Some years ago (1971) I was a member of the Labor Party. It was part of a long tradition of personal liberality from the New Democrat Party of Canada to the Democrat Party of the USA. Arriving in Sydney I became immediately involved in Labor political action at the high school where I taught: Chester Hill, just a tad away from our immigrants’ home in Villawood Immigration Centre. Those were the heady days of Whitlam and reform.
I moved to Tasmania and joined the Labor Party where we lived in Lilydale. Those were still the heady days of Whitlam’s national reforms. We had meetings at our farm and at the Apple Shed where we ran a Farmers’ Market. I was told by a now un-named person, high in the cadre of Labor Leaders, I could not ask questions as I had been doing at each meetng. “Why?” I innocently queried. “Because, we have already made the decisions at the Party Level. If you continue to ask difficult questions from the floor that are in conflict with decisions we have already made we will ask you to leave the Party,” said he.
“Interesting,” said I, “I just quit the Labor Party. I will not be gagged by party hacks!” So, I quit but still voted Labor…at least for first preferences.
Now, nearly 40 years later I am sorry I quit the Labor Party over a senseless confrontation by a party hack. If I had stayed in the Labor Party I could resign again. You see, the Labor Party, because of their stand on the ‘Boat People’, has not only lost its way, it has lost a very large piece of its soul. Labor is no longer Labor. They have become the Twiddle De Dee to the Twiddle De Dum of the Liberals.
While Kevin warmly stirred my heart with his “Sorry” speech to the Aboriginal Peoples, I can only say, “I am sorry for what the Labor Party seems to becoming”.
Gosh, I wish I had not resigned so long ago. so I could resign right now!
