A new beginning !

The winning margin in any Australian Federal election is decided by the small number of " swinging voters " who alternate their allegiance between the two major political parties.  This is in contrast to the vast majority who are rock solid in their support of either Labor or the Conservatives and never change their voting pattern, unless extreme dissatisfaction with a particular policy forces them to support an independent - or lodge an " informal " vote.

Bill Shorten thinks that the Australian Labor party needs to open it's branches and attract Labor supporters to take a hands on approach to formulating Labor policies.  Standing in the way of this objective is the rule that to be a branch member a person must also be a member of a trade union, and as a result the number of those officially enrolled in the party branches is just forty-five thousand.

Many Labor branches turn a blind eye to this rule, but it provides ammunition to critics who contend that the Labor party is " run by the unions " - and that is anathema to many possible recruits.   Shorten has his eye on the coming Royal Commission into union malpractice and needs to space the party from it's union membership because of coming revelations - and the sad litany of corruption and personal banditry that has smeared Labor politicians and union leaders in recent times.

The unions were once a mighty force in Australia and industry was virtually a " closed shop ".   No Union ticket - no job !    Today, union numbers are a mere shadow of their former glory but they still play a big part in formulating Labor's policies and their collective treasuries are critical to funding the party's election expenses.   Consequently, their voting power and decision making balance is way out of step with their numbers.

Shorten has a vision of  " New Labor " !     A party with an expanded branch structure open to those from all walks of life and not dominated by rules that give the union movement a virtual veto on policies they reject.   It is a risky proposal - and there is a chance that it could split the party and send the extreme left wing and the unions to form the polling disaster that grew from the formulation of the " Democratic Labor party " of many years ago.

The problem is that to reform the Labor party will require some people to relinquish power - and power is a very seductive force.  The union movement has created dynasties and the good life for those at the top of the pyramid and unfortunately the flow of union funds contains few checks and balances - and this has led to corruption.  Any loss of power would be anathema if it involved a diminished personal lifestyle for those in a leading role.

Shorten appears to be " flying a kite " - and waiting for a response to determine the reaction.  The decisive loss of support at the last election is a warning that change is needed.   Whether that is possible within the present structure of the party is the unknown factor !