​About the Authors
John Collins and Vince O’Grady are two Labor Party members from the Federal Division of Jaga Jaga in the Northern Suburbs of Melbourne.
They have known each other for the last ten years. They met and became friends through various community organisations and activities.
Each has a background in communication – John as a Printer and then TAFE teacher and Vince in Telecommunications and a part time TAFE teacher.
Both men share the values of the Labor Party and have demonstrated those values as volunteers for the less fortunate – helping the homeless in the inner suburbs of Melbourne.
Reading is a shared past time with a particular interest in History and Family History which has its basis in the social struggles of the working class and the folly of War.
Vince’s father was a sailor in the Royal Navy during the second World War, whilst John’s father was in a Howitzer Battery on the Western Front in France and Belgium in the first World War. Particularly in the horrendous battle of Passchendaele (Third battle of Ypres).
John and Vince have been collaborating on a history of John’s father’s Battery during that conflict from personal diaries, pay books and memories as well as Official Unit Diaries.
They are also keen Policy advocates and have talked endlessly about what constitutes successful campaigning in Elections and the nature of Political Leadership and campaign techniques. Because of these discussions they decided to collaborate on an in depth analysis of the reasons why Labor failed to win the May 2019 Election, despite a sound set of developed and costed policies.
The finished paper uses a tried and tested Harvard University methodology, adapted to the political arena. It analyses the policies of each major political party. It segments the market and then looks at how relevant that policy is to each segment and the messages used to deliver the policy details. It also does a SWOT analysis and then offers reasons for the failure and ideas to improve for the next round.
It does not apportion blame or criticise the organisation or individuals within the organisation but recognises that to win the contest of ideas, requires huge hard work, the bulk of which has been done.
We believe in social justice as a philosophy. A society must be compassionate and fair and strive for equality for its citizens, (particularly those down on their luck). We believe that only the Labor Party can deliver that social justice in a fair and balanced manner.
* Authored and Edited by John Collins and Vince O’Grady July 2019