
Issue No 1		19 February 1999

Campaign Diary

Hartcher Chokes On His Own Uglies

By Peter Lewis

No-one would have been more surprised by last week's announcement of the Coalition industrial relations policy than its spokesman on the issue, Chris Hartcher.

He had just spent a fortnight playing some pretty deft politics, which had almost succeeded in wiping IR as an election issue.

First, he had orchestrated a clever meeting between Peter Reith and the State Liberal where Reith was to ask Chikka to hand over the NSW system to the feds a la Kennett. She was then to rebuff Reithy's advances in a victory for the integrity of the NSW system.

A fully fledged handover had never been on anyone's agenda, employers are happy in the state system and NSW covers more than 60 per cent of the state's workforce -- compared to the small number of workers left in Victoria when Kennett put it to the sword.

But the charade had the desired effect, allowing the State Libs to give the impression that the "status quo" would prevail in NSW. Of course, the real game was always to bring in laws mirroring Reith's Workplace Relations Act, as had occurred under a Queensland Coalition Government. This became a technicality which would have got lost in the "no-handover" rhetoric had George Souris not taken his position at the crease.

Hartcher kept up to smart work with an interview on ABC's Broken Hill station a few days later. The way he was hosing down his policy could have made him eligible for membership of the FBEU.

Here's some extracts:

- "we want a policy that's good for New South Wales and which comes from New South Wales.

- "the state system works fairly well, it has the support of most employers and has the support of the labour movement, and by and large, it's delivered good results for the people of NSW."

- "we can work well I think with the Labor Council and the labour movement in this state.

All of which would have left Hartcher, feeling pretty comfortable and relaxed, ready to keep his intention focussed on his own seat of Gosford, where former Hawke minister Barry Cohen is proving more than nuisance value.

That peace was shattered Thursday, when George Souris addressed a business breakfast in Grafton and unilaterally announced an industrial relations policy with all the trappings of the hardline Court, Kennett and Reith agenda.

The policy reads like a hit-list from the uglies' Top 40: restricting access to unfair dismissal, promoting individual contracts, secret ballots before strike action, restriction on political donations and a shift from the IRC to civil courts for industrial disputes.

But unlike his more successful colleagues, Souris did not even try to dress the policy up as one about "fairness" and the "right to chose not to belong to a union". For George, it was much more simple. "It is time to reform industrial relations in favour of the employer".

If Hartcher had been in the audience he would have choked on his cornflakes. As it was, he had no idea his crafty work was being undone. Journalists who contacted Hartcher later that day say he had no idea of the substance of the Nats policy, notwithstanding that it is the same document they took to the 1995 election.

But later that day, the Nats' wish list became official Coalition policy when Kerry Chikarovski fronted a press conference at Parliament House. Questioned by the gallery on Souris' comments, she faced the choice of backing Hartcher and creating another policy split in the Coalition or dumping her key strategist and backing in Souris. Feeling the heat, she opted for the latter in the interests of damage control.

That decision saved a negative headline on the TV news that night, but leaves the Coalition exposed to a vigorous marginal seat campaign by the labour movement on the issue closest to workers' hearts. Where Hartcher was trying to take away workers' rights by stealth, the Souris-Chikarovski team has ensured that the uglies agenda is out there in the spotlight.

NSW workers who have watched the change in industrial climate federally since the Howard government came to power, may be less than enthusiastic in backing a government who wants to "reform industrial relations in favour of the employer". Then again, at least they now know what they'll be voting for.

Workers OnLine will be tracking the state election campaign up to March 27. For titbits from the hustings email us at [email protected]

  See also : NSW ALP Website

  View entire issue - print all of the articles!

  Issue 1 contents

Interview: Michael Costa
The new Labor Council secretary explains factions, frictions and how to save the union movement.

Unions: Getting Under The Skin
The cash-in-transit industry - known for it's vulnerability to violence and theft - comes under scrutiny as the industry moves to a new "soft skin" operation

History: Remembering the Labor Press
Workers Online is just the latest in a long tradition of publishing by working people and their organisations.

Review: Powderfinger's Political Power Pop
We look at a band who still reckon they can mix music with a bit social commentary.

Campaign Diary: Hartcher Chokes On His Own Uglies
No-one would have been more surprised by last weekï¿½s announcement of the Coalition industrial relations policy than its spokesman on the issue, Chris Hartcher.

» The Overworked - We're Sick, Anti-Social and Sexually Frustrated

» Geeks Blow Up

» The Greatest Act on Earth

» Museum of Contemporary Art calls time

» MEAA Goes Country!