REBLOGGED: What do Labor voters want?

I participated in the survey and what do you know – my two top issues are also the top issues overall. Here’s the thing: some policies Labor have suggested sound pretty darn good – like their official stance on Climate Change. Others which they’ve supported/ are supporting stink – like their official stance on the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers.

We (Australians) need to start talking – if we’re not already – about these sorts of things with our local reps or Labor group or whatever, as well as the ‘general’ people around us. The Coalition is still a hardline govt, despite how they’ve tried to shuffle their people around…
I saw Shorten’s talk on Q&A a while back (the one hosted in Ballarat) and liked what I saw. But there’s still room for improvement – which we need to tell Labor.

I have a dialogue with my local MP, Ms Catherine King, over several issues. It can be difficult at times. I think Ms King does good things for my community, but I still get frustrated by the overall direction of Labor. It’s a good thing we elect local reps rather than our actual leaders. (Though given the way the media spin things, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that!)

Tbh, I wonder if half the problem with Labor is not just a lack of hope/ obvious charisma/ etc. (as some have suggested) but a combination, with the fact that young voters with a strong social conscience like me need to be persuaded to “come back” so to speak. We want difference and real change. The Greens (or other parties) aren’t perfect, but they appear better than the other major options to myself and others. For example, if the federal election was held tomorrow I’d be inclined to vote Green or another party, but with Labor in 2nd/ 3rd, and LNP always last. 🙂

What do Labor voters want?

• November 24, 2015
• Written by: Roswell
• 28 Replies

Some happy looking Labor voters (image from starobserver.com.au)

• Category: News and Politics
• permalink
• Tagged under:Bill Shorten, Climate change, immigration,Labor., national security,Paris attacks
• Roswell

Judging from the latest polls one would assume that Bill Shorten’s head is what Labor voters want first and foremost. But moments before this disastrous poll was splashed liberally on the front pages of most media sites, Labor voters had been talking about something equally as important as leadership woes: national issues.A few months ago Labor voters were invited to vote on the issues they wanted to discuss most with Labor (which I wrote about here). Yesterday they announced the findings of this poll, which some of you might be interested in seeing:

Poll of Labor voters

The thing that strikes me the most is that it looks the reverse of what the media (over the last couple of years) and the Right-wing have been shrill about. It is also a message to Labor that Labor voters disapprove of the policies the Opposition is quick to show bipartisan support for with the Government.

It must be remembered that the poll closed (presumably) before the Paris attacks, and given that 7’s Sunrise have been telling us that 75 per cent of Australians believe there will be a terrorist attack on our soil, it would also be presumed that National Security might rate much higher than its low ranking.

The Paris attacks (and national security aside), one can only hope that Labor will start listening to Labor voters on the issues that are important to them. They asked what Labor voters wanted, and now they’ve been told.

I won’t hold my breath though.