Warning!!!
The unions aren’t going to have access to worksites….yeah right! The unions are making noises of being upset at ALP IR Policy but I can bet they have been told to make a noise and then when the ALP is in power all will OK.
Those earning over $100,000 will be allowed to stay on AWAs. Big deal – that’s only about 5% of workers.
Unfair Dismissal laws being reinstated….catastrophic.
Email doing the rounds. I don’t know for sure if it’s the final front bench but it frightens hell out of me.
Prime Minister: Kevin Rudd
Deputy prime Minister and Minister for Industrial relations: Julia Gillard, former student radical and AUS president
Treasurer: Wayne Swan, former ALP state secretary
Attorney general: Joe Ludwig, former AWU official
Minister for Homeland security: Arch Bevis, former organiser Queensland teachers’ Union
Minister for Trade: Simon Crean, former president, ACTU
Minister for Transport and Tourism: Martin Ferguson, former president, ACTU
Minister for Finance: Lindsay Tanner, former state secretary, Federated Clerk’s Union
Minister for Environment and the Arts: Peter Garrett, lifelong anti-American activist
Minister for Infrastructure and Water: Anthony Albanese. former assistant general secretary, NSW ALP
Minister for Human Services: Tanya Plibersek, former student union official, UTS
Minister for Immigration: Tony Burke, former official Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Union
Minister for Resources: Chris Evans, former official Miscellaneous Workers’ Union
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs: Alan Griffin, former official federated Clerks Union
Minister for Primary Industry: Kerry O’Brien, former official Miscellaneous Workers’ Union
Minister for Superannuation: Nick Sherry, former state secretary, Federated Liquor and Allied Trades Union
Minister for Sport: Kate Lundy, former official CFMEU.
and if that wasn’t bad enough, waiting in the wings are:
Greg Combet, candidate for Charlton and former ACTU president
Doug Cameron, NSW Senate candidate and secretary of Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union
Bill Shorten: candidate for Maribyrnong and national secretary, Australian Workers’ Union
Richard Marles: candidate for Corio and former assistant secretary, Transport Workers Union.
With unions representing 15 or 20% of the workforce they could be in a position to run the entire country.
Not good.
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Sorry Kev – can’t see the problem with the hypothetical ALP cabinet being loaded with ex-union officials. Think about it – Union officials work as advocates for their members. Having done some advocacy myself in a 40 year career with disabled kids and their families, I’ve learnt that advocacy always gets people offside – particularly if they’re in the business of exploiting anyone a bit less wealthy or powerful. Look at what Hitler did to the trade unions – they’re always the first targeted by anyone inclined towards totalitarianism. Given that the feds have a majority in both houses, and the power of multi-national corporations is on the rise, maybe a bit of balance wouldn’t go astray.
In my experience the stereotype of the union bully is a bit out of date. Until retirement a few years ago I ran an establishment that employed thirty people, all unionized. I actually looked forward to the regular visits of the three union organizers (three different unions involved) as there were generally as helpful to me – the employer – as they were to their members.
You may have persuaded me to vote labour by pointing out the union connections, although my local ALP candidate is actually a solicitor. I wonder how he snuck through?
My dad used to talk about “reds under the bed”. Now it’s “unions under the doona”. Not much has changed in Australian political culture in fifty years – first get your people scared – then get them controlled.
Bob,
If you don’t see the problem it just means you are more inclined to vote ALP regardless of what I write.
It is not so much that the possible caucus is stacked with union reps but that there is no apparent business background members. You know, the type of people who might say ‘getting a better deal for our members may include getting a better deal for those who employ them’
If it’s all wages and conditions then small business stop employing people and if the unfair dismissal laws are wound back then small business will definitely stop employing.
Mentioning Hitler is a bit disingenuous. Howard isn’t threatening to send the unionists to Treblinka, he just warns against them having power disproportionate to their representation.
and so do I
Kev
I’d agree with you that there is a lack of diversity in the backgrounds of aspiring ALP ministers, but that’s a feature of political life in this country. The backgrounds of the coalition people are generally legal or business. It’s only in the minor parties that you’ll see any real diversity.
How many agnostics, gays, aborigines, muslims, or people with disabilities, are putting themselves out there for election?
Unfortunately, as a result of presidential style politics, we are encouraged by the media to vote for stereotypes. My personal rule of thumb is to meet the candidates in my electorate before making a decision as to who gets my vote.
Our democratic system originally paid no heed to parties – but it’s been overwhelmed by a mentality that funnels the voter towards an adversarial view of the process. The media whips this up, and we’re off down a road where sweet reason and constructive collaboration is out the window. It’s a helluva way to run a country.
The antiquated political concepts of “left” and “right” are about as relevant in 2007 as stationary steam engines.
Of course leftists just love to wield power when they get their hands on it. The union bully is still alive and well in Australian workplaces. Take a look at recent expulsions from the ALP. Thugs, every one of them.
My personal rule of thumb is always to vote Coalition. It may not always elect the best candidate but it helps to eliminate the possibility of the left wing of the ALP having any power.
Left and right is still very relevant. There are potential cabinet ministers in the ALP who hate America and capitalism and both of those factors are important to the country. They are ideologically opposed to nuclear power and will refuse to even debate the matter and are against coal mining and uranium export – two areas that produce a huge slab of our GNP and employment figures.
You may think you are voting for a centrist Rudd but he comes with left wing baggage and I for one are not prepared to risk giving them a say.
“My personal rule of thumb is to meet the candidates in my electorate before making a decision as to who gets my vote.”
My policy is to look at the party policy and then decide who gets the vote.
Re union organisers, you are making the mistake of thinking low level ‘local’ union reps are the same as the ones who wind up running the unions (the nice ones do not make it to the top) – most of them have never done a real days work in their lives.
re voting labor, that is the same mob who told us 4 years ago that Latham was the right man to run Australia, the powerbrokers haven’t changed a bit, just the figurehead this time around.
Waste of time looking at the policies – they’re identical, and will change anyway once the new government is in. I can’t remember any reference to Workchoices prior to the Coalition gaining control of the senate. My point is that we really have very little influence in a system where power is wielded by lobbyists, either controlled by corporate muscle or union factions. Faced with this choice, I’d rather look to my personal values and make a decision based on the integrity (as I see it) of the local candidates. It would be up to these elected representatives to have the courage to reflect the views and preferences of the voters despite the party line. Policies bend like willows in the wind. The spin doctors work around the clock to package the rival candidates in the same way we’re sold refrigerators or washing machines. I’m afraid my opinion of “Democracy” in this country took a bit of a kick in the guts when I wasn’t allowed a vote in the 1969 federal election on the eve of our tour of Vietnam in 1970. (I was told there was no transport available, and would be AWOL if I tried to walk to the polling booth). Considering I was being sent of to fight for my country as a conscript, I thought that was a bit rich – still do. But then, I’m obviously naive and ignorant to harbour these opinions based on my experience.
Nope, you are just a conspiracy theorist. One screwed up set of superiors making a dumb decision does not equal the end of democracy.