Photo: Behind the scenes of the leadership contest, the factions were being factional. (AAP)
The rump of Labor members did not prefer Bill Shorten as leader, but a favourable run in the media and a modest recovery in the polls may yet be enough to assuage their disappointment, writes Paula Matthewson.
Until the declaration of the Labor leadership ballot result on Sunday afternoon, the shiny-eyed idealism generated by the process was a delight to behold. It was something I hadn't seen since my teens when I was involved in the youth wing of a political party.
Democracy, apparently, was what it was all about.
But you see, no, it wasn't. The leadership ballot was only ever about survival: the survival of one K Rudd. And now the process is over, there are arguably more disgruntled Labor members than before thanks to Rudd yet again creating expectations that could not be met.
Much to the consternation of Albo supporters throughout the land, it turns out having 'a' say in the Labor leadership is not the same as having 'the' say. Albanese's just under 60 per cent of the popular vote wasn't enough to beat Shorten's almost 64 per cent of the Caucus vote.
Rudd's decision to give Labor members a say in the election of party leader was just one element in the package of reforms he designed to take power away from the faceless factional foes that tore him from the big chair. A bonus feature was that it would draw new blood (and thereby money and physical resources) to a party haemorrhaging members because of four years of infighting over Rudd, Gillard and their increasingly non-Labor stance on some issues such as asylum seekers.
The promise of potential new members and a reinvigorated party helped to take the authoritarian edge off the other part of Rudd's reform - its true purpose - which was to make it almost impossible for the party leader to be removed from office between elections. Having assessed the pros and cons, factional leaders bit the bullet and approved the changes in the hope they would assist in Rudd's 'saving the furniture' strategy.
But once the election was over, and Rudd despatched, it became quickly clear that the reforms could not quietly be reversed by Caucus (as was being canvassed by some in the party). Labor MPs were left holding the Democracy Baby, and decided to make the best of it.
They did pretty well too, kitting the baby out in fine democracy clothes. Hastily redrawn rules by Labor's National Executive opened the vote to all party members regardless of time served. Nationally televised festivals of agreement, or 'debates', showed the nation how durable and decorative was the wallpaper covering the party's Rudd-Gillard cracks. And real party members got to ask real questions at real party events around the country - although few received real answers in return.
But behind the scenes, factions were being factional, which is hardly surprising given Albanese and Shorten are both ideological warriors. The party's factional tectonic plates did not fuse overnight once the Left's Albanese decided to make the Right's Shorten work for the leadership (thereby automatically entrenching the leadership ballot process for future years and giving the Left a better chance to compete against the Right-dominated Caucus).
Stories emerged of unions and factions attempting to impose bloc voting on party members. While less successful at the party level, this tactic worked in Caucus where members of the Right used the buddy system to show colleagues they'd followed the ticket.
And as at least one political observer on Twitter has pointed out, the leadership outcome is the same as if Caucus had made the choice on its own (as it would have done before the Rudd-survival reforms).
Sadly, Albanese's claim that a horse's head has been delivered to factional leaders is nothing more than a gracious loser's empty rhetoric. This may become more evident as the shadow ministers are elected by Caucus and then allocated portfolios by the leader.
The tectonic plates remain disparate but constantly agitating. The remaining MPs who supported Gillard or at least opposed Rudd will not easily set aside their condemnation of the colleagues who plotted for his return despite claims of furniture saved. Some make a distinction between Shorten's 'honourable' change of heart in support of Rudd (similar to that of Penny Wong) compared with Albanese being a long-term Rudd lieutenant while standing at Gillard's side.
While the usual post-government election loss recriminations and blood-letting have been avoided by virtue of the leadership campaign, the temptation to hold the Rudd spoilers to account is strong and may endure, damning Labor to many years in opposition.
On the bright side, Labor party members have had more access to, and attention from, senior parliamentarians in the past month than any other time on record. The party machine and parliamentarians can either build on that initial engagement by including members in activities where they can observe their influence on the party, or treat them like mushrooms until the next leadership ballot.
It's not as easy a choice as it looks, considering that giving members a 'real' say in other party matters necessarily means reducing the influence of the unions and factions that just helped Shorten get elected.
Shorten no longer has to worry about the Democracy Baby, but he does now have a grumpy Minority Toddler on his hands - the rump of Labor members and MPs who did not prefer him as leader.
Having a convincing majority of the Caucus behind him, Shorten has the potential to emerge as a strong and compelling Labor leader.
A few favourable runs in the media and resulting modest recovery in the polls may yet be enough to assuage the disappointment of Albo supporters and rally them to Shorten's cause.
As the excellent blog, The Conscience Vote, says elsewhere:
If the party falls in behind Shorten and sticks to its stated principles, it can become an extremely effective Opposition.
If it doesn't, it will only have itself to blame.
This piece was originally published at the Drag0nista blog.
Paula Matthewson is a freelance communications adviser and corporate writer. She has worked in communications, political and advocacy roles for the past 25 years. View her full profile here.
Albo, Shorten and the Democracy Baby - The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
