A Labor of Love

"Tamara-Mia Cassey represents the other side of Labor's poll woes. The 21-year-old arts student at the University of Western Sydney identifies with Labor principles but feels the party has lost its way and votes Greens. 'I would have liked to have gone Labor, but I didn't see them standing for anything', Ms Cassey told The Weekend Australian." (Youth vote splits as young desert Labor, Ferguson & Westbrook, The Australian, 16/4/11)

Goodness, Ms Cassey doesn't see the Labor Party standing for anything?

Tosh, Ms Cassey. You have a lot to learn, young lady. The Labor Party not only stands for Israel, it also sits down with Israel, snuggles up to Israel, thrills to his sweet talk, and, intoxicated by his heady masculine pheromones, swoons so at his touch with such consequences that I am frankly too embarrassed to describe here.

And here's the evidence, Ms Cassey.

Israel has a word with Kevvie:

"Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has lashed as 'just plain nuts' a decision by a Greens-controlled local council in Sydney to boycott Israeli products and services over its treatment of Palestinians... 'the bottom line is any local authority should get on with the business of what they are paid by ratepayers to do which is to deliver properly their local services - making sure the garbage is picked up... Foreign policy is the province of the national government and for any element of the Greens party to go out there and call upon the nation's government to engage in a campaign to boycott goods and services, be it from Israel or China or any other country, is, as I said, just plain nuts'." ('Just plain nuts': Rudd pans council's boycott, Daniel Flitton, The Age, 15/4/11)

Kevvie has a word with Albo:

"Marrickville council's boycott of Israel has been slammed as 'costly, clumsy and unproductive' by Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese, who says the resolution should be dropped immediately... The council's 4 Labor members, who previously voted in favour of the boycott, are expected to vote to have it rescinded... Mr Albanese would not say if he too lobbied the local councillors, but said they 'had made it clear' they would vote against the boycott." (Drop Israel boycott, Labor's Anthony Albanese urges Marrickville Council, Lanai Vasek, The Australian, 18/4/11)

Albo has a word with Tanya:

"[Federal Labor Minister] Tanya Plibersek told The Australian she no longer held the views she expressed in parliament. 'The comments that Christopher [Pyne] is referring to were made about 10 years ago, and I acknowledge at the time that I spoke injudiciously', she said. 'Like most Labor Party members and supporters, I'm in favour of a two-state solution. To compare the Labor position with the Greens is simply not right. The residents of Marrickville tell me that they are disturbed by the council's lack of focus on local issues and irrational boycott proposal'." (Israel ban move opens rift in unions, Salusinszky & Franklin, The Australian, 15/4/11)

And Albo and/or Tanya read the riot act to poor old squirming Sam:

"Deputy mayor Sam Iskandar, a Labor councillor, told The Sunday Telegraph he and his party colleagues could no longer support the [boycott] proposal. 'We're not going to support the boycott', Cr Iskandar said. 'That is our position'. The Labor reversal follows the release last week of a council report revealing that boycotting companies with links to Israel would cost ratepayers as much as $4m... Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd branded the move as 'nuts'. Cr Iskandar confirmed he had 'received advice' from his federal counterparts but denied he had been unduly pressured. 'We had advice from the Labor Party... that this is not the way to pursue the strategy of peace in the Middle East', he said. But it is understood Cr Iskandar, who migrated to Australia from Lebanon in 1977 and is a passionate supporter of Palestinian rights, struggled with the decision to back away from supporting the boycott." (Ban on Israel dead in water, Jesse Phillips, Sunday Telegraph, 17/4/11)

There you go, Ms Cassey, Labor stands for... true love! What's not to vote for?