Nobody likes a rat: “Simon
Nobody likes a rat: “Simon Crean says Mr Hanna should remember he was elected to the South Australian Parliament on Labor policy. ‘The Australian public is sick of being treated by people who stand under one banner and switch to another,’ he said.” More…
Ah good on ‘im. Anything that reminds the ancient labor stalwarts and the “New Labor” Tory try-hards why exactly they are losing support from progressive voters is fine with me.
A rat is a rat is a rat, I think. Don’t make the pledge if you can’t keep it.
Heh!
“The Australian public is sick of being treated by people who stand under one banner and switch to another”
Presumably he means like Cheryl Kernot. Or does he make a distinction for her cos she defected to his side?
Didn’t Kernot move from the Senate to the HoR? In which case she faced an election as a Labor candidate. Crean thinks that’s fair enough.
(Just done a quick Google) Yeah, if you read her resignation speech:
Not quite the same thing.
You’ve also got to remember that the only reason the ALP is in power in South Australia is due to a couple of conservative MPs “switching sides” to support Labor. Where would Labor be without them? In Peter Lewis’s case, he was a former Liberal party member. In Rory McEwan’s case, he was not, but both are canditates who’s rural constituents voted for them believing them to be conservatives.
Also, Robert, I think your view of the Labor party differs from mine in that I believe it is more important not to be a “rat” to your constituents than it is to not be a “rat” to your party. If Hanna feels that by supporting the Labor party’s policy he is “ratting” on the people who actually voted for him, then surely he has every right to get out? Lesser of two evils, and all that.
Although, being from a “mortgage belt” electorate and all, I can see your point that he is unlikely to be reelected as a Greens candidate.