Honesty or denial?: Karl Bitar at the National Press Club

And most of what Bitar offered was not supported by evidence, and what evidence was offered was laughable. For example he argued that Labor outspent the Liberals on education, even suggesting that Howard tied education funding to raising the Australian flag.

In reality, the evidence complicates Bitar's claim that Labor, under Rudd and Gillard, still stand for ample life and education opportunities regardless of gender, age, income, ethnicity.

For instance, Dr Jim McMorrow, examining projected Commonwealth education spending between 2009 and 2013, concluded that private schools will have received $47 billion for computers, new buildings and general running costs, compared with $35 billion for government schools. Further, private school share of federal funding was predicted to increase to 64 per cent by 2013, and that an extra investment of $1.5 billion a year was needed to return public schools to the 43 per cent share of funding achieved under the last Labor government (Emma Macdonald, "Funding boost for private schools", Canberra Times, January 18, 2010).

And while Bitar suggests that the public should have applauded Labor's record investment in renewables, Commonwealth environmental spending declined under Rudd: $4.36 billion inherited from the Howard government in 2007-08, fell to $3.12 billion in 2009-10, including $1.13 billion spent on the disastrous "pink batts" insulation program.

Labor's appeal to battlers and so-called progressives is increasingly rhetorical, despite Bitar now calling for greater debate and community involvement, including via online sources.

While Bitar challenged an assumption that Labor relied too much on focus groups to devise policy, Labor's use of quantitative research and its focus on communication with MPs, journalists, caucus and cabinet, increasingly reflects a focused strategy to win the most possible seats rather than a commitment to its ideals.

Labor needs to ask itself again what it stands for in terms of its policy aims, and how can it anticipate likely trends to ensure greater fairness within its ongoing struggle to balance competitiveness and compassion.

While these are difficult economic times for Western societies, with the strong possibility of significant budget cuts in the future, the public does expect Labor to promote policies in line with its historical traditions. This is especially true in times when an increasing minority struggle with higher costs for housing, food and utilities.

This means that many of the issues that have come to be accepted as status quo, such as privatisation, deregulation, industry protection, should be debated much more in line with growing public concern.

At the end of the day, Bitar's National Press Club speech was ordinary, almost humorous rather than offering a serious appraisal of Labor's situation.

If Labor continues on its merry way with policies that make little difference on key issues, preferring to make excuses for Labor's near loss, or simply implying that things would be even worse under the Coalition, then many will look to other parties for hope on policy, including the Greens.