Posts by Craig Young
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Now this is an excellent, relatively concise explanation of ALP factionalism:
Andrew Leigh: "Factions and Fractions: A Case Study of Power Politics in the Australian Labor Party" Australian Journal of Political Science: 35:3: November 2000: 427-448
...and here's my take on the Land of Confusion itself...
http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/31/printer_9255.php
Craig Y
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Queensland is a deeply abnormal and corrupt state. It loathes the Greens because it's backward, rural and religious. Granted, though, New South Wales is hardly any better. Sometimes I wonder why Victoria remains part of Oz, though. It seems far too civilised, compared to the rest of that continent.
And yeah, I'd back up the comments about social attitudes and class background. My working class folks have gotten a hell of a lot more liberal and quite like the Aussie Greens. They're quite dismayed about the ALP, although my mum and sister had some choice things to say about backward Aussie blokes when it came to the anti-Gillard brigade.
Craig Y
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Added to which, none of this squares with what I know about the institutional history of Australian politics. Yes, federalism and ALP corporatism may have slowed the neoliberal project compared to New Zealand, which is a more unitary state.
However, that reversed during the last decade. There was clearly a Liberal/Republican Australian-American axis during that period and Thatcher/Muldoon style authoritarian populism ran rampant. Do not forget, unlike New Zealand, Australia has no Bill of Rights, nothing more than an administrative framework 'constitution', a miserable indigenous rights record, stronger conservative Catholic presence, a federal same-sex marriage ban and partial welfare privatisation occurred under Howard. Moreover, while its federal and some state Upper Houses (and Tasmania's Legislative Assembly) are elected through STV, it doesn't have our history of electoral reform, either.
Granted, Australia is more progressive than New Zealand on issues like abortion rights. Granted, the strength of their union movement meant their ECA, "WorkChoices", lasted only a short time before the ALP repealed it. However, in many ways, New Zealand is a more open and democratic society than our nearest neighbour.
Craig Y
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CR, you're letting off Queensland far, far too lightly. The entire state is dysfunctional and backward and should never have been settled in the first place. And in their case, prolonged right-wing croneyism and incompetence lasted almost two decades under Bjelke-Petersen's regime. No wonder Rudd was such a basket case...
Craig Y
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Is anyone else surprised no-one's done a parody of the Australian federal election campaign set to the tune of Genesis' "Land of Confusion"...?
Craig Y
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Er, didn't National and Labour go through exactly those processes during the Rogernomics, Mad Mike and Ruthenasia eras?
Craig Y
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I'm surprised no-one else has brought up the issue of why the anti-MMP lobby is keeping so quiet about the Australian election result and the fact that the barely proportional Alternative Vote electoral system has delivered such a dogs breakfast of an election result. Think I might do a blog on the ALP's idiotic factional morass. Can anyone point me in the direction of an article on same?
Craig Y
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If you want guy candy, there's always Dustin Clare (Sean) in TVNZ's Satisfaction, who plays a straight male sex worker in the fictional Melbourne elite brothel 232.
However, in practice, most male sex workers apparently chase the more monied gay male market ("gay for pay.") How occupational feminism and career mobility for women might have affected the size of the straight female market for sex work is a moot point, though. According to my friend Calum over @ NZPC, not very much...
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Okay, this is interesting. As a righton profeminist gayboy, I support the right to sexual freedom for women. I've just been blogging on that very subject, namely the newfound arrival of 'codpiece ripper' sexed up gay historical erotic and romantic fiction written by and for straight women:
http://gaynz.com/blog/redqueen/archives/926
...any comments? Incidentally, the titles are there on Worldcat under "Erastes" and Alex Beecroft, for those who are interested.
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Is Chris Trotter a mole? Some have raised the question with me, but I don't engage in conspiracy theories. Given how strategically challenged he is, his ludicrous sectarian outbursts aren't taken seriously by anyone on the centre-left anymore...
Ye Gaia. There's a Whaleoil link on Bowjangly Road...
Craig Y