Is Labor in the middle of an existential crisis?

Crikey readers are always a passionate lot when the trials of the Australian Labor Party are raised, and those responding to Guy Rundle’s dissection of the struggles of Labor in 2019 were no different. While some were concerned that the ALP is already suffering enough pressure, many conceded that the party doesn’t seem to know what it should be. Elsewhere, readers went in on the changing face of news media, and tried to work out Tony Abbott.

On the light on the hill

Ben Marshall writes: Rundle’s analysis, while erudite and informed, also misses a fundamental point ignored by Labor and most commentators — the last election demonstrated that a party with no policies and a track record of cruel, corrupt and inept management in government, will win every future election now the media and preference system is fully gamed in their favour. Speculation about lights on hills seems quaint to the point of irrelevance.

David Howe writes: Calling the ALP left wing is farcical.

On changing news media

Bill Hilliger writes: The cynic in me feels that soon there will be a lot of begging by Murdoch for corporate welfare; and of course the LNP government will oblige. Still every time I read or hear the broken old media downsize their churnalists, stenographers, typists and other bedbugs it’s a case of welcome to the world of Centrelink that they all criticised so much. They too can become job snobs and choose not to go fruit picking for ten dollars per hour.

On Tony Abbott

Mark E Smith writes: “Action on climate change was like primitive people killing goats to ‘appease the volcano gods’.” That line comes up a bit and always makes me think of the interview where Tones dutifully explains in detail how a carbon tax would work as a producer tax and favour lower emissions. A man totally devoid of principles or really anything not involving his lust for power and relevance. One of our worst ever high ranking public figures.