Category: Politics

Well, it’s all doom and gloom in the labour and union ranks as they predict the end of civilized society as we know it with Howard’s IR reforms. As the IR laws haven’t been submitted to the house yet I must presume they are basing their predictions, as they are often do, on the premise that anything coming from the Conservative benches must be bad for the worker. The unfair dismissal laws are getting a hiding as the Unions predict every honest and loyal servant will be sacked at the whim of the boss for trivial misdemeanours, but any employer acting that way is simply going downhill fast. The only people who need fear unfair dismissal laws are those bludging slugs that hitherto, bosses have been forced to keep on as it was simply to expensive to dismiss them. Rob Corr, over at Red Rag is attacking with both barrels loaded with emotive language cartridges.

Courts may face a shortage of jurors…..granny had better get used to those kerosene baths…..anyone who wants a pay rise will be forced to sign away their holidays and the proposed scrapping of unfair dismissal laws will silence whistle-blowers

and mentions

….job security should comes first with corporate profits and conservative ideology a distant last.

Maybe, but the worker better hope his company has corporate profits – it’s the source of his wages after all Labor’s new advocate and Primate of the Anglican church, Dr Phillip Aspinall, says;

The purpose of unfair dismissal laws is to prevent unfair dismissals. If a change there means we’re going to allow unfair dismissals — that is, expose vulnerable people to unfairness — that is a real concern, not only to the churches but the whole community.

This emotive, simplistic and illogical statement doesn’t hold water as the purpose may have once been to prevent unfair dismissals but in reality it ended up preventing any dismissal for almost any reason and therefore does need changing. The Unfair Dismissal laws, in fact, became Guaranteed Employment-for-life laws and has subsequently held back many businesses by forcing them to carry deadweight. And the best plug for IR Reform is Paul Keating saying we don’t need it.

From Lateline

MADAME FU: I was asked by the Australian Government about whether he will be – whether he will face persecution if he returns to China, as he said, and I said he won’t. TONY JONES: How can you guarantee something like that? MADAME FU: I think there is no reason. I don’t see there is any reason to persecute him, and China doesn’t do it, and he has never been persecuted.

Sorry Madam Fu, I don’t believe you and neither do most Australians . The full interview with Madam Fu here Laurie Ferguson thinks Immigration phoning the Chinese Embassy on the matter would have only made things difficult for the would-be defector. Laurie normally doesn’t get quoted, for good reasons, but gets some some air-time with the ABC (surprise) with this line.

Labor’s immigration spokesman Laurie Ferguson says the phone call may have placed the diplomat’s life at risk.

Can’t see it, Laurie. I’m reasonably confident that the Chinese Embassy staff read our newspapers, watch the ABC and have regular roll calls so would have been aware that Chen had done a runner well before someone called. Currency Lad has this angle covered. Last night Lateline found another Chinese chappie who says there a thousands of Chinese spies in Oz. Second Chinese defector backs Chen’s claims. He may be right but I suggest caution until we can sort out everyone’s agenda. The Dems, Greenies and Labour must select an ABC item critical of the Howard Government (and there are plenty of then) every day as a basis for a Senate inquiry or a Royal Commission.

The Democrats and the Greens think a Senate inquiry is the right way forward, but Labor says it is still seeking a royal commission into the Immigration Department instead.

A bit over-played, these Senate hearings. While the ABC broadcasts every anti Howard one-liner from said hearings, the public are getting bombarded and subsequently bored with the predictable messages. Peter crying wolf type of stuff. Bob Brown invents a role for himself and his party by requesting diplomat protection for Chen saying he has been forced to ask NSW to protect the Chen family.

“What an appalling situation when we have to appeal to the NSW authorities to give the protection to Mr Chen that should have been forthcoming from the Commonwealth authorities right at the outset,” he told ABC radio.

