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| A leadership contest is not necessarily bad for Labor | A leadership contest is not necessarily bad for Labor |
| (5 days later) | |
| The new Labor caucus rules are apparently marked private and confidential, and therefore can't be shared outside the family – well not officially at any rate. | The new Labor caucus rules are apparently marked private and confidential, and therefore can't be shared outside the family – well not officially at any rate. |
| This minor inconvenience – I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you – may explain why Labor's two leadership candidates seemed slightly unclear on some of the finer points guiding the historic ballot for party leader, which will get under way over the next four weeks. Labor's national executive would clean that all up next week, went the rationale. | This minor inconvenience – I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you – may explain why Labor's two leadership candidates seemed slightly unclear on some of the finer points guiding the historic ballot for party leader, which will get under way over the next four weeks. Labor's national executive would clean that all up next week, went the rationale. |
| A few things were confirmed. There would be an acting interim leader, and it would be Chris Bowen. The party leadership was to be contested – Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten nominated themselves as candidates – therefore a ballot would ensue. | A few things were confirmed. There would be an acting interim leader, and it would be Chris Bowen. The party leadership was to be contested – Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten nominated themselves as candidates – therefore a ballot would ensue. |
| Labor's national secretary, George Wright, issued some further points of clarification: nominations from federal Labor members of caucus would be open until next Friday; eligible Labor members would have two weeks to cast their vote; the vote would be "tallied and combined 50-50 with the result of a caucus vote". | Labor's national secretary, George Wright, issued some further points of clarification: nominations from federal Labor members of caucus would be open until next Friday; eligible Labor members would have two weeks to cast their vote; the vote would be "tallied and combined 50-50 with the result of a caucus vote". |
| The party membership would vote first, followed by the caucus. The caucus would not be aware of the results of the grassroots ballot when it voted for either of the two candidates on offer. No one seemed to be able to answer what would happen should the vote deliver a tie. | The party membership would vote first, followed by the caucus. The caucus would not be aware of the results of the grassroots ballot when it voted for either of the two candidates on offer. No one seemed to be able to answer what would happen should the vote deliver a tie. |
| Whether it was all nailed down, or whether it wasn't, Labor dragged itself over the critical threshold on Friday: there would be a leadership ballot involving grassroots members for the first time in the ALP's history, these new caucus rules bequeathed by Kevin Rudd would stay (well most of them anyway; I really don't think that debate is yet over). | Whether it was all nailed down, or whether it wasn't, Labor dragged itself over the critical threshold on Friday: there would be a leadership ballot involving grassroots members for the first time in the ALP's history, these new caucus rules bequeathed by Kevin Rudd would stay (well most of them anyway; I really don't think that debate is yet over). |
| So for Labor, an election defeat sparks yet another election. But if the opening of the next iteration of the permanent campaign is any guide, it will allow the party to think through its options both now and over the medium term, to consider what worked in the period in government and what did not. | So for Labor, an election defeat sparks yet another election. But if the opening of the next iteration of the permanent campaign is any guide, it will allow the party to think through its options both now and over the medium term, to consider what worked in the period in government and what did not. |
| I know there is commentary around suggesting this is bad for Labor. This view is rational enough – why would you end a period of division with yet more public division? | I know there is commentary around suggesting this is bad for Labor. This view is rational enough – why would you end a period of division with yet more public division? |
| I'm not buying that. It's messy, sure – but so what? If we who cover politics don't allow political parties to take a breath and have debates about important things, we are not serving the public interest. We are just reinforcing the institutional cynicism. | I'm not buying that. It's messy, sure – but so what? If we who cover politics don't allow political parties to take a breath and have debates about important things, we are not serving the public interest. We are just reinforcing the institutional cynicism. |
| Labor has an interesting choice to make: Albanese and Shorten are not playing up their differences for obvious reasons, but they are fundamentally different characters – they would pursue distinctly different styles of opposition leadership. | Labor has an interesting choice to make: Albanese and Shorten are not playing up their differences for obvious reasons, but they are fundamentally different characters – they would pursue distinctly different styles of opposition leadership. |
| Both men would have to make a significant personal transition from their immediate past. It's much easier to imagine what you would do with leadership than to actually be the leader. Opposition leadership is the hardest job in professional politics. | Both men would have to make a significant personal transition from their immediate past. It's much easier to imagine what you would do with leadership than to actually be the leader. Opposition leadership is the hardest job in professional politics. |
| The view inside the party is Shorten has the numbers in the caucus and Albanese the numbers with the rank and file. With this historic ballot we'll learn just how much the parliamentary representatives are in sync with the grassroots. | The view inside the party is Shorten has the numbers in the caucus and Albanese the numbers with the rank and file. With this historic ballot we'll learn just how much the parliamentary representatives are in sync with the grassroots. |
| And we'll also learn just how committed Labor is to learning from past mistakes, and overcoming their considerable talent for self-sabotage and self-destruction. | And we'll also learn just how committed Labor is to learning from past mistakes, and overcoming their considerable talent for self-sabotage and self-destruction. |
| Talking about new politics is all very well – but delivering it? | Talking about new politics is all very well – but delivering it? |
| Something else entirely. | Something else entirely. |
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