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The Australian Labor Party – which promised a sweeping range of climate initiatives – recorded its worst vote in decades with just one in three votes. In the resource rich state of Queensland.
As the major parties and commentators seek explanations for the latest federal election results, they should re-visit the lessons of the 2004 federal election.
Of course, factional power doesn't go away overnight and it was no surprise when the inaugural contenders in the first party-wide ballot for the Labor leadership were factional heavy-weights from the Right and Left.
It's impossible to relive the past, but a better future can be forged. Australia is best served by two major parties whose 'inclusion' doesn't feel like exclusion for a vast swathe of voters.
Did the constant reference to 'True Believers' and 'Faith' by the major Leaders show that both parties have gone back to their roots with their slogan efforts this year?
In Australia, our political system promotes all the wrong childhood, competitive behaviours like tactical play, groupthink, manipulating, and even backstabbing over our more mature adult behaviours.
