I conceived a few weeks back a telemovie, Mark Arbib: The Wilderness Years, to demonstrate the immensity of the talent the Labor Party discards in its remorseless quest for the corruptions of power and then I awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
Who now remembers fondly Mark Arbib, the wide-eyed headshaven screechy nerd who bravely rid us of Beazley-Macklin and gave us Rudd-Gillard and the party’s present malodorous ruination? And who among us now mourns him, nine weeks later? The one who removed Nathan Rees when Labor was on 45 and gave us Kristina Keneally and the worst New South Wales electoral result since Federation? Where do we find good men like him these days? How shall we replace him?
Arbib is a demonstration of how Labor embraced conniving ethnic numerology when talent (like his replacement Carr) was available. This tendency came out of the party’s long habit of ageism – Whitlam left politics at 61, Hawke at 63, Wran at 60, Rann at 58, Keating at 54, Beattie at 54, Dunstan at 53, Bracks at 52, Iemma at 48, Richo at 44, Latham at 43, Arbib at 40 – that sidelined experience and talent and embraced young vacuous whippersnappers like Arbib — who has not, I guess, read a Chifley biography yet, he’s been too busy jumping at shadows.
In his wilderness years he will no doubt get round to it.
In the meantime his replacement Bob Carr, who has read a book or two, shows how important it is to be educated in your portfolio, to speak well and wittily, to make a good impression overseas. Imagine Arbib writing a book called My Reading Life. Imagine him dining with Vidal, Mailer, Stoppard, Clinton, Gorbachev, Kissinger. Imagine him addressing the United Nations.
It will be soon seen, and then remarked by historians, that Arbib and Roozendaal and Karl Bitar and Andrew Fraser were Labor’s largest political catastrophes since Evatt/Santamaria: midget capitalists, cross-eyed fumbling Friedmanites and tactical buffoons, who will in due course be as execrated in their native land as Vidkund Quisling and Benedict Arnold.
Their shaming, comrades, should begin soon.
And Rann, Gallop, Beattie, Bracks and Beazley invited into the federal cabinet.
And Hawke. And Barry Jones.
Discuss.
Name:
I don’t miss Arbib, Latham and I never ever liked Richo.
I’m sad that Keating left, much too early…
I recall sometime, somewhere earned my ire when he referred to Cory Bernadi as “a good guy”… what was his name again? Possibly someone who could regale me with tales from such high-brow literature as ‘The HQ Holden Owners Manual’ and ‘Ren & Stimpy Go to Auburn McDonalds’?
…hmmm. Wish I could remember that fellow’s name.
I think Barry Jones’ penetrating intellect, vision and ideas is clearly missing in contemporary Australian politics. Bob Carr aside, how many parliamentary polymaths are there? Also, Bob, to my knowledge you have never written a profile piece on Barry Jones. It would be interesting to read your insights on him.
Don’t forget to add Karl Bitar to the tumbril list.
And also Stephen Conroy. Although he needs to be on the tumbril that goes to the place where people are being pulled apart by oxen.
Then the body roughly reassembled and buried face down at the cross-roads with a hefty stake hammered through and pinning it to the good earth forever.
A simple neck-slicing won’t do for him.
I don’t think I know enough about the history of the ALP to comment on this one.
Bob, can you recommend a biography of Chifley?
Ben Chifley by LF Crisp. Might have to get a copy from a library.
Interesting to keep in mind that Chifley would have found it hard to rise today in this husk of an ALP. How would a miner, shopkeeper or engine driver get accepted by those who didn’t recognise them from uni? (scratch Watson, Fisher, Theodore, Scullin and Chifley perhaps?)
Thanks. I certainly agree that party demographics are very different these days.
The composition of both parties is hardly representative of the masses.
Some days I think that’s a slap in the face of democracy, some days I praise the non-existent gods that the average australian has nothing to do with making decisions in society.
It’s very confusing.
Yes, amazing how one needs an education these days, is it not?
It’s most important to get an education. Luckily we have enough Dawkins technical colleges to provide the BA’s in ceramics or womens studies and political science to keep us all ticking over. Let’s try joint assignments. No, let’s not have anything like that at all. Plenty of work out there – in union offices and politics.
There is?
This is the best bit of writing you’ve done for a while Bob. Extremely accurate. Don’t forget to pile onto to the tumbrils our own Madam Defarge who knits in the Lodge while possum piss runs down the wall. Charles Dickens would have loved it!
Didn’t know Julie Bishop was ever invited to the Lodge, Frank!
‘Then I awoke, and behold, it was a dream’
If Arbib starred it was a full on nightmare.
I could defend Arbib, I think. As in what has changed in the interim?
I’d call him a spy and a traitor if I ever met him, but the blame falls on more than one, as does the responsibility for what comes next.
You mean he’s a symptom, not the disease? Very likely.
Sadly they will only admit the errors of their ways if Gillard is trounced at the next election. If Gillard is sacked and Rudd valiantly loses they will say I told you so. Arbib, Bitar, Feeney, Conroy, Howes and Shorten damaged the ALP in the long term by trying to enforce the unions power by terminating Rudd’s tenure. What do they believe in apart from power? Does anyone believe that they care about any else besides gaining/holding pre-selection?
The vitriol heaped on Rudd during his challenge has further wounded the ALP, but Shorten and Combet showed their class by not becoming involved in the personal destruction. Conroy confirmed my views on his lack of fitness to be a minister.
Aren’t they a product of Richo’s whatever it takes?
As for Latham if he had beaten Howard he would forever be an ALP hero, he lost, sickened and was then cast aside. He does not want to be in the ALP-fold while it is still dominated by union power. He is a good political commentator, hopefully will avoid TV journalism in the future and perhaps we could hope for another book more in the tradition of Civilising Global Capital, than the Latham diaries (Though it’s my favourite political memoir).
Gillard has failed to concern herself with Lathams aspirants, and instead has focused on those that vote green. The attacks on the mid sized Australian owned miners, whilst being silent on Rio, BHP and Xstrata shows that it’s just spin.
Imagine where the ALP would be if Beazley had won the 2007 election. Dreaming eh?