Dear John letter from Paul Keating

[Matilda]

The ABC website has republished a 2008 letter from Paul Keating to John Robertson, likely new leader of the NSW Parliamentary Labor Party, on the occasion of his election to the Upper House. It's not very flattering, and is notable for the perception that Keating had then of what would become of Labor in this state.

"Your manipulation of the union base in New South Wales, with the connivance and support of the Party President, Bernie Riordan, succeeded in destroying the political life of both men, and with them, probably the Labor Government of New South Wales itself.

"When I came to see you about the Iemma Government's electricity privatisation proposals in April 2008, you will remember me telling you that reckless indifference by you and Bernie Riordan to the Government's fortunes, may see the Government destroyed and for which, you and Riordan would be held accountable.

"This letter is about that accountability."


http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/45678.html

And it ends, scathingly, in true Keating style:

"Let me tell you, if the Labor Party's stocks ever get so low as to require your services in its Parliamentary leadership, it will itself have no future ... the people of New South Wales have their problems, but they would be way better rattling through than turning to someone like you in some hope of redemption."


There can't be much doubt that New South Wales Labor needs to strip Sussex Street of every last official there and start again if we are to have any hope that Labor may once again stand for something other than greed and corruption. But John Robertson is one of the many who was annointed by Sussex Street and is therefore part of the problem. And courtesy of Mark Arbib, their pernicious influence is now tainting the Gillard Federal Government as well.

I currently vote Green because they are the party that is standing up for the kind of policies that should be embraced by Labor, but are not. But my heart is Labor, and I despair.