Learning from Corbyn

Andrew Giles

Australia today is as unequal as it’s ever been. We have a federal government ripping apart our social compact, compounding this while dividing Australians.

Two years ago, after the election defeat that brought Tony Abbott to power, Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese both trusted Labor members to set out our path back to power. This laid strong foundations for an approach that has been more than critique. Instead, we’ve offered a progressive articulation of the role of national government, and national leadership, in solving the problems in people’s lives.

This is why I am so concerned by the suggestion, in light of Corbyn’s election, that we just can’t trust the membership – that the job of MPs in this context is to save Labor from itself, lest we fall into the same trap as our British friends. This couldn’t be more wrong. 

A more representative group of people, having more of a say in the party, is the best way to ensure Labor’s problem-solving is anchored in the lived experience of those who look to us.

So, let’s be very clear: our primary concern must always be about imbalances of power in society, not the balance of power within the Labor party.