[[name removed]]

Well mate I strongly disagree,

I applied for my membership to the ALP in about march this year.
There is good reason I did it too, I was really turned on by what
Mark Latham has been doing and saying even before he became leader, and the 
day he got the numbers I was pumped
because I could feel that the ALP was back on track to becoming
our alternative government again.
I caught up with Pete the other week at the pub, before a more
formal ALP function in Melbourne later that night. The first thing
I said was "congratulations mate! I always thought you would make this move" 
and he said he was pleased because he has
coped a lot of flak about his choice, though those that have known him well 
are very supportive and thought it was the obvious choice too.
I explained that it was Mark's move to the front line that really
got my juices flowing (politically!) and that there was a great
spirit and vibe in the grass roots areas of the party that I have
been working and that you could feel that the reformist and
progressive heart was back in the party and that it's the right
time to get involved and make a difference. Had a good chat
about the old oils days and other things too (as Pete was more than happy to 
take off the political hat for a while and catch up).
Though the thing that got me was that it was the most gentle
and grounded I have ever seen Pete and it surely is not about
a Peter Garrett power trip, though a "I hope I can do whatever I
can to give Aussies a better go trip". Now that's pretty refreshing
in politics and I wish Mark Latham and his crew the best of luck
in making Aus a place to be proud of again.

As far as ALP policy goes too... I was doing some work at train
stations yesterday and handing out cards for Lindsay Tanner
(Federal Labor Member for Melbourne) and I have one here
now and I thought I might quote some of the Labor policy on the back of 
these cards on a few issues...

HEALTH
* invest $1.9 billion to revive Medicare and restore bulk billing.
* provide free dental care for pensioners and concession card
  holders.
* fund pneumococcal, chicken pox and polio vaccinations for all
   children.
* tackle childhood obesity and ban junk food ads on children's
  TV.

ASYLUM
* remove all children from detention.
* restrict mandatory detention to 90 days for health, security and
  identity checks.
* end the Pacific Solution incarceration of asylum seekers in
  other countries.
* restrict Temporary Protection Visas to a one-off two year period
  followed by permanent refugee status.

EDUCATION
* create 20,000 new university places and 20,000 new TAFE
  places.
* abolish full fees at universities and reverse John Howard's 25
  per cent HECS increase.
* scrap John Howard's bonanza for wealthy private schools and
  all schools on a needs basis.
* establish a Youth Guarantee so all school leavers move on to
  training or work.

ENVIRONMENT
* save the Murray-Darling river system through increased
  environment flows.
* ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and develop a
  national emissions trading system.
* raise the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target to 5% by 2010.
* protect our fragile beaches by stopping inappropriate coastal
  development.
* ban free plastic bags in supermarkets.

Now that's some good policy to my ears, who will I be voting
for to make the most out of my efforts to get rid of the forth reich
I wonder.

Cheers,
Damien.

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