Via The Australian:
Bill Shorten is facing his most challenging year as Labor leader, even though polls have the opposition with what appears an insurmountable lead and he looks almost certain to be prime minister next year.
Shorten must contend with internal party wrangling over policy ahead of a national conference, a divisive contest for party presidency, the possible loss of the seat of Batman, a factional struggle for power in Victoria and increasing union militancy while leadership aspirant Anthony Albanese breathes down his neck.
None of this is helped by Shorten’s unpopularity. Labor’s focus group research has always showed that most voters don’t like him and don’t trust him. Party officials believe Shorten is a drag on the Labor vote, which is stuck at historically low levels of about 37-38 per cent. Statewide polling recently conducted by the party’s national secretariat largely mirrors Newspoll and shows Labor is on track to win the election. But when government-held marginal seats have been polled, including by state branches, the results are much closer than national polls suggest.
The problem is obvious. No other polly has played a more ruthless and public role in ushering in the great disintegration of Australian politics. First stabbing Kevin Rudd in the back to hand the miners a famous tax coup and, second, slaying Julia Gillard in the reverse of his first murder.
There’s no recovering from that legacy of illegitimacy. Shorten is tolerated because he has shown some policy gumption in negative gearing reform and Do-nothing Malcolm is the worst PM of our time.
No matter what happens hence, Shorten will never be loved and the nation will celebrate his ultimate downfall as the end of the rise of the disastrous hollow men.
