Coming to the Party: Where to Next for Labor?

In this lively collection of essays, 12 leading politicians and commentators debate whether the Australian Labor Party can win the 2007 elections. Though accused of having a "poisonous opportunistic culture," the Labor Party now holds power in eight of Australia's nine governments, lacking a majority only in the all-important Commonwealth government. Assessing this possibly favorable position, some of the contributors predict a permanent political realignment in which incumbent governments face weak oppositions, offering no real alternative at elections; others believe the Labor Party can be reformed and democratized to make its message compelling once again.