St Paul and the scrapheapBy A Believer in TruthSo a 'True Believer' suggests Paul Lennon should be sainted and Duncan Kerr should join Paul Keating on the Labor scrapheap. Even by the standard of Labor hacks isn't that just a bit embarrassing? I don't know where Mr Lennon's 'True Believer' was when the Hawke and Keating government, against Tasmanian Labor's opposition, saved the Franklin and secured World Heritage nomination for the South West Wilderness. I suspect he or she was grumbling away. I don't know where he or she was when Duncan Kerr defeated Michael Hodgman to become the first federal Labor member for Tasmania in 12 years, dragged Labor back into the political mainstream in Tasmania and turned a Liberal seat into a safe Labor stronghold - one of the safest in Australia. I doubt, like the Prime Minister, Mr Lennon's 'True Believer' is going to give much credence to the possibility that Tasmania's decade of good fortune, like Australia's, was built on the back of difficult economic reforms introduced during the Hawke and Keating years. I suspect both Mr Howard and our 'True Believer' for their own reasons, would claim it all as Howard's/Lennon's own work. I also doubt that Mr Lennon's 'True Believer' has spent much time among Labor voters - myself among them - who are, despite his repudiation of the idea, still urging Duncan Kerr to 'save' the state Labor government by standing at the next state election. There is simmering resentment in the community - and in some quarters, outright despair - about the way Paul Lennon conducts the 'business' of running Tasmania. Lifelong Labor people, all passionate Tasmanians, are finding it hard to believe in their party, and they are searching for hope. In fact , Mr Lennon's 'True Believer' probably reckons it was a good thing that the then state and federal Labor leaders, after encouraging Duncan Kerr to stand at the last state election, showed their word was not to be trusted . Well of course he or she, spinning for Paul Lennon, would see that as a good thing - after all if there had been any alternative ...
Sincerely,
RAPID RESPONSE EMAIL: What do you think? Friday, December 3, 2004 |