Letter to the Editor, The Australian, August 29, 2011
Quite right Peter van Onselen, your own mini-Q&A “Will replacing Gillard, even done smoothly, save Labor? Probably not,” (Labor Should Take The Risk and Dump Gillard, The Weekend Australian, August 27-28) understates the enormity and depth of Labor’s failure in Government. It’s not just the Prime Minister’s failure. It’s the endless run of bad policies, wasted billions, hapless political managment and sheer stupidity of the Rudd and Gillard Governments that have so corroded the nation’s trust and belief in them. The drover’s dog is coming back ….
Do us a favour, don’t do us any more favours is the mantra in the street. Everything they touch breaks, every idea they float sinks, every slippery obfuscation stinks. It’s not a one woman show – the whole of Government is implicated, as are their partners in power, the Greens. There is no way out of this for Labor; they will bleed to political death until the next election. In the meantime,Australia’s democratic fabric is being torn as Labor’s divisive and tortured policy plans nurture increasing antagonisms and vicious, abusive rows.
Andrew L. Urban