirty deals that got them into trouble ?

Can any effective strategy be implemented given how the ALP is controlled and dominated ?

The ALP usually succeeds when it has broader appeal not the vertical left wing ideology we see Gillard/Swan spewing out on a daily basis nor is any party going to succeed with a sword of credibility hanging over their heads.

So has the ALP put a line through the next election already ?
I can't recall polling looking so bad for a federal party, also I can not recall a time when the polling on individual seats drew an even uglier picture ....... while the national polls look bad, where it counts (marginals) it looks even worse.

The challenge for Labor is to put aside factional considerations and petty jealousies and find a way to effectively use the talent that it has in its ranks. The reality is that much of that potential talent is not in the federal parliament.

This will never happen

The problem for Labor is that it is all very well for their strategists to have a focus on introducing new and different talent to the states but this would leave a defeated federal Labor Party fighting for relevance, if not near extinction.

I can not recall a period when the ALP were being smashed at both levels, it has been a tradition for voters to differentiate state and federal politics........ no any more, brand Labor is on the nose at all levels.

It seems that there are two possible future leaders for federal Labor - Bill Shorten and Greg Combet. Shorten represents a Victorian seat and Combet a seat in NSW. Assuming they form a leadership team, Queensland would be bereft of senior representation. And the crucial fact is that, federally, Labor cannot win without Queensland.

Shorten is clearly an idiot as that you tube link shows, more important an unelectable idiot so he might be a good choice for first Abbott term opposition, that is no one will miss him. Combet might be a better option for second term when the ALP might have a chance, but that could be over 6+ years away. Combet hs some bad baggage, he has said some dumb things especially on carbon pricing.

In my opinion, the ALP strategy should embrace a twofold approach. There should be a leadership team which takes the ALP through the highly likely two terms that Abbott will get as prime minister, and then hand over to a future possible Labor prime minister in Shorten or Combet.

Given most (including me) have under estimated Abbott it could be more than 2 terms, especially of the Libs can pull off a smooth transition.

The ALP desperately needs experienced winners who can rebuild Labor at a federal level. Reliable operators who have the proven political skills to win back community support but who were not part of the disastrous decision-making process of the Gillard government and who would thus not be tainted by the odium of a defeated federal government.

You mean like Rudd ?
Other than him, politically the rest are rubbish.

The annihilation of the ALP in Queensland and NSW has left a dominating LNP government in Queensland and a coalition government in NSW that will throw resources and human capital behind the likely Abbott landslide.

Yes this will make it hard for the ALP to get noticed, they may require Abbott to fail to even get peoples ears.

Quote:


Reject socialism

longweekend58

I keep hearing from the rusted on the ALP policies are not the problem is how they are sold ?????

So its like saying that dodgy looking car in the car yard that everyone ignores has not been sold because the sales person is incompetent.

Everything about the ALP is wrong, I can't find one person who I regard as politically  smart in the ALP except Rudd who they hate, the factions are well documented and openly abuse each other, the party structure is undemocratic and pro union, the brand ALP is clearly damaged at all levels, as for their policies, name one that people demanded at 2007 election that they have implemented and has worked effectively ? The coalition had work choices which hurt them, the ALP has the FWA/FWC which has been shown up as incompetent.

I really don't know where they should start the rebuilding process.

Swagman

This is what Hawke did, but as support for the ALP and the MP's decrease even further (there will be 15-30 less after the next election depending on how big the defeat is) meaning the left overs will be the more socialistic thinking ones.

Good luck on that theory of them rejecting socialism, when Gillard got in trouble she was actually embracing it.

RightSadFred wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2013 at 10:19am:


All Labor really have to do is be fiscally responsible.

All Labor Governments both Federal and State have been irresponsible in that regard.

They will find that it is difficult to be fiscally responsible and also have even a watered down socialist ideology as they are mutually exclusive. 

The challenge for any Govt going forward will be funding the humongous social costs of the retiring baby boomers.

Swagman wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2013 at 10:09am:

Life_goes_on wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2013 at 12:37pm:


yes, that one had me smiling too.

ALP Strategy - Post September defeat???

Simply wait!!!

If that is possible, without them continuing to destroy themselves, then they will be quite likely to be re-elected at the following Federal election, as the Public will again/still be looking for someone to blame, for the ongoing Economic problems!