The Socialist Left controlled St Kilda branch of the Labor Party has astonishingly invited a senior figure in the rival Greens party to speak at one of its party meetings, which are normally closed to non-party members.
Cr Janet Rice, who achieved notoriety during last year's Williamstown by-election when we explained that she was loyally standing by her wife despite the fact that the wife was a man when they were first married and had kids, is listed as a guest speaker on an invitation (pictured above) issued to branch members in the area, yesterday.
Appropriately, the St Kilda branch has appears to have incorporated a representation of the the Luna Park clown-face entrance as part of its logo.
THE SL RAISE THE WHITE FLAG
A concerned Labor insider, who asked not to be named, told the OC "These people are unbelievable. They have raised the white flag to the Greens. They don't understand the Greens actually plan to eradicate the Labor party from the inner-city. What part of the word 'extinction' don't they understand? Maybe their next trick might to be invite Ted Baillieu along to speak on dredging or on why he subscribes to The Age."
The meeting is promoted as the "May 2008 St Kilda ALP Branch Meeting: A discussion on the Eddington Report and Transport Policy", on a flyer obtained by the OC which we understand was produced by Simon Kosmer, an electorate officer and indiscreet hack notionally working for Martin Foley, the Socialist Left ALP member for Albert Park.
The flyer, without regard to the prospect of public sniggering, refers to the Socialist Left MP for Brunswick and life-long political hack Carlo Carli who is designated somewhat generously as a "Prominent Transport and Infrastructure Scholar". It is that very policy that Kosmer apparently adopted to his own CV, so insiders say it's only fair that he'd be similarly sanguine about the credentials of others.
FOLEY ONCE WAS BROWN NOW DEEP GREEN
Ironically Martin Foley used to trumpet his "brown" credentials when a ministerial chief of staff to the Agriculture Minister, combating various Greens party schemes and plots in his portfolio that sought to nobble farmers. Since he's become the member for Albert Park though it's been all soy latte all the time.
The OC stumbled on one of Foley's stalls at an Albert Park fete a while ago, and it very nearly looked like a Greens party propaganda fest, with posters glorifying sustainability this and enviro that. If there was an ALP logo there, it must have been painted green. Their political strategy seems based on improving the primary vote of their opponents, an odd plan which transformed the neighbouring electorate of Melbourne into a highly marginal seat with the Greens party only five hundred votes or so away from winning it.
DEEP DIVISION WITHIN THE LEFT
Many see this incident as indicative of a broader struggle going on within the militant Socialist Left grouping within the Labor Party. Those within the SL in the St Kilda branch are aligned to the Environment Minister Gavin Jennings who has emerged as an advocate of even the loopiest enviro-schemes. They are opposed to the Carr sub-faction which largely draws on its support from militant old-style left-wing union bosses who have little time for the effete indulgences and expensive wine quaffing of their opponents.
Insiders explain that the Carr aligned sub-faction will be alarmed by the practice of inviting the Greens enemy into the sacred turf of the Labor branch meeting.
Jennings' principal factotum Andrew Giles is the secretary of the Socialist Left faction and is believed to be slowly losing control of the faction due to the increasing opposition of these old-style union bosses who are suspicious that he might be using them in intra-factional scheming purely calculated to place himself in Parliament and to promote policies that would cost their members their jobs.
In his ideal world, there'd be no factory workers, merely barristas serving barristers in a herbal society which punishes those who can't afford hybrid cars and a roof full of solar panels, where all the proles are forced to travel on chronically late trains while Minister Kosky is chauffeured on express ministerial freeway lanes out to Tullamarine for her next trip to Morocco. That is the Jennings Left's vision splendid.
Giles for his part denies the claims of sub-factional foes saying that he purely trying to co-ordinate the largely "useless" union secretaries and get them to be disciplined and focus on achieving realistic goals for the Left faction. He told friends in the Right that he is "constantly second-guessed by part-time experts and cretins".
The St Kilda branch secretary responsible for this farcical situation, Port Phillip Councillor Darren Ray was not immediately available for comment on the flyer last night but we'll incorporate his response if he has one sometime after he wakes for lunch. Life's tough at the VLGA.
UPDATE: Credit where it's due, the Councillor is an early riser after all on this chilly Melbourne Friday morn. Just minutes before publication, Darren Ray responded to our provocative questions.
1) Whose idea was it to invite Janet Rice to an ALP branch meeting?
I was asked by the branch to invite a person from Metropolitan Transport Forum which includes 19 councils, RACV and others. Janet is the immediate past Chairperson.
2) What do you hope to learn from the Greens party councillor?
Per 2 above - what is the MTF's position? What community groups are doing on the issue of responding to Eddington.
3) Are there plans to invite representatives from other parties, such as the Liberals or One Nation on future occasions?
Per 1 above. Not about their party affiliations but the fact she is from the MTF. Also, we thought we'd balance her feedback with a well-known ALP MP and public transport supporter who can also talk to us about the government processes.
4) Do you see there being much difference between the ALP and the Greens party? Are they really just differences of emphasis? Would you support a merger of the two parties?
There is a huge difference - they are not a centralist, realistic party - we are! No I would never support a merger.
5) How do you respond to critics who say that the Socialist Left of the ALP in particular fails to compete properly with the Greens electorally because it is so uncomfortable criticising their policies and because it sees them as a purer (and better) version of themselves?
Such criticism is misinformed! I and many of my Left colleagues have ACTIVELY campaigned against the Greens for many years and will continue to do so. I can provide details of my own track record in this regard if you like.
Finally, I have from more than 20 years always been a strong supporter and worker for the ALP winning Government, no matter what faction (or none) the candidate is from.
This is something I do not believe you have accurately reported in the past! The Left-bashing you do belongs to a cold war context and is funny reading but way off the mark if I might respectfully observe.
UPDATE:
Darren Ray's response merits some further analysis I think and perhaps we'll invite him to have the final word, in the style of patriot Bill O'Reilly. We've asked him these questions and we'll see what he has to say for himself.
■ Fair enough that the branch wanted to hear from the Metropolitan Transport Forum, but is he saying that the only person they could actually find from that organisation which includes 19 councils was a member of a rival political party?
■ And it seems that the Councillor believes that it's possible for the Greens party militant to address the branch wearing her MTF hat without politics getting in the way. As one of our commenters asks, presumably this would mean that Pauline Hanson would be a tolerated guest if she was a past chairperson of the MTF. Chances are she wouldn't get invited though because the St Kilda branch would probably draw the line somewhere and the risk of her going all White Australia on them half way during her public transport oration would be too great. Isn't there a similar issue with inviting a senior player from within the Greens party into the inner sanctum of an ALP branch meeting?
UPDATE:
And at light speed, Councillor and Surrender Monkey Darren Ray responds, uncowered by the OC's tough line of questioning and we give him the final word:
Who the MTF sends is their business Andrew. Not up to me to tell others how to run their show.
You also do Janet some disservice. She is a mature person and knows how to wear multiple hats. I have informed her that she is there to put the MTF position, not to promote the Greens. Janet is intelligent enough to realise the latter would not be too smart - given the audience.
Re the monkey analogy. I would note that monkeys are intelligent, nimble, looking for niche opportunities, mischievous when required, long lived and community based. All proud historical features of the Labor Party wouldn't you agree?
Game on.
since failed candidate 
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