James Johnson CHR · @JamesJohnsonCHR
22nd Jul 2012 from Twitlonger
My #ausPol LABOR sources tell me it is likely ALP will split between @JuliaGillard and @KRuddMP forces, TWO separate Federal Labor Parties, before the next Federal election.
This will give traditional labor voters the opportunity to register protest votes against the Gillard camp, while showing their ongoing support for traditional labor values (including Rudd as preferred PM). Of course these will then show voters to be pro-Rudd, pro-traditional Labor (ie carrying positive values messages) rather than anti-Gillard (ie negative spin on political personalities).
Our generations (past 60 years) are not used to seeing major splits of a major political party. But in the broad historical sweep of things, such splits are very normal. The lack of such splits in recent generations is itself another indication of a broken (entrenched, collusive) system.
Splitting into two distinct Gillard v Rudd Federal Labor parties sounds like a sensible plan to me. It is already happening at State levels, with the ACT and Queensland labor distancing themselves from Federal Labor under Gillard.
It is pretty obvious, as Robert Manne points out by reference to the 1931 and 1975 Labor election disasters, which version of parliamentary Labor would be the strongest one, perhaps the only one, in the Parliament after the next Federal election.
James Johnson
Independent Federal Candidate for Lalor
Constitutional Human Rights Advocate
Solicitor and Barrister of the High Court of Australia
(Celebrating 20 Years of Legal Practice 1990 - 2010)