History repeats

Watching the Brian Burke controversy in WA I was reminded; 1) of the controversies about Morgan Ryan in NSW and his alleged influence back in the early 1980s. This involved lots of taped conversations as well and much discussion of 'links'. One view is in Jenny Hocking's biography of Lionel Murphy; 2) Brian Burke's father, Tom Burke, was a federal Labor MP 1943-55. Initially close to Chifley he shifted towards the Grouper camp and played a key role in the Federal Executive decision of September 1951 to have Labor support the Communist Party dissolution legislation; 3) Brian Burke as WA Labor premier played a key role in the Hawke government's abandonment of Labor's commitment to national land rights legislation. Still if the pro-Labor swing in the recent Peel state by-election is any guide it won't do Rudd any harm.