Labor must rekindle the flames of idealism to connect to real people

The Labor Party I joined thrived on a heady mixture of idealism and justice. Although compromise was common and perhaps even inevitable, the crackly flame of idealism somehow always stayed bright.

Pragmatists and idealists have always fought great battles inside the Labor Party. Labor needs both in order to succeed. Pragmatism without idealism is pointless, and idealism without pragmatism is hopeless. Idealism is at a low ebb in modern Labor: the task now is to revive it and restore definition to Labor’s identity.

Courageous and compassionate stands have always defined Labor. Is it any wonder that since 2001 many Australians are asking what Labor stands for?

Yes, I’m angry about the 2001 election but I cannot allow this anger to consume me. Nor must it be allowed to consume the Labor Party.

The great battles of principle of the past have never been as simple as they might seem from afar. Enormous internal convulsions were usually involved. Labor has always sought to marry principle with majority community support and sometimes that challenge overwhelms the party.

There is no purpose in any hand-wringing over the 2001 position on asylum seekers. The answer to this challenge is not to re-fight battles of the recent past. It is to imagine the future.

Labor’s great mistake since 1996 has been to focus too much on what is wrong with the Howard Government and not enough on what is right for Australia. For many Australians, substantive differences between the major parties have diminished, while the intensity of political conflict has increased.

Violent language and macho posturing are no substitute for vision. Brutality in politics might entertain but it will never persuade. For Labor to recapture the spirit of idealism and vision we have to rise above Punch and Judy politics. Courage and compassion require content, not calumny.

I want an Australia where compassion is an honoured ingredient in public life and respect for rules and institutions is ingrained. An Australia made up of open markets and inclusive community institutions. An Australia where taxes are judged by the value they deliver, and not just the cost they entail. An Australia based on the principle of opportunity for all. An Australia that offers a better life and a larger future for our children.

Compassion for those who are struggling requires genuine courage. Reviving Labor idealism does not mean hunting about for symbolic issues on which to knock up a manufactured emotional crusade. It is about connecting with the core realities of people's lives.

I want to outline three opportunities for Labor. Each theme is ultimately about our children. About their life opportunities, their health, the support their parents are able to give them.

Protecting low paid and casual workers

The Australian economy is sustained by an invisible army of struggling, low paid and casual workers. The rest of us benefit from cheap clothes, restaurants, cleaning services, financial services, laundry, transport and entertainment. Labor market deregulation has allowed some workers to increase the rewards for their skills but many others are pushed into the margins of our society. For many children this means inadequate family income and insufficient parental involvement.