2008 REDUX: Christian Lyons praises and pays out on the year’s heroes and zeroes

Christian Lyons shares his assessment of the year’s heroes and zeroes.

CHEATERS: Left faction rigs Young Labor ballot, Senator caught in rort

WA Senator Louise Pratt was caught cheating yesterday in a Young Labor ballot, over which she presided, inflating the Broad Left’s vote by 50% and denying requests by election observers to look at the official attendance record. Could it be the end of her charmed political career, which critics say has been made possible by her playing the victim card with considerable skill.

THE WEAK THAT WAS: Victorian ALP shames itself over secretary debacle

The dust is starting to settle on a vicious internal feud in the Victorian ALP Right. Will things ever be the same again?

GILES REVILES: Andrew Giles sad about lost Christmas present

Crikey hasn’t been a vehicle for Socialist Left propaganda for a long time. One of its number Andrew Giles is apparently very grumpy about the “missed opportunity” of knifing Steve Newnham three days before Christmas. He vented to a friend. We review and carefully analyse their words of woe.

WHITE FLAG: Charlie Donnelly formally abandons failed coup as Labor Unity soul searching commences

After a clear majority of people told the NUW that they wouldn’t be attending their planned Monday Massacre to axe Steve Newnham, Party President Charlie Donnelly announced his retreat. And then wished everyone Merry Christmas. Many are thinking he’ll be the Christmas turkey.

UNDER PRESSURE: NUW wields axe but might have chopped off their own foot

The NUW are behaving like Al Capone, a key Labor Unity figure said this morning. Another said “This is like the Bay of Pigs, with plenty of swine.” But their allies make the argument that if you’ve got the numbers, you should use them. We report on the carnage.

STRANGER THAN FACTION: Proxy war for control of Labor’s Right gives Ted Baillieu hope this Christmas Eve

Control of the majority faction of the ALP is something that occupies the time of plenty of people. That’s why they want to neck Labor’s most experienced and successful campaign director, regardless of the Premier’s wishes. The spirit of Bill Hartley is alive and well.

BALANCED: Rudd’s enormous new tax on carbon pollution not enough for greedy Greens party

Before you listen to Greens Party hysteria about the Rudd government’s announcement about reducing carbon pollution not being enough, consider this line from the government’s plan:

“The sale of (carbon polluting) permits will raise $11.5 billion for the Australian Government…

MILLIONAIRE MOANER: Pat Dodson lives large while imposing his ideological agenda of victimhood

Pat Dodson is a whining, preachy, sanctimonious, big-living leftist whose 1970s policies are driven by victimhood and ideology. Fortunately most people in both parties reject his views as old-fashioned, dangerous and stupid.

FIN: The end of Honest John who conquered all foes except himself

The Howard Years ended rather pathetically because of John Howard’s manic determination to get his own way. The doco was no exception.