
Issue No 119		16 November 2001

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Letters to the Editor

Is Loose Lips Lewis trying to sink Greens ship?

In a run down on how the parties fare on industrial relations in last week's Workers On Line (Issue 118) readers were presented with a twisted analysis that put The Greens in bed with IR Minister Mr Abbott. This distorted view, written by Peter Lewis, contrasted with the generous interpretation given to the Democrats IR work. The party that gave the Coalition the necessary votes to bring in the first wave of the Workplace Relations Act was awarded "brownie points" for supposedly resisting the Howard-Reith reform packages.

With the election looming the Lewis-Labor Council spin denigrates The Greens by association with the baddest boy of the Howard team, the mad monk himself, Tony Abbott. The Greens are proud of their policy and actions on IR issues, such as support for workers' right to strike, abolition of AWA's, winding up of the Office of Employment Advocate, and the development of industry-wide insurance schemes to give full protection to all workers' entitlements.

And Greens MPs have consistently put their policies into actions. Greens Senators fought to stop the sell-off of the Australian National Line and vigorously opposed the Reith-Kernot Workplace Relations Act with a raft of amendments. In NSW Upper House MPs led the fight to protect workers' compensation from being dismantled by a Labor government.

When it comes to the Democrats Workers On Line pulls on the kid gloves. Yes this party does have a policy commitment to abolish junior rates of pay as Lewis informs his readers. But he failed to add that when they had a chance of ending age based discriminatory wage rates they just could not bring themselves to do it. The Democrats voted with the Coalition to retain wage rates based on age instead of competency in the 1998 Work Place Relations Act. If the Democrats had voted with The Greens and Labor this measure would have been defeated.

When it comes to policy many political parties get the words right. But what happens when a party has the power to act on its policies is what really counts. Surely Lewis, known for his hard hitting style, could have delved deeper than the policy documents and given WOL readers a reminder of what some political parties do when they actually have the power to change the laws that affect workers lives.

In 1998 the Democrats had that power, but the result was ugly for workers. As the Democrats chose to vote with the Coalition and not support Greens and/or Labor amendments we ended up with only 20 areas to be covered in awards, the loss of pay for industrial actions (not including strikes), and the reintroduction of secondary boycott provisions.

So what to do on November 10 - a crucial election on so many fronts. A vote for The Greens and preferences for Labor in the House of Representatives and the Senate strengthens the value of your vote.

It will help to ensure a Labor government is elected, while sending them a strong message that you want a party that shows humanity to refugees, is strong on workers' rights and will strengthen and extend public assets and services.

Greens Senators for the past decade have had a consistent track record of support for progressive issues and workers' rights. We have a real chance of increasing our numbers in this election. Your vote in the Senate will be crucial to getting this country back to values that serve all and not the elite few.

Lee Rhiannon

Ed's Note: This was Lee's daggy headline, not mine

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Issue 119 contents

Interview: Out of the Rubble
Michael Costa argues that Saturday's election result could have been much, much worse.

Unions: Sixty-Forty Are Good Odds!
John Robertson argues that while there may be many problems with the ALP, union power is not one of them.

Politics: Wrong Way, Go Back
Labor's failure in the federal election is the result of more than bad luck. It is the result of a shift to populism that has left the Party bereft of core principles.

Campaign Diary: Week Five: All Washed Up
If you can stand it, relive the fatefull final week of a most remarkable election campaign.

International: Trade Piracy Unmasked
As the trade barons met in Qatar to chart out their agenda, George Monbiot looks at the machinations behind the scenes.

Factions: The Party's Over
Chris Christodoulou renews his call for a breakdown of the factional system to bring new life into the ALP

History: The Fall-Out
Neale Towart looks back to Labor's reaction to its loss in the 1954 'Petrov election' and finds warnings for today's post mortem.

Media: Elite Defeat
Rowan Cahill looks at the intellectual paucity in the PM's ongoing attacks on 'elite opinion'.

Satire: Crean 'Listens To Australian People': Will Sink Refugee Boats
Simon Crean, the most likely candidate to replace Kim Beazley as Labor's leader, says he will take heed of the message sent to the ALP by Australian voters at the Federal Election.

» Unions Call for Border Review

» Compo Fire Reignites as Bill Hits Deck

» Workers Unite Over Corporate Power

» Day Three: Telstra Privatisation Begins

» Primus Deal Marks New Era in Telcos

» Qantas Staff Cuts Condemned

» Bank Workers Seek Proxies for AGMs

» Blokes Stand Up For The Ladies

» Landmark Community Services Win

» Anger at Sartor's Power Grab

» Consumer Boycott Call for Sugar Co-op

» Apprentices Win Parity with Uni Students

» Competition for Nurses Hots Up

» CFMEU Launches Bunny Club

» ICFTU Reveals 250 Companies in Burma

» Activists Notebook

» STOP PRESS: No Democracy at Telstra AGM