WINSTON CLOSE
Let’s tell Bill Shorten a few cold, hard truths
Last May when Labor endeavoured to boast what they stood for, the following email was circulated en masse:
Some time ago I wrote to you asking you to
complete a survey so I could see what you believed was Labor’s direction
for the future.
complete a survey so I could see what you believed was Labor’s direction
for the future.
Today our party – the oldest organised labour party in
the world – is undergoing a process of grassroots reform and
revitalisation. That’s why this was such a tremendous opportunity to
hear from you.
the world – is undergoing a process of grassroots reform and
revitalisation. That’s why this was such a tremendous opportunity to
hear from you.
I wanted to make sure all of you got a chance to see
the results of this survey and what our community’s vision for the
future of Labor was. Read
our report and take your chance to share my favourite part of this job
– listening to people about the things that matter most.
the results of this survey and what our community’s vision for the
future of Labor was. Read
our report and take your chance to share my favourite part of this job
– listening to people about the things that matter most.
Thanks for your support,
George Wright
National Secretary
National Secretary
For whatever reason, I didn’t complete the survey. Nonetheless, I was interested to read the report.
Sadly, it told me little, but I was extremely disappointed with the summary. Here is a part of it:
The policy areas of importance to supporters, namely
healthcare, climate change, the NBN & schools funding, were policy
areas already championed by the Party.
So why was I disappointed? I was disappointed because Labor’s vision
for the future doesn’t include on-shore processing of asylum seekers.
Now people have a chance to right that wrong, with an invitation to engage with Bill Shorten, who sent the following email:
The only thing standing in the way of Tony Abbott winning another term in 2016 is our ability to stand together.
We were built by the grassroots, for the benefit of the people. And that’s how we’ll win.
Brought together by the belief we can build a better, fairer country, we all share a common passion. I want to hear your ideas about how we can rebuild Labor for the better.
Join me in a video call next Tuesday 23 September to chat about how we need to rebuild and win.
I am honoured to lead Labor; but I recognise it is a privilege built
on the hard work and passion of thousands of like-minded Australians who
stand shoulder to shoulder with you.
We can only stop Tony Abbott if we all stand together, focused on what unites us — that’s why I want to hear from you about how we do that.
I’ll be taking your questions live on Twitter with your host ACT Senator Kate Lundy. Click here to RSVP and find out more.
Like me, you must find it hard to watch what Tony Abbott’s Government
is doing to our country. But the damage will only continue — and get
worse — if he wins again in 2016.
Rebuilding Labor begins with you and me; let’s talk about it next Tuesday.
Thanks for standing with me on this,
Bill
We were built by the grassroots, for the benefit of the people. And that’s how we’ll win.
Brought together by the belief we can build a better, fairer country, we all share a common passion. I want to hear your ideas about how we can rebuild Labor for the better.
Join me in a video call next Tuesday 23 September to chat about how we need to rebuild and win.
I am honoured to lead Labor; but I recognise it is a privilege built
on the hard work and passion of thousands of like-minded Australians who
stand shoulder to shoulder with you.
We can only stop Tony Abbott if we all stand together, focused on what unites us — that’s why I want to hear from you about how we do that.
I’ll be taking your questions live on Twitter with your host ACT Senator Kate Lundy. Click here to RSVP and find out more.
Like me, you must find it hard to watch what Tony Abbott’s Government
is doing to our country. But the damage will only continue — and get
worse — if he wins again in 2016.
Rebuilding Labor begins with you and me; let’s talk about it next Tuesday.
Thanks for standing with me on this,
Bill
Never have I read such limp, superficial fluff.
He’s saying one thing yet doing the other.
But if he wants my opinion I can think of a couple of things to add to their disgraceful asylum seeker policy. For starters, Bill Shorten’s response to a federal ICAC:
“I think we’ve all been shocked at the revelations that
have come out in NSW ICAC,” he has said. “I don’t believe the same case
has yet existed to demonstrate these problems are prevalent in the
national political debate in Australia.”
I find that gutless and pathetic. The NSW ICAC has seen Liberal Party
politicians dropping like flies and whilst it doesn’t suggest that
there is corruption in the federal ranks, Bill must surely be aware that
there are tens of thousands of voters out there with eyebrows raised.
It’s a question they’d like answered. And it seriously needs to be
answered.
I’m also disappointed at the bipartisan support Bill Shorten has given Tony Abbott in involving us in another war. John Kelly expressed it succinctly (and better than I could) when he wrote:
How simple-minded this government is. How pathetic is the
Labor opposition that so meekly falls into line as if there was no
other position it could take.
I’ll be telling Bill Shorten what I think. It’s a chance for all of
us to do the same. He wrote “We can only stop Tony Abbott if we all
stand together”. Lately I’m beginning to feel that it’s Tony Abbott he’s
standing with . . . not the rest of us.
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