Simon Crean

And from then on, this is the great theme of the last 25 years, the Australian political class on the American alliance has been stitched up and stitched in.

Simon Crean's speech of opposition to the Iraq War is probably Labor's last stand on a more self-reliant Labor foreign policy, an Australian foreign policy.

For by 2010, a Labor government led by Julia Gillard, who let's not forget had emerged initially from the Victorian Socialist Left, moved with alacrity to shore up Labor's alliance credentials, agreeing to the US Marine, Marine rotation in Darwin.

By 2014, Bishop and Abbott presided over the force posture changes.

A federal scheme.

Yeah, so that was – Simon Crean was the minister.

They were throwing money everywhere trying to reduce the numbers of unemployed.

Heaps of people were getting put on disability pensions simply to get them off the unemployment numbers.

... because they were so angry with Beazley for his meddling and undermining of, of Crean.

Of Simon Crean.

Yeah.

And, and, you know, and, and-