LETTERS:
Democrats' suicide (letter)

by Gerard Fitzgerald

News Weekly, October 5, 2002
Sir,

I note in Canberra Observed (NW, September 7) on the Democrats, Natasha Stott Despoja seems fairly favourably presented with the added claim that she was a good leader, which would make her describable as a good leader whose followers refused to follow her.

But why so negatively disposed to her replacement? Does she not vehemently support abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell everything, almost certainly same-sex marriage, injecting rooms? You name it.

Yet the members resisting the leftward surge to align the party with her left-wing views have been portrayed as the villains in the act by the media, including News Weekly. The term "gang of four" is a clever - though old- tactic of planting an unattractive image on an adversary.

Why do we not see just see two groups of people fighting for their principles which happen to conflict, instead of one group of people fighting a "gang"?

Natasha might well claim right in her dispute with Meg Lees. However, I personally found Senator Murray's arguments very reasonable.

Colin Teese likewise seems to bring no significance to the serious moral values and general philosophy at stake in this dispute.

Good old Max Teichmann always keeps the situation in focus. Keep up the good work, Max!

Gerard Fitzgerald,
East Kew, Victoria