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Modern Labour
Unveiling his 'modern Labor' pitch in the Budget in Reply, Opposition leader Simon Crean seemed very 1950s � when 'modern' was good in itself, like spray-cans, zippers and uncomfortable furniture.
Interview: Licking the Wounds
Elder statesman Neville Wran expands on his review into Labor's performance at the last federal election.
Industrial: The Accidental Tourist
Standing on a picket line, just metres from the sleaziest part of Kings Cross, was not what Cheshire chemist David Lui had in mind when he was saving for his trip of a lifetime.
Unions: Stars And Stripes
Fly the flag, beat the war drum and screw the old, the sick and the poor � Peter Costello�s budget aims to emulate the worst aspects of American politics argues Noel Hester.
International: The Un-Promised Land
Andrew Casey lifts the lid on a little-known campaign to establish a Jewish homeland in the Kimberleys.
History: Mate Against Mate
Neale Towart trawls the records to recount some of the more acrimonious ALP State Conference debates.
Politics: Reith's Gong
Peter Reith's medal from the HR Nicholls Society overlooks a number of lamentable aspects about his character as Stuart Mackenzie reports.
Poetry: You've Got a Friend
A friend is someone who protects you, but in an interesting twist the Federal budget has redefined the notion of 'protection' by adding the word 'from'.
Review: War on Terror: Now Showing
Arnold Schwarznegger's latest flick Collateral Damage is spooky for many reasons, writes Tara de Boehmler.
Satire: Burmese Regime Makes Genuine Commitment To Pretence Of Change
The government of Myanmar (Burma) released democratic opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi today after a year and a half of house arrest.
 Solidarity In The Post To East Timor
Joy Wins For All Workers
Workers Call Abbott On Democracy Bluff
Wran Tells MPs: Talk to Unions
Family First on Conference Agenda
Cole Commission Declares Paper War
Yarra Workers Thank Australia
Budget Attacks Retirement Incomes
PSA Challenges Carr�s Secrecy Shield
Election Talk Aint Cheap
Hotel Bosses Back Down On Pay
Welfare Staff Strike Out At Harrassment
Della Ups DIR Inspectorate
Fake Notes Expose Government as Tax Cheat
Labor Faces Acid Test on Asylum Seekers
New Project Encourages Cultural Exchanges
Bush�s Western Saharan War And Oil Deal
Activists Notebook
The Soapbox
Border Solidarity
The Australian Workers Union's Bill Shorten explains why he drew a line in the cement in support of the CSL Yarra crew The Locker Room
The Dangerous Life Of A Hot Dog Seller
Phil Doyle ruminates on the virtues of processed meats in the world of elite sports. Bosswatch
The Bottom Line
Peter Costello wasn't the only one flaunting a budget deficit this week, as Rupert Murdoch announced the largest corporate write-down on record. Postcard
East Timor Appeals For Help
At midnight on Sunday 19 May, the UN mandate in East Timor comes to an end and East Timor becomes a new independent nation. Week in Review
The Spin Cycle
Budget week brings that much spin you half expect to see Shane Warne wheeled out as a spokesman on health, economics, or whatever else the combatants are blabbing about. Jim Marr lifts the covers.
Gangsta Rap
More May Day Hate Mail
What Women Want
Chucking a Wobbly
Is Caustic Costello the Despot of Despair?
East Timor: Independent Or Mendicant?
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News
Wran Tells MPs: Talk to Unions
An official review of the ALP's federal election defeat is recommending that Labor MPs be required to set up networks with rank and file trade unionists in their electorates.
Former Premier Neville Wran has completed his review for the NSW branch, rejecting "the idea that the trade union movement represented any negative factor in the last federal election".
The committee accepted evidence that elected ALP members tended to lose touch with their roots, accepting a proposal to place consultation requirements on all members.
"All Labor Ministers, Shadow Ministers and MPs should be required to establish a regular consultative process with trade unions relevant to their portfolios and electorates," the report says.
"Opportunities should be given to all unions to express their views to ministers and shadow ministers in the formulation of policy and its implementation."
NSW Labor Council secretary John Robertson - who was part of the Advisory Committee - has welcomed the report and offered to assist MPs in establishing these structures.
"Too often unions and their concerns are ignored by Labor politicians," Robertson says. "By making the establishment of consultative processes a requirement, there is an enforceable onus on Labor MPs to seek advice from trade unions and their members."
60/40 Debate to Continue
The committee called for retention of the 60/40 rule that gives trade unions delegates a majority vote for the 2002 state conference but recommends ongoing dialogue with on its long-term viability.
And it rejects calls to dump the requirement that party members be union members, while recommending a clarification of party rules requiring members to join unions, given the change in employment to casual work and self-employment.
Other recommendations include:
- rejection of the 'small target' strategy of releasing policies late in the electoral cycle
- restructuring national conference, with direct election of delegates from local branches.
- moves to eliminate branch stacking, including only allowing Australian citizens and permanent residents to be members.
- greater emphasis on the use of technology in campaigns.
If you are an ALP member, you can access the report online at the NSW ALP website at http://www.nswalp.com.au
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Issue 136 contents
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