Wayne Swan warns Labor not to speak to Australians in ‘highly stylised political way’ | Labor party
National chairman Wayne Swan has warned his side against complacency in the wake of the election victory and the chaos engulfing the Coalition, saying the Australian Labor Party must be renewed or risk collapse like other centre-left parties, including the US Democrats.
In an interview with Guardian Australia, the former treasurer suggested Labor “shouldn’t be afraid” of engaging in contentious policy debates because modern voters won’t embrace a “docile” agenda.
Swan gave a stark assessment of the challenges facing Labor as the Liberal party faces an existential crisis following its worst-ever federal election loss. 94-seat win On the May ballot.
The two major parties are expected to publish their internal election assessments later this month, including recommendations for the future.
Swan said that given Labour’s first vote, it could not rely on the Coalition to “stuff it” to stay in power. 34.6% While his crushing win over Peter Dutton was adequate – it was still poor by historical standards.
“If we’re not as close as they are in front [the Coalition] “They acted together as we thought,” he said.
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“Because in a Nigel Farage-type preferential voting system, it doesn’t take much for our primary vote to fall below 30 percent. [rightwing] “The coalition will come and sweep the conservative parties and engage in a fierce struggle.”
As an immediate priority, Swan said Labor needed to replenish its aging grassroots membership base in suburban and regional areas. He said Labor was making a deliberate push to build support in Coalition heartlands such as Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
In an open assessment, Swan said local Labor branches “can become a very closed shop at times” and that the party needs to be better at “engaging and talking to people, not against them”.
“We are not participating in a pilgrimage by embracing the gospel,” he said.
“We need to meet people where they are, and we need to meet people the way they interact with people, not in a highly stylized political way.”
Progressive critics have criticized the Albanian government for avoiding major reforms such as rolling back negative gearing or reintroducing a carbon tax in favor of incremental advances on climate, housing, healthcare and education.
Swan, who oversaw the response to the 2007 global financial crisis, said the government had a “pretty strong centre-left agenda” that reflected the essence of Labour’s mission to “create prosperity so we can spread opportunity”.
But he said the party needed to be ready to discuss more contentious policies and predicted there would be a contest of ideas at Labor’s triennial national conference in Adelaide next July.
Swan will resign ALP president Former Labor Minister Kate Ellis will take charge at the conference.
“I think we will have a debate within the Labor Party about the extent to which our agenda can be advanced in some areas,” he said.
“There will inevitably be a debate about what policy areas we might want to do more in. Can we afford to do this? Do we have the income to do it?”
“We shouldn’t be afraid to have that discussion as we move forward and look at the policy alternatives before us, and in fact, that’s what we’re doing during our national conference process.”
Asked what risks Labor faces if it fails to improve at an organizational level and with its policies, Swan was blunt.
“We’re finally starting to look like the Democrats in the United States or the once great, proud, centre-right parties that have collapsed around the world,” he said.
“I’m not saying we’re going to die. If we stay true to our faith, we can continue to thrive… we can continue to succeed where so many others have failed.”
