A matter of ferries. Tasmania’s state election campaigning got down to the real nitty gritty for an island state yesterday – the debate was all about ferries. Not that either side wanted to be too definite about anything. Labor Premier David Bartlett was promising a “working group” to examine whether replacement vessels for the existing Bass Strait ferries to vital to the tourist industry could be built in Tasmania. Almost certainly they will not be so  built or the State would go broke but it sounds good when votes are vital . The Liberal Opposition Leader Will Hodgman was not being so grand with his ferry proposal not designed to cross the waters to Melbourne but to take cars the short distance from the island proper to Bruny Island. While matching a previous Labor promise to upgrade the road and improve of the marshalling area for the Bruny Island ferry Mirambeena, the Liberals said they “may” look at a ferry service to run alongside the current service during peak times. We “may”! Now isn’t that a vote winning promise!

Not really helping. One has to doubt the political skills of the Gypsy Jokers who have announced an intervention into the South Australian election campaign. This fine  body of men is planning a monster ride from Gawler to, and around, Adelaide on election day urging voters to “Run Rann Out” for his Government’s decision to try and get new powers to control the criminal activities of motor cycle clubs. Given the fear most ordinary voters have of big tattooed men on powerful machines my guess is that the impact will be exactly the opposite of what the Jokers want.

Why bother to be a member. There now seems to be only one reason for anyone to become a member of the Labor Party and that is if a person wants to become a Labor member of Parliament. All the other roles of individual members are being taken away by the cliques who now control the Party.

The latest example of member impotence is currently occurring at the Federal Executive where a committee of six is working out a way to circumvent the calling of a special conference in Queensland where an attempt would be made to force Premier Anna Bligh to abandon her privatisation proposals. The Courier Mail reports this morning that Anthony Albanese, Mark Abib, Bill Shorten, Mark Butler, Mike Williamson and Bill Ludwig – four federal MPs, party powerbroker and the state president – form Labor’s national executive committee which is trying to stop the union led push for the special conference.

“At the weekend,” the paper reported, “the six decided to recommend to a full national executive meeting on February 26 that state branches seek national approval for all conferences.”

If this recommendation is accepted the death of Labor as a party where the rank and file can have a say will finally be at an end.

Three cheers for Abbott’s bravery. Politicians are normally far too scared to confront media barons so we should all give three cheers to Tony Abbott for having the courage to describe Labor’s $240 million gift to the free-to-air television industry as what it really is — a bribe designed to curry favourable television coverage during this election year. It makes a refreshing change.