Treasurer Peter Costello's May 8 federal budget was aimed at investing in the future of big business. It cements the government's privatisation agenda, further running down already neglected public services and throwing money at private-profit alternatives. It fails to even begin to address global warming, and contains a further major hike in military spending. At the same time, the government feathered its re-election bid with a rash of small to middling tax cuts.
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The April 27-29 ALP national conference adopted an industrial relations policy for the forthcoming federal election. Forward with Fairness confirmed Kevin Rudd’s announcement on April 17 that a future ALP government would seek to enforce the Howard government’s ban on all strikes outside of a recognised bargaining period and insist on secret ballots before strikes could be called.
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A year after the Howard government introduced Work Choices, the legislations negative impact on workers wages and conditions and unions ability to defend their members interests is clear for all to see.
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With the 15-year resources-led boom stimulating the economy, inflation at about 3% and official unemployment at just under 5%, Australians should have little to complain about. But, according to Tony Vinson of Sydney University’s Department of Social Work, the social divide between the rich and poor is deepening and increasing.
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As the ALP’s electoral fortunes lift with each new poll, unionists want to know exactly how a federal Labor government would carry out its promise to “tear up” the Coalition’s anti-worker Work Choices laws.
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The AC Neilson poll published in the March 12 Sydney Morning Herald had the federal Labor opposition in a commanding lead over the Coalition, with 61% of the two party-preferred vote. ALP leader Kevin Rudd was the preferred prime minister of 53% of respondents. Green Left Weekly asked a number of trade unionists how much of Labor’s rise in the polls can be attributed to the union movement’s campaign against Work Choices and how they believe these unjust laws can be defeated.
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The NSW Public Service Association and Unions NSW have called a rally on March 15, in the lead-up to the NSW elections, against job cuts. The PSA is highighting Liberal leader Peter Debnam’s threat to cut 20,000 public service jobs if elected, and is circulating a petition calling on all candidates to “maintain public sector job levels in real terms as at 2006 state budget levels”.
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On February 21, the federal education minister Julie Bishop announced a proposal to introduce “performance-based pay” for teachers in public schools.
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Rachel Siewert, Greens senator for Western Australia, is concerned that the federal opposition hasnt come out more strongly against the governments welfare package. We would get rid of Welfare to Work and look towards better options that support people, she told Green Left Weekly.
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Two months before the Howard government’s draconian Welfare to Work package went to federal parliament, Labor’s spokesperson for employment and workplace participation Penny Wong argued that the proposals were “the most extreme attack on the social security system in history”.
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In his first two months since being elected federal ALP leader on December 4, Kevin Rudd has made subtle, but significant changes to federal Labor policy in its battle of ideas for Australias future. As if following a dictum not to be wedged politically outflanked from the right by PM John Howards Coalition government Rudd is moving significant sections of Labor policy in a more rightward direction and attempting to position Labor as the defender of the fabric of Australian family life.
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STRONG>Neshan
The Australian international exhibition of the badge, the logo and the coat of arms
Pine Street Creative Arts Centre, Chippendale
June 5-9