Today's centenary is that of the Federal Caucus, not of the Labor movement which had its origins in the 19th century. No political institution is more controversial. In one sense, the argument over the factions, and indeed the factions themselves, are anachronistic. The gradual convergence of ideology during the past two decades has meant the rivalry between them now has less to do with disagreement over fundamental beliefs than over the division of spoils, particularly front bench places. Even in this area, the emergence of a system of proportional representation of the factions on the front bench means that some of the fiercest struggles take place within, not between, the factions.
Critics make two valid points.
The factional system has a bad tendency to reward factional loyalty or seniority rather than talent, and it encourages practices like branch-stacking and head office interventions in local preselections, designed to boost parliamentary numbers for a particular faction. The Labor response is that the non-Labor parties have their factions and manipulations, but are more hypocritical. In Labor eyes, the Caucus system and the factions are ways of managing the conflicts inevitable in any broadly based political party. Today's Caucus centenary reinforces the point. Road to Damascus Pope John Paul II's journey in the footsteps of the first Christian missionary, the apostle Paul, has been much more than a late tour of places of historical interest or a mere personal pilgrimage.