 |
Crean-ite Is Not A Dirty Word
Amongst the economic fundamentalists within Paul Keating's office, to be a Crean-ite was the ultimate insult. Today as their vision of an unregulated economic paradise gets the death wobbles, it should be worn as a badge of honour.
Interview: Trans Tasman
The head of the New Zealand trade union movement, Paul Goulter, outlines the importance of this weekend's Kiwi elections
Cole-Watch: The Full Story
In 20 years mainstream journalism around New Zealand, the UK and Australia, Jim Marr has never witnessed anything like the Cole Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry.
Unions: The Right To A Life
In the wake of this week's Reasonable Hours decision, it’s time to once again civilise working time, writes Noel Hester.
Bad Boss: Phoenix Rising
Eddie Lombardo just noses out fellow Royal Commission star Ferdinando Sanna for this week’s Bad Boss nomination.
Politics: The Virtuous State
Following Tasmania's first position in The State of the
States 2002, the ALP stormed home in the State poll, reports Christopher Sheil.
International: The Champions
They may be top of the world's football pile, but Brazil also has the dubious honour of 50 million living in poverty, writes Mark Weisbrot
History: Mandatory Mums
Women had been in revolt against “compulsory motherhood” for many years prior to the introduction of The Pill in the 1960s, Neale Towart discovers.
Corporate: Network Governance
A new way to govern public or private sector organisations is becoming urgent as society becomes more complex and dynamic, writes Shann Turnbull.
Review: Navigating The Doublespeak
How can you show a workforce the truth behind managerial doublespeak when the promise of big bucks is wooing them from their collective ideals? Offer them free tickets to Ken Loach's The Navigators and watch the penny drop.
Satire: Hector The Galah Found Hiding
Hector the Galah who was thought to have been stolen from West Ryde has been found hiding on the roof of a building in Surry Hills. He has resisted all attempts to capture him but when interviewed told the following story.
Poetry: Eight Days a Week
This week the Industrial Relations Commission came down with a decision in the reasonable hours case which, while a long way from what the ACTU wanted, could give a bit of steel to workers who want to take back what's theirs.
 League to Blow Whistle on Sweat Shops
Rados Shames Ruddock Into Action
Virgin Contracts Spark Wage Rage
Jobs, Cargo Sail Over Horizon
Reasonable Hours Call to Arms
Big Tobacco Turns to Union-Busting
Athens Workers Pay Ultimate Price
Cranes At Risk in ‘August Winds’
Abbott’s Savings To Cost Workers
Trades Hall Revamp On Track
Top Nurse Bows Out
Name Caller Back to Work
Congo Unionists Need Help
Activists Notebook
The Soapbox
Crossing the Divide
Former Liberal PM Malcolm Fraser made history addressing the AMWU national conference on an issue of mutual concern - the treatment of asylum seekers The Locker Room
Lounge Named Best On Ground
The latest casualty of corporate sport is the loyal spectator on the hill, writes Phil Doyle Postcard
Appeasing Morocco Is Dangerous
Kamel Fadel updates on the latest developments in West Sahara's battle for independence.
Week in Review
Save the Last Dance ...
Labor and the Democrats swap places for the next dance at the political tango, while across the ditch, those darned Kiwis show big brother how it’s done – again! Bosswatch
Walls Come Tumbling Down
It was a week of carnage on the markets – and for a few former corporate high-fliers it was even uglier. Justice? Or just a system in decay?
No Need To Import IT Workers
Kangaroo Court Horrifies Reader
Site Reunites Redundant Workers
Carr Off Course
The Banners of Greed
Join The Party
Shocks and Stares
|
| other LaborNET sites |
|
Labor Council of NSW
Vic Trades Hall Council
IT Workers Alliance
Bosswatch
Unions on LaborNET
Evatt Foundation
|
|
|
Editorial
Crean-ite Is Not A Dirty Word
Amongst the economic fundamentalists within Paul Keating's office, to be a Crean-ite was the ultimate insult. Today as their vision of an unregulated economic paradise gets the death wobbles, it should be worn as a badge of honour.
Don Watson's compelling account of the Keating years portrays the disdain within the PM's office for Simon Crean's conviction that Labor governments should use the levers of economic policy to nurture industry rather than let the system run itself.
But a decade on, and now struggling under a conservative government that has even less imagination and less desire to hold the corporate world to account, the Crean-ite agenda has a new resonance.
As the Australian electorate tires of the excess of global capital and continues to wait for the benefits to trickle down to them the ALP finds itself with a leader with a proven track record of moulding economic policy to develop industries and create jobs.
As ACTU President and later as a Minister, Crean championed industry policies that put responsibilities on all the players - workers, employers and government - to develop sustainable businesses, not just bubbles to be raided by opportunistic wide-boys.
Yes, Simon Crean comes to the Labor leadership with a history, but it's not one he should be ashamed of. It's about imagining a smarter way of doing government.
Maybe that's why Howard and Abbott are so desperate to lure Crean into conflict with the union movement, they know that his prior relationship with and understand of reform from the view of working people is his greatest asset.
The sooner Labor gets past this bogus 'modernisation' debate the sooner it can get to it and develop some policies that expose the Howard mob for the heartless, gutless, unimaginative mob they are.
While they sit back and watch their precious free market crumble under the irrefutable logic of its own greed, there is a golden opportunity to develop plans that foster industry and create decent jobs.
It is the Crean-ite agenda that the pointy-heads in Keating's office rubbished to their eternal chagrin. More sophisticated than free markets, more thoughtful than the Third Way it is what voters are crying out for: a plan to advance Australia's interests.
C'mon Simon, There's no need to be ashamed. You're union. And you're a Crean-ite.
Peter Lewis
Editor
NB - We're giving ourselves a winter break - reasonable hours and all that! We'll be coursing a cross the Net again on August 9. Till then, keep tabs on all the latest union news on LaborNet - http://www.labor.net.au
 View entire issue - print all of the articles!
Issue 146 contents
|
