Senator Kim Carr Releases Book Published by MUP

Senator Carr was the third minister to resign after Kevin Rudd declined to challenge Prime Minister Julia Gillard after former Arts Minister Simon Crean called for a leadership spill last month. At the time he said, "I leave the ministry without rancour and I will continue to work for the Labor mission." When Senator Carr was removed from the portfolio of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research in 2011 his achievements were publicly and generously acknowledged from such diverse quarters as corporate Australia, the automotive industry and the tertiary education sector.

In 2010 the Rudd government was described as "a good government which had lost its way". For Senator Carr the issue was much more worrrying-that the Party had lost its way. During his period as Minister for Human Services over the past twelve months, the Senator has had time to reflect on the thorny issue of Labor values.

Senator Carr is a true believer and his book, A Letter to Generation Next - why Labor? lays out the case for the Labor Party. His focus is firmly on generations X and Y, who have lost faith in the ALP, and feel the Party can no longer claim to be the party of social justice, reform and equality. A Letter to Generation Next - why Labor? is a heartfelt argument about why politics are important in our daily lives and demands our involvement. This is a book from a passionate and pragmatic idealist.

Senator Carr says, "Across the world we see a growing hostility not just to progressive parties, but to the very idea of politics. This book is an attempt to explain why we should still give a damn. It's an argument to stick with Labor and believe in the progressive cause, no matter how tough the conditions may now seem. Someone has to stand up to the conservative Right. Someone has to speak up for decency and human dignity. Australians ought to know that Labor can be that voice."

A Letter to Generation Next - why Labor? makes the case for activism and proposes that for the current generation of social democrats, the time has come to reinvigorate the Australian Labor Party.

Louise Adler, MUP's CEO says, "We are proud to add A Letter to Generation Next - why Labor? to MUP's extraordinarily rich and bi-partisan political library. Senator Carr's long years of service to the Party and the cause of progressive politics makes him an ideal figure to advocate for Labor. In the lead- up to the next election the case for Labor needs to be made clearly and with passion. If Labor is to resonate with the electorate, beyond its traditional base in the union movement and the intelligentsia, it will need to persuade the next generation of its relevance and legitimacy. Senator Carr is ideally placed to make that case."