Labor Finds Its Head and Heart

Like his party leader, Lindsay Tanner, 48, is a thinker, writer and agent of change. Since he was elected as the federal member for Melbourne in 1993, the tall and easy-going former union official has been at the forefront of his party's renewal - gently nudging his colleagues to modernize their ideas, arguing for reform in the public domain and working within traditonal political structures. He's rarely inspired headlines or been the front man for a social movement. Despite a talent for communicating, he's not the publicity-seeking type. Yet Tanner's influence on Labor, and the broader political agenda, is arguably more...