The Australian
Cede power, Anthony Albanese tells factions
May 02, 2014
Senior Writer
Canberra
Anthony Albanese in parliament. Picture: Gary Ramage
LABOR Left leader Anthony Albanese last night called on union
chiefs and powerbrokers — including himself — to relinquish power and
influence to members because they have a “collective responsibility’’ to
reform the party.
the mark, cautioning that those on the progressive side of politics
“should leave the abusive slogans and offensive posters to the fringe’’.
Mr
Albanese, who won the popular vote in last year’s leadership ballot,
backed calls for the party to be overhauled, saying critics who argued
internal debate was a distraction were missing the point.
“If we
can craft progressive policies and endorse candidates drawn from across
the community — not just from our existing circle of insiders — we can
make Mr Abbott a one-term prime minister,’’ he told Young Labor
supporters in Cairns.
His intervention in Labor’s reform debate is significant because the
former minister is widely respected, popular with members and heads the
Left faction.
“The bottom line for Labor Party reform is that
unless some people who hold power now are prepared to share it with
others, it will fail,’’ he said.
“You can’t give more power to the membership without taking it from the powerbrokers.’’
They
had a collective responsibility to act, even if that meant some lost
power. “I include myself in that,’’ he said. “This will mean uncertain
outcomes. But that’s the point.’’
He also called for civility in
politics. “Labor’s starting point on the road to political recovery must
be acceptance that negativity and name calling won’t advance our
political cause.’’
It was a shame, Mr Albanese said, that when
Australians joined the March in March protests, the “message was
undermined by some of the banners’’.
He said he saw one that “actually condemned democracy’’. “That’s not progressive. That’s unacceptable. Full stop’’.
Some protesters
also wore “F..k Tony Abbott’’ T-shirts.
“We should leave the
abusive slogans and offensive posters to the fringe,’’ Mr Albanese said.
“Labor seeks to govern with majority support of the nation, not to be
just a party of protest.
“We must change the culture of party
processes to harness the broader participation that will broaden our
access to new ideas and potential candidates. Ideas must come from the
parliamentary wing and workplaces, but also from business people, mums
and dads in the suburbs, young people, professional people, churches,
and ethnic communities, even the local footy club.’’
He also
backed the push by ALP national president Jenny McAllister and retiring
veteran senator John Faulkner for union chiefs and factional
powerbrokers to cede power.
“I support the rank-and-file
membership having a direct say in electing delegates to state and
national ALP conferences,’’ he said.
“The same goes for the selection of Senate and upper house candidates.’’
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