E D I T O R I A L

Age of Consent
After more than five years of debating, cajoling and at times pleading, NSW workers have secured a set of cyber work rights worth celebrating.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: Under Fire
Michael Crosby outlines his agenda to save the movement � and explains why Australians have nothing to fear from the SEIU.

Politics: And the Winners Are ...
Wal King, Allan Moss, Roger Corbett, Chip Goodyear, Michael Chaney and David Murray have lots in common, writes Jim Marr.

Industrial: Un-Australian
Labour lawyer Clive Thompson argues the changes to IR are fundamentally at odds with the national tradition of consesensus.

Economics: The Common Wealth
As the policy wonks debate the future of our cities, Neale Towart mounts a simple argument: It�s the real people in a society, stupid

History: Walking for Justice
The Eight Hour Day, a very Australian celebration, had its origins in New Zealand it seems, writes Neale Towart.

International: Deja Vu
A group of trade unions have walked away from America's peak council, again. Labourstart's Eric Lee was there.

Legal: The Rights Stuff
Terror laws have sparked a fresh debate on a Bill of Rights - and workers have a bigger stake than ever before, writes Rachael Osman-Chin.

Review: That Cinderella Fella
Russell trades the phone for mitts in an inspiring cinematic slug-fest. Nathan Brown is ringside

Poetry: Is Howard Kidding?
Mel Cheal asks who Howard thinks he is kidding to the tune of the �Dad�s Army� theme song.

N E W S

Secret Policemen's Balls-Up

Centrelink Breaches Cyber Law

Examiner Pulps Cadet

Food Truck Flattens Woman

Will They Know It's Christmas?

Death By Nestle

Taskforce On Safety Charges

Archbishop Preaches End Of Civilisation

Union Drives Tassie Train

PM Cold on Lunch Date

Seafarers Scupper Sell Off

Fraser Terror-fied

Tribute to HT Lee

Activist's What's On!

C O L U M N S

The Soapbox
No Place For A Woman!
Doreen Borrow spoke to the Public Service Association�s women�s conference in September about her experiences of working life that span seven decades.

Postcard
North By Northwest
Phil Doyle returns from up north, where he survived on nothing but goodwill, good people and a great big orange bus.

The Locker Room
Disaster
In which Whatsisname slams the recent poor form of Thingummyjig.

Parliament
The Westie Wing
Our favourite MP, Ian West MLC, gets all casual in his latest missive from the Bear Pit.

L E T T E R S

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Dog Eat Dog

John Howard has argued that workplace reforms are crucial for our economy, to stimulate growth blah, blah. The emphasis, he claims, needs to placed on helping small business survive and thrive.

But is this free enterprise philosophy a mildy innocent type of fraud? Or, is Mr Howard trying to let small business down gently, because any fool can see that the real threat to small business is big business.

In fact, leading U.S Economist, John K. Galbraith argues:

"It is accepted in small business, and particularly in what remains of family agriculture, that toil may be tedious. The owner labors in the enterprise; he or she is responsible for its direction and its success. The small businessman, the small retail and service enterprise, like the family farmer, are still featured in economic instruction and in political oratory. They are the economic system as classically described in the textbooks of centuries past. They are not the modern world; they sanction only a cherished tradition.

For the small retailer, Wal-Mart awaits. For the family farm, there are the massive grain and fruit enterprise and the modern large-scale meat producer. For all, there is the recurrent squeeze from price and cost to loss. The economic and social dominance of big business is, however, accepted. The continued political and social celebration of small business and of family agriculture is a mildly innocent form of fraud. Traditional, romance; not the reality."

John McPhilbin, NSW

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URL: http://workers.labor.net.au/284/letters5_dog.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005