Talk:Labor Left/Archive 1

Redraft collaborators
I will happily collaborate in creating a NPOV article. The left faction of the ALP.--Fred.e 21:19, 11 October 2006 (UTC)
 * That sounds like a good one - or just Labor Left (which currently redirects to this one). I'm not sure how we would go about referencing it though. I tend to agree with Adam's comment at the very top of this page - the entire article is a mess and contains several unproven (and IMO non-factual) assertions. At least one of the MPs on this list, while left-wing, would most definitely not use "socialist", and "Socialist Left" doesn't even exist in WA and probably other states too (I can only talk about what I know). I would have tried to improve this article but most of what I know would constitute WP:OR. Orderinchaos78 15:01, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Weasel Words
Particulary these lines.

''Federal party leader Gough Whitlam sought to use the 1970 intervention to modernise the Victorian branch and increase its chances of electoral success. Some have argued that this was a move to decrease the influence of the left-wing Victorian branch. This second point has been one of considerable contention with subsequent electoral results in Victoria being inconclusive.''

Who said this? It's important. Furthermore I challenge the idea the subsequent results are inconclusive... but I'm not going to argue that here... but sources people! Sources! Teiresias84 00:42, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

Merge with Labor Right?
Should this article be merged with Labor Right to form a new page, perhaps something like Australian Labor Party factions? Regards, Ben Aveling 10:55, 28 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Disagree. Timeshift (talk) 10:57, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

It clearly does not make sense for Socialist Left and Labor Right to continue to be named as they are, since they refer to Australia when the terms could equally apply to many other countries. I am inclined to agree that a better solution is an article on all factions in the Australian Labor Party. As a member of the Australian Labor Party however, I can see that this might be a NPOV battle ground. --Bduke (talk) 12:20, 28 June 2008 (UTC)


 * But are they equally as noteable? No disambig pages, can't be that noteable. Timeshift (talk) 12:25, 28 June 2008 (UTC)
 * I am not sure what you are saying here. The factions of the ALP are notable. The two major factions are the left and the right, whatever they happened to be called at any particular time. --Bduke (talk) 12:30, 28 June 2008 (UTC)
 * ... But would the overseas Socialist Left and Labor right be equally as noteable as ours? There are no disambig pages, so any overseas organisations or groupings are highly unlikely to be as noteable as the oz version. And thus it takes the page, and any less-noteable ones would be created with a disambig. Is this better? Timeshift (talk) 12:35, 28 June 2008 (UTC)
 * I agree that both the Labor Right and the Socialist Left are notable. But I don't think they ought to be treated separately.  They both, plus other factions, comprise the Australian Labor Party, and I think a single page that says "these are the factions of the ALP" is more useful than having a separate page for each one.  Currently, neither page is really a stand-alone piece, especially this one.  Bringing them together, and bringing together the different people working on each page, would, I think, produce a better page than either is now.  Regards, Ben Aveling 07:58, 29 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Disagree. Timeshift (talk) 08:00, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Requested move
I support moving this page to Socialist Left (Australia) because Socialist Left should be a Disambiguation page. In addition to the Australian group of this name, there are also Socialist Left (Germany), Socialist Left (Peru) and Gauche Socialiste, as well as a number of parties named Socialist Left Party. --Linkswechsel (talk) 05:49, 16 November 2008 (UTC)


 * Makes sense, except that making it Socialist Left (Australian Labor Party) might be a bit clearer. Rebecca (talk) 05:53, 16 November 2008 (UTC)
 * Generally country-specific disambiguation (like the examples above) involve putting the country's name in parentheses. I think this article's opening paragraph identifies the Socialist Left clearly as a faction of the ALP. --Linkswechsel (talk) 18:36, 16 November 2008 (UTC)
 * It also makes sense to me. Unless someone can prove that this group is more notiable than all the other ones combined I see no reason not to move it. --76.66.182.54 (talk) 07:57, 16 November 2008 (UTC)
 * I support the move to Socialist Left (Australia), only because Socialist Left (Germany) and Socialist Left (Peru) already exist and none of those three appear to be primary usage of the title Socialist Left. Station1 (talk) 08:57, 16 November 2008 (UTC)


