Gillard an obstacle rather than advocate

JOHN Faulkner knows that major reform to the Labor Party requires the backing of the party leader to succeed.

Without it, meaningful reform will never get past the party's factional and union bosses. Reform needs the support of leaders with the courage to challenge the powerbrokers, who will do anything to hold on to power.

Julia Gillard likes to argue that she initiated the review of the party by Steve Bracks, Bob Carr and Faulkner, which she did. But, since it was completed, she has been an obstacle to reform rather than an advocate for it.

The 2010 National Review report was in three parts: reviewing the performance of the government, examining the last election campaign and internal Labor reform. Two-thirds of the report was kept secret by the party with Gillard's sanction.

When the third section was put to the party's last national conference, most of it was ignored. Only 13 of 31 recommendations were adopted in full.

It was a terrible blow to members who desperately wanted to boost membership, improve internal activism and rebuild links with the community.

In the past 50 years, the party has produced four landmark reports for reform. Each one of them required the support of party leaders to achieve any significant outcomes.

In 1965, Labor's federal secretary, Cyril Wyndham, wrote a report that was used by Gough Whitlam as the springboard for reform. It diluted the power of the original "faceless men".

In 1979, Bill Hayden oversaw the development of a reform plan and backed it strongly, securing significant structural change.

In 2002, Bob Hawke and Neville Wran wrote a major review. Simon Crean took on the party bosses and succeeded in reducing union power at conferences and facilitating the election of the party's president by members. "We must not be afraid of reform," Crean told the 2002 conference. "We are the party of reform."

Last December, Gillard directed the party to settle on a model to elect national conference delegates from local party units. A year on, nothing has been agreed. Says it all, really.

Waiting in the wings is a latter-day supporter of reform, Kevin Rudd. This is not surprising, given his prime ministership was felled by faction bosses.

In contrast, Gillard's failure to champion reform only serves to bolster the perception that she is beholden to the factional and union bosses who installed her as prime minister.