Over the last few years we have seen a healthy discussion on the internal structures of the Labor Party and we have seen some significant reform. It is a great credit to NSW Labor General Secretary Sam Dastyari that, not only are we able to have a sensible debate, but that we have actually seen real action taken.

- The Hon. Steve Whan, Former Minister for Primary Industries, Rural Affairs and Emergency Services

Labor is Australia’s oldest political party and one of the oldest progressive parties in the world. It would be easy to take comfort in this longevity, to reject the need to fundamentally rethink the way our Party works to ensure the Party survives and prospers. As well as being easy, it would also be foolish.

- The Hon. Chris Bowen, Shadow Treasurer and Member for McMahon

The salient characteristic of social democracy today is its collapsing electoral appeal. In the past two years, social democrats have lost elections in the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Canada and Italy to challengers from the left and right. In Australia, after an era of unmatched Labor supremacy – when every Australian Government was Labor led – the Party has lost elections in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and narrowly avoided a Federal humiliation after winning an emphatic victory in 2007.

- Daniel Mookhey MLC

"In the 1999 State Election campaign the seat of Ryde was a marginal seat. It was an important seat, held by the Labor Party, but necessary for the Liberals to win to take back Government. Walt Secord, Director of Communications to the Premier, keeps a close eye on a targeted seat like Ryde, and one afternoon Walt rang the Ryde campaign office. A young woman answered the phone. Walt spoke to her briefly and then asked to be put straight through to one of the campaign directors. And what was Walt’s first piece of advice that day? “Get that woman with an American accent off the telephones." Kristina Keneally’s inaugural speech to the NSW Parliament, 20 May 2003

- By Walt Secord MLC

When news came that the grand partnership of Margaret and Gough Whitlam had ended with her death on 17 March 2012, I shed a tear and thought how well matched they had been. Although, like many others of her generation, it was Margaret who put aside any ambition so that Gough might pursue his career while she raised four children almost single handedly.

- Dr. Marilyn Dodkin

A ‘Hollow Man’ died in London last year. Philip Gould, the Labour Party pollster and key architect of Tony Blair’s New Labour, was told in September 2011 that he would die of cancer within three months. With morbid accuracy, he died in the first week of November.

By Tim Watts