Summary

Website: https://www.alp.org.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaborConnect/
Slogans:
 A fair go for Australia
Themes: Centre left economic and social policies.  Pro-worker, will take action on climate change.  Generally likes putting money into education and health.  Do you actually need me to tell you what the ALP is about? No, you do not.
Electorate:
 Upper House: All of them
Lower House: All of them
Preferences: Labor has put the Greens either second or third on all of their how to vote cards.  Hinch gets second billing in VIC, and independent Craig Garland gets second billing in TAS.  Animal Justice is in third place everywhere except the ACT and the NT, where they aren’t running, and in WA, where they are third, behind the Western Australian Party.  Amusingly, HEMP appears in their top six in four states.  The Democrats show up in fifth place in Victoria and SA, and the LDP  make it into the top five in WA and SA.  There are guest appearances from Sustainable Australia, Katter’s Australian Party (!!), the Secular Party, The Women’s Party, ICAN, the Centre Alliance and the Lambie Network.

In the states with smaller Senate papers, the UAP and the Liberals or Nationals are turning up at the end of the six, allowing them to avoid preferencing Fraser Anning in the ACT, and Rise Up Australia, Fraser Anning and the CEC in NT.  In WA, the Nationals are evidently considered a better choice than either the right wing nut jobs or the more anarchical left wing parties like the Pirates or the Socialists.

These strike me as pretty solid, respectable how to vote cards.  Evidently at the senate level, at least, Labor has decided that the true enemy is the extreme right, not the Greens.  Long may this last.  They clearly don’t adore the extreme left, though it’s interesting to see that the AJP is apparently now considered somewhat respectable, and I’m still highly amused at HEMP’s presence on their how to vote cards.  There is no real excuse for Katter, but what can you do?
Previous reviews

Policies & Commentary

Yes, yes, we all know who the Labor Party are. This is really about an excuse to share one of the most ridiculous Eurovision songs of the last few years.

Eurovision Theme Song as determined by me, very objectively

One of the things that is such a nice change in this election is that the ALP have decided not to adopt the strategy of being a small target, and are actually running on policy.  Some of the policy is even quite good!  Maybe Penny, Bill and Tanya, got up at 5am on a cold May morning in 2017 to do their patriotic Eurovision duty, and were inspired by the singers from Romania…

Yeah, you never show the spark that makes you glow
You always run away, you always say no to the right things
Don’t try to hide the light inside of you
Today might be the day when you will make it, baby
So bring it on, bring it on, I’m a dreamer
If you don’t believe it, come and see me I will teach you
If you never try, you’ll never be alive
You are gonna miss out on this ride

I do hope so.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSHc7iDuBCQ]