When Jenny Hocking and Colleen Lewis supported Whitlam and modern Labor - It is again a book to reference points on Publishing dismissed as mere nostalgia for Whitlamism not recognize that there is a nostalgia for the past, but the concern for the present, causes progressive thinkers going to burst "account of social democracy", 1972-1975 in search of inspiration. Consisting of twenty-one chapters by a variety of progressive public figures and thinkers in this bookA detailed analysis of the Whitlam Government and its relevance to the current policy debate, examining the policies of the ALP past and present, and took in the final analysis, by the end of the narrow, unimaginative pragmatism, this party is too long.

Provision of legal aid, equal opportunities and equal pay for women, the introduction of universal public health care through Medibank, the removal of censorship, the establishment of the Racial Discrimination Act and ambitious urbanregional development and the release of conscientious objectors, the free tertiary education; radical expansion of funding public education and participation, the disadvantaged schools program, an official commitment to full employment, programs for women's health and shelters, in schools of dentistry: the list of results really impressive in comparison with the timidity Whitlam Labor Party today.

Yet, as Nathan Hollier notes, "there is a special desire to controlInterpretations of the times "- a tendency in some, the repulsive Whitlam years. This is the story of the newly" hegemonic-liberal interpretation "effectively imposed by the mass media in a managed exclusion of alternative policies from the public dialogue. Tim Rowse notes that equated leading manufacturers of opinion, as Paul Kelly modernity with hard-liberal political economy, beating all rivals of the current neo-liberal orthodoxy as sentimental traditionalists. "Andrew Scott shows during the year in Hawke Cabinet Room to be the worst insult a Whitlam "incorrigible known.

Cartoons of assimilation "Whitlamism" (and ignoring social democracy) and economic irresponsibility and incompetence, but deliberately worked the context in which this government closely, a global economic slowdown at the end of the long boom of the first "oil crisis and tenaciously against a global price and income policyPolitics. Unlike the likes of Kelly, who played an important role in legitimizing the Hawke and Keating are switching to "neoliberalism with a human face", the contributions to this book, that a modern alternative is possible - not by a nearly closed Total characterized by political field. The design of artificial binary opposition between "modernization" and "tradition" is used only for genuine political and moral decisions faced by policymakers Darktoday.

Whitlam himself, who has contributed to an honest evaluation of the results of his government as part of this vast collection is devastating the situation [in the universities "have been left free] of a Labor government." Scott is in turn mainly hope to deliver the assets subsequent Whitlam Labor government and the opposition, given the insatiable search for privatization - even against existing platforms ALP. Noted a tendency for the modern lab"Opt out" of the tax debate with the absence of a genuine commitment to a progressive, fair and equitable taxation. With an ALP that "the fear of taxation or expenditure, and the lab may be able to tinker around the edges of health and education, but there is little hope of a quality alternative to extend - or consolidate social welfare and social wages significantly. Gwen Gray reflects the feeling that many Australians progressive thinkers and activists,profess to fear that, given the support of the ALP and the Coalition for the tax-funded private health insurance rebate, you can be sure that Medicare will survive.

For Carmen Lawrence, is the condition of excruciating modern laboratory. As an outspoken Labor MP is concerned, "[Technocratic] and incremental social change is not enough [one] out of bed in the morning - I am sure that it is increasingly difficult." Amazingly, traces of Lawrence relatively radical contentthe Whitlam years, "the explosion of the mass movement against the Vietnam War and the rise of student radicalism at the end of 1960. Lawrence Hollier feelings are reinforced by the conclusion that the actual destruction is the work" an intellectual and organizational failure ... to penetrate its principles in society. "This, in turn, raises the question whether it can support the population base for a genuine social democratic agenda by mobilizing the powercollective will, or - more pessimistic - it is only the radical experience in Vietnam the opportunity to work under Whitlam made available. The role of Cairns in the provision of radical relativity in the laboratory has allowed Whitlam agenda as a "mainstream" and should not be underestimated arise.

Perhaps the last word is given maximum Whitlam himself, who once said: "We can not all fall into despair, accepting that the voters in Australia, sonaturally conservative and will never accept any real reform or real change. "

Since the ALP National Conference approaches involve all stakeholders and interests are well advised to keep in mind these words. What's more, Latham, who sees himself as protected Whitlam's, would do well to consider how to extend it so well, as they can to preserve the legacy of his mentor. Whitlam's legacy of social pensions can be maintained and extended by the government to maintain and possibly improveRevenues as a percentage of GDP, while the structure of the mix of taxation, the reform in the interest of equality and distributive justice. Interest Left, whose support has been in place for Latham's leadership is absolutely necessary to press this point firmly as possible to ensure a clear and unequivocal commitment to these objectives in the party platform.

Despite what a deep dissatisfaction with modern laboratory, this title is underlined by a resilient optimism - an optimismFor which the cause of democratic socialism has not been irretrievably lost, and the courageous leadership in the laboratory may, on the day when we can explain to lead once again, "It's Time."