
Issue No 118		02 November 2001

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

The Locker Room

Jim Marr's Hot Tips

An unusual confluence of circumstances will make this a special week. Starting with the Melbourne Cup and finishing with a general election, all our better and baser instincts will be laid bare.

We will hear of the good and the greedy, champions and charlatans, as virtuous and vermin seek our dollar and vote. Come to think of it, it's more than a confluence of circumstances, there is undeniable symmetry between the choices we face in the TAB and polling booth.

Twenty four runners in an open handicap equates roughly to a ballot paper offering more candidates than you can poke a stick at.

There are punters who don't take their responsibilities seriously, backing future leaders by how they look in the parade ring and picking two mile champs by sticking a pin in the book.

The more mature amongst us will study the form and check the records. But, on the stump as at the track, deep-down you have this sneaking feeling that there is every chance you are going to be sold a pup, quite possibly, even, a mangy dog.

Those looking for real value this week will venture into the exotics. Fair enough, but our advice is to by-pass the first fours, trifectas etc and concentrate on the feature double.

Here's the form guide ...

PERSIAN PUNCH - well traveled Pommie-type who, given the chance, will stay all day. Bracket with ALEXANDER DOWNER.

UNIVERSAL PRINCE - promising, boasts some impressive results. Unproven this distance but always ready to pounce - PETER COSTELLO.

SKY HEIGHTS - well bred but bashed around when heavily-supported in his last big one. Running into good form. Will stay - KIM BEAZLEY

ETHEREAL - Kiwi latecomer thriving in semi-rural surroundings. Earned her penalty - JACKIE KELLY

CAITANO - plenty of miles on the clock, been around more than most - CHERYL KERNOT

GIVE THE SLIP - normally a pace-maker for better-fancied stablemates. The tag "most expensive bunny in the world" is deserved, should be knocked off early - LARRY ANTHONY

MARIENBARD - Experienced interloper from Saeed Bin Suroor stable. Fresh off the boat but mean as they come - PHILLIP RUDDOCK

YIPPYIO - battler who has seen better days, real doubts he will see this out - JOHN HOWARD

HILL OF GRACE - sprightly type who turns heads but unlikely to salute in the big one -NATASHA STOTT-DESPOJA

INAFLURY - vicious mare, doesn't mind the stick but performs best under vigorous riding - BRONWYN BISHOP

KAAPSTAD WAY - proven campaigner. A couple of dry days in Melbourne, unlikely as that may seem, would bring right into contention - SIMON CREEN

CURATA STORM - out of his depth here - MARK LATHAM

FREEMASON - does not win out of turn and has had his thrill for 2001 - MARTIN FERGUSON

MR PRUDENT - lives up to his name, expect calculated run and judicious use of whip - JOHN FAULKNER

PASTA EXPRESS - grazes in a very good paddock - MICHAEL WOOLDRIDGE

REENACT - pretty non-descript, bit skittish but a runner's chance - JOHN ANDERSON

BUSH PADRE - well-credentialled, tenacious, but could lose the blinkers - TONY ABBOTT

PROPHET'S KISS - strange mare, will have her supporters but has trouble holding a line - DE-ANNE KELLY

BIG PAT - free-running type who has impressed in the build-up - KATE LUNDY

CELESTIAL SHOW - temperamental lightweight and should be treated as such - DANNA VALE

RAIN GAUGE - originally a left-field proposition but has impressed in the lead-up, keep safe - ANTHONY ALBANESE

TIGER'S EYE - nowhere near best and would need a makeover, physical and mental, to foot it with these - PAULINE HANSON

RUM - can stay but lacks class, doesn't mind throwing a few when odds are in his favour - WILSON TUCKEY

MAGNETO - (lots of) others preferred - BOB KATTER

THE SECOND MORTGAGE - big build-up, talked the talk but couldn't walk the walk - scratched - PETER REITH

KARASI - outsider with achievements under his belt. Has made a mark since arriving and deserves respect - BOB BROWN

SPIRIT OF WESTBURY - lightweight in more ways than one - MAL BROUGH

TOUCH THE GROOM - certainly solid but big question mark over class - JOE HOCKEY

BIG HUSTLER - three from 48 is hardly awe-inspiring, hard to fancy - AMANDA VANSTONE

YUPPIE - highly strung and a bit pretentious, will be lucky to make the cut - CHRIS PYNE

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Issue 118 contents

Interview: Flying High
ACTU Secretary Greg Combet on saving Ansett jobs, defeating Howard and wooing a new generation of unionists.

Corporate: Howard's List of Shame
ACTU President Shaharn Burrow runs through the litany of corporate collapses and down-sizes that have cut a swathe through the Australian community.

Campaign Diary: Week Four: The Battle Lines Drawn
It was a week that saw the leaders launch their campaigns, kiss lots of babies and battle for space with a Holy Jihad.

Industrial: Desperately Seeking Solutions
They might not call it 'industrial relations' in the spin of modern politics, but all the major parties have released plans that will affect the way we work over the next three years.

Economics: Manufacturing Prosperity
Neale Towart looks at the hidden debate of the election campaign - the degree of intervention government should take through Industry Policy.

History: War And Politics
The Conservatives are trying to wage war and win the election. The pundits say it�s a tried and true recipe for electoral success. The 1940 federal poll suggests otherwise.

International: Globalising Labour
On the eve of the International Metalworkers Federation Congress general secretary Marcello Malentacchi argues all nations need to retain a manufacturing base.

Review: Security - Who Needs it?
What does it mean to be secure? Should we even need to ask? In his new book, Anthony Burke asks the tough questions.

Satire: Locksmith Promises "Greater Security" If Elected
A Melbourne locksmith has agreed to run for federal parliament, campaigning on the key issue of security.

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» Train Drivers Call for Level Crossing Action

» Posties See Wage Rise By Christmas

» Howard Fails To Stem Workplace Deaths

» Greenpeace Activist Gets Union Support

» Hotel Workers Name Their Odds

» Airport Screeners Strike Over Work Value

» East Timor Training Centre Copmpleted

» NSW IR Act Due for Five Year Review

» Organiser of the Year Nominations Open

» Activists Notebook

» STOP PRESS: Jakarta Shangri-La Hotel Workers Fined US$2 million