You didn’t have to appeal to anyone, Bob, and your contribution will, as always, do more damage than good. As I understand it, the ABC has a direct line to Brown’s office and hit him up for a comment on everything, which makes sense as they both start every thought process with ‘Howard wrong, Conservatives Bad” Howard doesn’t need this shit and neither does Australia. As always it will bubble on the surface until someone finds another “shock, horror, look what the bastards are doing now, lets hold another Senate inquiry, fill Tony’s Lateline agenda, Bob Brown what’s your opinion” type of event

The unions are up in arms because Deputy Prime Minister Anderson says he expects police checks on 130,000 maritime workers will reveal that a significant number have criminal convictions and the Government will have to be “firm” in issuing security cards.

The head of the Australian Maritime Union, Paddy Crumlin, is not impressed. He has accused Mr Anderson of “bashing wharfies” and says Australia’s ports are secure.

Ah well, if the unions say the ports are secure who are we to worry. And how’s this for a startling comment.

“There has never been a serious crime or any crime on the Australian waterfront.

The results of the Police checks will make interesting reading

Queensland senator-elect Barnaby Joyce looks for publicity prior to taking his seat in the Senate. Might I also add, prior to his being told, in mono-syllabic terms, just how government works. The ABC are besides themselves with glee as a conservative politician disagrees with Howard and News.com headlines scream ” Coalition Mutiny over IR Reforms”. No, it’s government in action. Barnaby-Joyce is definitely against;

“…. allowing the middle management of a big company to go out and sack (someone) without giving that person a reason why, or allowing the person to put their case.”

What has that statement to do with the IR Reforms Howard is talking about? And from Strewth in the Australian;

EMPLOYMENT Minister Kevin Andrews had fun in parliament yesterday recounting an ABC interview last Friday where people expressed their concerns about the Government’s industrial relations reforms. Among them was one Fran Tierney, who lamented that her wage of $16 an hour would be cut to between $5 and $6. Andrews said Tierney had obviously not read the package, which guarantees the minimum rates would not be reduced. He also noted she had not disclosed she was the NSW deputy president of the Australian Services Union and the president of the Community and Social Services sector. Or that as a councillor for the Lane Cove Council she supplements her working wage to the tune of $1000 a month. Gotcha.

Tell any lie and tell it often. The States are positioning themselves for a fight as Howard talks of centralizing IR. State Conservatives and Labor alike, it’s either an ideolical or power grab to them. As the battle develops we will hear a lot of lies and emotive, union-speak arguements from the Union movement but in the end the people will be able see that it is power that the unions leaders fight for, and not necessarily the welfare of their members.

Refugee advocate and lawyer, Claire O’Connor is now using a mentaly ill woman to attack the Government and it’s treatment of suspected illegal immigrants. Cornelia RAU aka BROTMEIER aka SCHMIDT, channelling Claire attacks the government.

She gave a long-winded speech yesterday, mixing the history of her detention with her thoughts on leading political issues. She also said that she supported Labor’s Kevin Rudd as prime minister over John Howard and that the US military should not be in Iraq, commented on Qantas and worried about excessive police power. “For me, the police seem to have too much power; I just think if we had more possibilities to have the army have more of a say (it would be better),” Ms Rau said.

I’m not sure what giving the Army more of a say has to do with the problem but it was most probably a case of a deranged woman adlibbing lines that Claire hadn’t fed her. When asked about giving an alias, Cornelia’s only comment was ‘I had my reasons’. The alias is the crutch of the matter. You can hardly blame the Queensland and Federal Police for thinking she may have been an alien when she clearly said she was and gave an alias that prevented anyone finding out the truth. I posted previously on Cornelia here and have yet to see any evidence that makes the government culpable for the affair. Of course, the issue with her medical diagnosis may have excacerbated the problem but that is a Queensland Health problem. With Queensland Health and the Beattie Government under seige for other stuff-ups anything could’ve happened. None of this is relevant of course as Queensland is a Labour state and the main point of Claires debate is to try and destabalize the Conservative Federal government. Not to say the poor woman shouldn’t get some help but it should only be the type available to any Australians in trouble. To compensate her for her self-inflicted trouble is simply not on.