Thanks for your contribution Darren. I personally wouldn'tjoin the Dem's as I generally disagree with your economic and national security policies. However I support a lot if not most of your social policy agenda, your freedom from business and union influance and most importantly your willingness to make sensible compromises with the major party that was in power, unlike the bunch of pelican's that have taken the BOP in the ACT now. It is for the later reason that I voted for the Dem's in the Senate on a couple of occasions during your heyday in the federal arena during the 1990's.
Unfortunately Ms Stott-Despoja and the majority of your membership base threw your greatest strength, the ability to make a reasonable compromise, out the window during their collective dummy spit over Meg Lee's tax reform decisions. I fear that this did your party irreparable damage, but if you think you can rebuild it and boot the Greens out of the kingmaker role, then you have my best wishes.
Personally I don't think that is going to happen unless you differentiate yourselves from the Greens and certain factions in the ALP more. When I listenned to Lyn Allison's address on SBS during the last federal election I couldn't tell what the difference was between what she was saying and the message of the other centre-left parties.
Basically you should keep on the fight on social justice, but you really need to reconsider the evidence about whether the interventionist economic policies that you promote have ever done Australia any good.
Cheers,
AG.
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