Labor needs to better tune into middle suburbia, yet it can’t afford to turn its back on the issues that concern its more progressive supporters. It will be a tricky balancing act.
Labor Member for Grayndler Anthony Albanese speaks to the media at Henson Park in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville on Wednesday.
Joel Carrett/AAP
What if Bob Hawke, hailed as a leader who actually ‘got’ environmental issues, had never been rolled by Paul Keating? Perhaps the climate policy wars would have turned out differently.
Bill Shorten and his colleagues are offering a broad suite of policies, but little explicit mention of cutting out fossil fuels.
AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
Labor has ditched its reliance on a single economy-wide climate policy, in favour of a range of different measures that will all help drive down emissions. But some crucial issues remain unaddressed.
On racist dog-whistling and on climate change, the “right” now finds itself on the wrong side of public opinion – so the acrimonious public debates on ideological lines may be coming to an end.
Bill Shorten will hope his new energy policy package is a crowd-pleaser.
AAP Image/Ben Rushton
Frank Jotzo, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
The Labor Party’s newly announced energy policy could finally set Australia’s electricity sector on the path to a renewables-driven future. But policies are still needed to cut emissions elsewhere.
With the right settings, Labor’s new scheme could benefit householders as well as the grid itself.
Shutterstock.com
Federal Labor has promised to give rebates of up to $2,000 to 100,000 households to install batteries to store power from solar panels. Is this good energy policy, or just middle-class welfare?
Scandals, and a progressive Labor government, may hinder the Greens’ progress in both houses at the Victorian election.
AAP/Penny Stephens
The Victorian state election presents opportunities and risks for the Greens – including whether they can transition from being a protest party to a major party.
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has said Labor MPs disproportionately come from unions.
ABC
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said “you can’t reflect society if 90% of your members of parliament were chosen from trade unions and worked in trade unions”. Let’s take a look at the numbers.
Happy days: Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in parliament.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
ReachTEL polls show Labor is behind in key byelections, but Essential has better news for Bill Shorten.
Bill Shorten must channel the abilities of his colleagues in parliament and the broader progressive movement if he is to lead the ALP back to government.
AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
Former Deputy Prime Minister Brian Howe says Bill Shorten must channel the abilities of his colleagues in parliament and the broader progressive movement if he is to lead the ALP back to government.
Labor has promised 50% of electricity will come from renewable sources by 2050, but has left the detail for after the election.
Wind turbine image from www.shutterstock.com
While Labor goes into the election year as underdogs, the party's strategy to win government will capitalise on what it sees as its competitive advantages.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is looking at his third year being vastly harder than he might have hoped.
Tracey Nearmy/AAP