On Stephen Conroy

Marcus L’Estrange writes: Re. “Rundle: Conroy moves to Big Gambling, Labor on a losing streak” (yesterday).  Now that Conroy has left the Parliament he will have plenty ($6 million plus) in his super fund because he was a member of the defined benefits scheme. Apart from CEO’s super package one of the most criminally generous super packages ever designed. All largely paid for by the toiling masses Steve claimed to represent. In 2013, with the real unemployment figures showing that our unemployment figure was 2 million or 20%, or one vacancy for every 20 unemployed, Conroy voted against increasing the value of the dole, for the offloading of single parents from their pension when their child turns eight, a tightening of the DSP eligibility requirement but, surprise, surprise, for a 35% MPs pay increase. No wonder Labor’s primary vote is so low and Labor has to rely on the Greens to get into government with such evil as Conroy being a senator.

Daniel Morphett writes: Well it’s not like Conroy was the great white hope or anything, so it is hardly a crushing blow. Somehow Labor has gotten hold of an actual gut-wringing machine, which was made up as a joke by the late great reprobate Charles Bukowski. And they have used it to remove anyone who is really great from the leadership ranks and Shorten is the ultimate result. There is nothing left if someone like him is a credible candidate. The big sucking sound is the giant vacuum of leadership that we have in both major parties. Conroy? The Senate was just a bridge to his real goal and now he has reached his nirvana: gambling industry lobbyist.