Simon Crean: Game Over

Simon Crean has been doorknocking ALP residents in the seat of Hotham, asking for their support in fighting off Martin Pakula, a union official who wants to challenge for preselection. I called the results about a year ago, when speculation of a deal between the factions on these preselections was being negotiated. It's easy to say it when there's no proof on this blog. I told people what I thought, and they said I was crazy. Well look at it now. My own sources inside Labor Unity tell me that Crean's goose is cooked, and all this doorknocking and canvassing is just a struggle on the inevitable march to the gallows.

I haven't had a chance to seize up Pakula, and what he'd like to do if preselected. (He might increase the vote in Hotham!). I've heard he's a quiet but hard working official, who's well respected within the union movement.That leads me away from the point I'm about to make. Labor is doing away with one it has been known for.

Burying their leaders. All past leaders have had the chance to see out their time on the green leather, without being forced out. The deal negotiated on preselection put an end to that. Hawke resigned after he was rolled by Keating, Keating left of his own accord after the 1996 defeat, Kim Beazley has been allowed to hang around despite his two election losses and Latham certainly left of his own accord. No loss of face brought on by the party, or its state branches.
No movement to kick sitting leaders out of parliament. Crean is the first former leader to be embarassed. This also flows down into state preselections, where Bracks has wanted automatic protection for his ministers at the next state election. The same deal, and a modification of the Legislative Council, means that the minister responsible for the Commonwealth Games (Justin Madden) may lose his seat just months after the Games.

To become a party that appeals to more people, it must jettison a second, significant tradition. The minimisation of trade union involvement in the party. Mark Latham put it as eloquently as he could when he wrote:

I'm not opposed to unionism per se, just the idea of six union secretaries
sitting around a Chinese restaurant table planning the future for everyone
else. (December 2003)

Tony Blair took Labor away from the power of the Trade Unions by reforming the party. It is now branded as New Labor, and it has been three terms of rule for them. New Labor have captured the middle ground, and it is only now that the Conservatives under David Cameron have been able to start chipping away at the lead in the polls.

Simon Crean has tried to reform the party, and is perhaps paying the price for trying to pry the hands of unions off the party. His advocacy of 60/40 (60% Branch members, 40% Unions) at National Conferences was groundbreaking. Latham was also trailblazer on reforming not just party politics, but Australian decision making structures, and advocates devolution of power to individual communities, killing the main parties hold on it. I wouldn't listen extensively to the rantings of a bitter man, who is facing charges of assault, theft and malicious damage to a photographer's camera. I just say there needs to be union blood shed before Labor can really compete in a political arena.

UPDATE: LLM was wrong, Creano managed to survive.The local Cambodian vote looks like it changed sides. I guess that when you've put up with the terrors of Pol Pot, and the belief that older people do a better job, it's easier to see why you're not going to be pushed around by a young upstart. LLM did believe that Simon's time was over, but stands corrected.