 * Support the move. Unsure about a new disambiguation page at Socialist Left. If it is created, then I suggest that Socialist Left Party, currently a redirect to a section of Socialist party (disambiguation), should instead point to the new DAB. But perhaps the existing DAB can instead be broadened to serve the purpose. Andrewa (talk) 00:27, 17 November 2008 (UTC)
 * I think Socialist Left probably should be a separate dab because Socialist Left (Australia), (Germany) and (Peru) -- not to mention Gauche Socialiste -- are not political parties per se, but rather described as factions, caucuses or alliances of other political parties. The page should probably contain a "See also" section directed toward Socialist Left Party. Station1 (talk) 06:25, 17 November 2008 (UTC)
 * Not all that important... one short DAB page is IMO easier both to navigate and to maintain than two extra short DAB pages with links between them, but either is quite OK with me. Andrewa (talk) 20:19, 17 November 2008 (UTC)

Okay, as this seemed to be uncontroversial, I have moved the Australian page and created a disambiguation page at Socialist Left. --Linkswechsel (talk) 15:31, 19 November 2008 (UTC)

earlier comments
Hi I found this article a little too blocky so I have broken it up - I'm new to Wikipedia so pls if I have done anything against the rules it is not on purpose. We need some images so if anyone could upload a picture of "Action" magazine that would be wonderful. Also, there are so many Labor books out there on the Left faction - by Clyde Cameron alone - we need some references - I want this page to be amazing. Bluemorning32 (talk) 14:04, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

what a load of tripe this article is. one day when i'm feeling like a fight i will rewrite it. Adam 12:00, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

Each day I feel like a fight. DarrenRay 12:01, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

i'm not quite as combative as you. but i am patient, and thorough. so it will get done. Adam 12:05, 14 March 2006 (UTC)


 * I don't think you'd be up for much of a fight. It's a lousy article, and we don't have any SL warriors (yet) to be a nuisance about it. It'd also be nice to have a more thorough list of MPs. Is that information available elsewhere online at all? Ambi 02:52, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

I was kidding of course, I think it's an interesting subject that should be given a comprehensive discussion. I will follow your lead on it and hopefully add some spicy references from the recent past. I will closely peruse references to the group by Andrew Bolt and the Herald Sun more generally. DarrenRay 00:04, 15 March 2006 (UTC)


 * Somehow I think there might be better sources for information about the SL than Mr. Bolt. Ambi 02:52, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

I'm pretty certain this article is wrong to use the title "Socialist Left" for the whole Left in federal Caucus and in all the state branches. Certainly in Caucus it is called the "National Left". There is an SL in Victoria, and in Qld, and I think also in SA, but I don't believe the NSW Left uses that name. The article ought to be rewritten to reflect these facts. Perhaps it should called Australian Labor Party Left and these matters discussed there. In the interim, I am going to remove the list of federal MPs and put them in a new article, Australian Labor Party Caucus 2004-2007, where I will list all MPs and Senators by faction. Intelligent Mr Toad 07:15, 15 March 2006 (UTC)
 * In NSW the faction is the Socialist Left as well (as it correctly points out in the article)--203.166.110.82 01:28, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

I have now done this. There are a few gaps which devoted faction-watchers can no doubt fill in for me. Intelligent Mr Toad 08:36, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

Factions in federal Caucus Section
I have added an unreferenced tag to this section. An internet search for references provides some supporting evidence for the existence of the two sub-factions, however there is no support for the current assertions regarding their political inclinations or respective strengths. Unless such evidence can be found, supported by references, I will replace this section with a brief sentence noting the existence of the two sub-factions. Warrenjs1 (talk) 00:04, 14 January 2014 (UTC)

Move to "Labor Left"
Should this page really be titled the "Socialist Left (Australia)" when the majority of left factions in Australia don't call themselves the "Socialist Left" even officially, when the national grouping is called the "National Left" and, in common parlance outside Victoria, the factions are identified together almost always as "Labor Left". This page in particular seems to have a strange Victorian parochialism and focus on Bill Hartley, and almost totally obscures the history of every other state Left faction. Labor Right is sensibly titled by its common name, given that (just like the Left) there are a cornucopia of different official names for their state-based groupings. PenguinEmperor5 (talk) 07:11, 10 November 2014 (UTC)


 * Agreed. The page as a whole needs a rewrite and a new name.JackB14 (talk) 02:14, 24 January 2015 (UTC)


 * Support move to "Labor Left" - The faction exists in every State and Territory, and its commonly accepted name is the Labor Left or Left Faction. It is only ever referred to as the National Left in the context of the Commonwealth Parliament, and even then it's usually just shortened to the Labor Left. I will move the page in a day or so if there is no dissent. Will also begin work on a rewrite. Paperclip Maximiser (talk) 09:09, 21 January 2016 (UTC)


 * . I have speedy-deleted the current redirect at Labor Left, at Paperclip Maximiser's request. larryv (talk) 19:03, 22 January 2016 (UTC)