- DancingShade
- Jul 26, 2007
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by Fluffdaddy
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Well lets not go so far as to actually say they're actually running the country as such.
I'd use the analogy of an incapacitated train driver with brain problems and a tricky dicky. They're still the driver but in no way are they in control.
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Nov 30, 2017 08:52
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May 2, 2024 17:16
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- Wheezle
- Aug 13, 2007
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420 stop boats erryday
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Why would Shorten stand by him? The answer lies in Dastyari's importance in the NSW Right, which is in a constant battle for dominance with Shorten's faction, the Victorian Right. The two factions are rivals but also inter-dependent.
Dastyari, a former general secretary with NSW Labor, backed Shorten into the leadership in his contest against Anthony Albanese in 2013. The integrity of that vote was later questioned, when an ALP tribunal found the mailing addresses for dozens of ballot papers had been altered at the request of one of Dastyari's staff members.
In 2015 Dastyari was given a spot on Shorten's frontbench, despite being a relative newcomer to Parliament. Dastyari is close to Chris Bowen and Joel Fitzgibbon, who lead the NSW Right, and is protected by those relationships.
As one Labor source puts it: "If Shorten were to move on Sam, that would tribally get people upset in the NSW Right, even though a lot of them don't like Sam. Touch one, touch all."
A second Labor source says Shorten is a "transactional" leader who needed Dastyari to shore up his leadership.
"Shorten could sack him from the Labor Party but I don't think he's got the ticker to do it. Bill's captive of the Right, he doesn't have a strong support base, there are not many people who are rusted on loyal to Bill," says the source.
"He wouldn't want to create an enemy in Sam. Sam's not a bad human being, and he's certainly not a Chinese spy, but he doesn't think things through."
A third Labor source is less forgiving.
"It's not a talent or a personality thing, it's a factional thing," the person says of Dastyari.
"The money he got from China wasn't just for himself."
This source points out that of all the recent NSW Labor general secretaries, many have gone on to work for or with Chinese interests. Dastyari's successor Jamie Clements was suspended from Labor for misconduct and established his own legal practice. He has Chinese clients and the Sydney CBD office suite where his practice is based is owned by Xiangmo's company, the Yuhu Group.
Other former general secretaries Karl Bitar and Mark Arbib left Labor to work for James Packer, whose main investment focus is the Chinese gambling market, both in Australia and in China.
Another former general secretary, Eric Roozendal, went on to work for Xiangmo at the Yuhu Group.
All Labor sources contacted by Fairfax Media believed Dastyari's political career was over, that he would be unable to come back from the latest revelations.
"It's just ironic that a member of the NSW Right, which was based on fighting communists in the left, has hit the fence for being too close to the Chinese Communist party," said one.
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Nov 30, 2017 08:56
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- drunkill
- Sep 25, 2007
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me @ ur posting
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Fallen Rib
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I don't regularly listen to any particular podcast, but if you're in the market for a lot of funny content, go find the casts of Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee's Get This.
Ended 10 years ago last week. RIP Richard Marsland.
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Nov 30, 2017 09:39
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May 2, 2024 17:16
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Nov 30, 2017 08:52
