Crikey’s ‘Whistler ‘is male/female who is/was a senior member of the Labor Party.

Greg Wilton took his own life, he was seriously ill and virtually everyone within the party knew it. He was not a crazed loner as the media spin would have it, but he was quiet and not the easiest person in the world to get to know.

Greg appeared to spend a lot of time telling people how he was clinically depressed and on medication. Unfortunately it had got to ‘sick of hearing about it’ stage. Maybe if anyone had understood the extent of his problem (or even thought long enough) – he could be still be here today or maybe not – maybe Greg would have done it anyway.

Even though everyone knew he was sick, it was still a shocking discovery when Greg was allegedly (alleged by the press only) intercepted with his kids in a lonely forest allegedly considering, a murder suicide. At the end of the day he didn’t do. Unfortunately, due to the nature of Politics, the focus moved away from the illness and on to the pending byelection. The words around the hallways and in lunch discussions where not ‘poor Wilton, this guy needs some serious help what can we do to ensure he is ok’ but more like ‘poor Wilton, this guy needs some serious help, who have the Left and Right got lined up for his seat’.

There are many other personal issues Greg was dealing with, I believe that was/is a matter for his family to deal with and not the property of anyone else (including the ratbag increasingly LAZY media)!

Anyway

Both the left and the right thought they had the numbers, at a local level, to get their candidate up in Isaacs- and by all accounts the preselection would have turned into a very horrible affair. The bazaar move to allow the National Executive to choose a candidate via a postal ballot has many in the party stumped. One thing is for certain it cuts out the chance for the Victorian lefties to enter a chest thumping exercise and mark some urgently needed territory.

Also

Good boy Bracksy’s private office has recently experienced an exodus of key staff – it’s a mixture of lowest wages in Australia (with a Premier that won’t budge – despite allsorts of promises from the Chief of Staff) and dissatisfaction amongst the troops. Maybe there was too much fun in opposition days and government is hard work with little play and pay. The tax payer may applaud the Premiers stance BUT when you loose highly competent staff to the private sector what’s the final price – don’t make me use the monkeys nuts reference.

The State Labor Party Secretary, David Feeeeeny, is shaping up to be a right little Hitler, leading to many laments about former Secretary, good ol’ John Lenders (now Member for Dandenong North). It seems Feeeeeeeeeny has forgotten the base principles of the Labor party and is out to get as much for himself as he can. Even David’s closest allies are bitching.

Boy oh boy was the Premier unhappy last week when Rob ‘I never thew up on her’ Hulls pushed the gay/lesbian stance. The Premier was so upset he reportedly thew a pen. A bit of distance between those two and their ‘love hate’ relationship couldn’t be better timed.

New boy Member for Springvale Tim Holding (who gained the safe seat by branch stacking and shafting the long time sitting MP) is squirting urine over everyone in an attempt to ‘establish’ himself. Holdings antics, tantrums and unconfirmed regular leaking to the press, led to a meeting between Bracks, Thwaites, Feeeeeeeeeeeeny and a few other Party heavy weights. ‘How do we solve a problem like Timothy’.

Seems the Federal Labor Party isn’t as confident as the press that it is going to win the next election. Could be a combination of less then impressive candidates in the key marginals and an Australian habit of just getting on with it (re-GST). Some are spruiking wisely advised caution recounting Keatings ‘sweetest victory of all’ and the un-winnable Victorian election that Labor won. No election win is in the bag until it’s in the bag. Regardless of Howys abominable popularity rating the polls aren’t showing what Labor want them to show.

The Whistler