*****
Peter Debnam is an interesting chap.
His new plan to sack the entire public service and run the entire state with just himself and his deputy, the remarkably named Andrew Stoner, was received with about as much welcome as a Norwesterly at a bushfire.
Not that we'll have to worry about that. Not after Debnam single handedly wipes out the Rural Fire Service, National Parks and any public servant within a four thousand mile radius of his Vaucluse mansion.
Debnam's unique take on civilisation, and his belief that we don't need it, may have raised eyebrows, but his ideas are hardly new.
His desire to start by cutting a tenth of the population is borrowed from the Romans, who were fond of wiping out a tenth (or a decima in the old currency) of the population. It is where we get the word 'decimate'.
It's a skill our Tool Of The Week appears to relish. Spending the week pondering aloud on which public servants were hated more.
If he had continued his cogitations he may have surmised that unctious hypocritical politicians probably do have a bit of ground to make up to catch RTA workers.
After all, maybe the fact that there are queues in the motor registry may have something to do with the fact that his predecessor, Nick Greiner, liked to engage in a bit of decimation of his own. It would be a bit much to expect our tool Of the Week to ponder that what we need is an improvement in public services, not depletion, but the debnam mind is simple, yet lacks that sort of intellectual alacrity.
Despite his philosophical objection to poor people being allowed to breathe, nonetheless, public services do remain. Luckily, our Tool sees himself as the person who can put an end to such bolshevist nonsense as having school cleaners or health care workers.
After all, the private sector can do these things so much better, as the Cross City Tunnel, the Lane Cove Tunnel, the Sydney Airport rail link, property developers and sundry other hapless "service providers" demonstrate.
Luckily though Debnam has plucked the ten percent figure, like his wit, out of thin air.
It's astonishing that, in the midst of us inheriting the whirlwind of the infrastructure cuts and mismanagement of the Greiner/Fahey years, that someone who has half a clue would propose that the solution is to further emasculate the public sector.
Unfortunately Debnam does not have half a clue. He does, though, have no clue at ball, which will come in handy in coming weeks as his bizarre Dutch auction of community services shows us that cuts to Sydney Water may be affecting the quality out Vaucluse way.
Certainly, there is something awry with someone who thinks that the solution to having a clapped out old car is to take to it with a broadaxe.
Debnam is yet another tired old tax dodging, anti-community market forces Dalek, playing the politics of last century, who is seeking to avoid his community obligations by running off and putting his head in the sand while the rest of the world can go to hell in a hand-basket.
The Liberal Party calls this leadership.
The anti-union watchdog is washing its hands of the attack of the Cook Islander who was being paid just $50 per month.
Samuel Kautai was working 12-hour days a day, six days a week for Manuel Puruto, who engaged young workers from the Cook Islands under individual contracts.
"I had a good opportunity to come to Australia because I heard it was good money," said Kautai. "The guy I was working for didn't treat me well. He gave me a lot of damage on my body."
Kautai had his skull smashed, his jaw and teeth broken, has lost his sight in one eye and is also looking at surgery on the second eye, where he has loss of vision.
Puroto was charged on last week by Green Valley police with two counts of maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm, with further charges expected to be laid.
Other young workers from the Cook Islands working for Puruto's business, Freliesma Guttering, have made similar allegations to Kautai of ill treatment.
"The Government has established a special $100 million Taskforce - the Australia Building & Construction Industry Taskforce - to 'police' building sites.
However, this Taskforce has refused to investigate or help Samuel Kautai," said CFMEU secretary Andrew Ferguson. "Unfortunately, under John Howard's 'Workchoices', this type of exploitation and abuse is becoming more widespread."
The CFMEU estimates that Kautai is now owed over $90,000.00 in back pay
Kautai's mother Atirua, a shop assistant in the Cook Islands, has now come to Australia with her husband to be with her severely injured son.
"The government should be coming in and helping the young ones like my son," said Atirua Kautai. "It is terrible what this man has done to us.
"At least I know the union will help the young people that are coming over here."
The incident has left Kautai with thousands of dollars worth of medical expenses.
Half brother of the accused and former champion boxer Piri Puruto said from the Cook Islands that it was a good job that the police were involved.
The CFMEU is co-ordinating donations for the family. To donate call (02) 9749 0400.
About 20 workers at the Packer family-backed Teys Brother's abattoir at Naracoorte refused to sign Australian Workplace Agreements, which stripped workers of the Australia Day holiday, other public holidays and whittled down penalty rates.
The Industrial Relations Commission last week allowed workers back in the gates.
SA Meatworker Union Secretary Graham Smith said he understood the guest workers conditions were that of the AWAs and were performing unskilled work.
He said they were brought over for skilled tasks such as "slaughtering, boning and slicing", but instead were performing tasks such as packing.
Guest worker visas are only allowed for skilled workers and then only when the skills cannot be found in Australia.
Smith said there was also doubt on whether they were being paid above $39,000 a year, the minimum rate for guest workers.
Also in South Australia, reports have emerged of 200 Chinese guest workers at an T and R Pastoral abattoir in Murray Bridge.
"We don't have 200 skilled positions in the place," Smith said.
ACTU President Sharan Burrow said the situation was further proof the Federal Government's temporary overseas worker program was out of control.
"Australians are being denied job opportunities and overseas workers are being exposed to exploitation," Burrow said.
The Department of Immigration is investigating the guest workers' visas.
According to a 41-point plan obtained by Workers Online, workers at Dana Car Parts could be stood down without pay if union members at another business took 'action(s).
The plan, proposing to slash existing workers' wages by five per cent, because "we don't believe what we paid for in the last EMB"; cuts new starters' pay by 20 per cent and cancel all rostered days off. This means a new employee on $50,000 a year would stand to lose $10,000 annually.
Two hundred workers protested outside the factory last week to show their anger at Dana's proposal.
AMWU National Secretary Doug Cameron told the workers that the proposal was a taste of what unscrupulous employers would try and get away with under the Howard Government's work laws.
"New staff would take five years to get to the current rate for other workers under this unacceptable proposal," Cameron said.
"There would also be restrictions on workers compensation, the removal of rostered days off, cuts to redundancy and long service leave, and the employer would get power to force workers to take holidays whenever they wanted."
The proposed wage cut is part of a 41-point plan unveiled by Dana in enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations.
Although there are no immediate plans for industrial action, workers warned it was possible if negotiations break down.
"The AMWU will not allow deals such as this to go through. Our members are united in their stance that wages and conditions will continue to rise not fall," Cameron said.
The Federal Government's Work Choices legislation is expected to come into force next month after passing through Parliament late last year.
The Work Choices legislation removes protection given to workers' conditions through things such as the award safety net and access to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.
"Attacks like this are likely to be repeated at other workplaces many times over, but the cold hard reality of Work Choices cannot be allowed to continue past the next election", said Cameron.
"The strong demonstrations of opposition that were held last year must be continued. We must hold John Howard to account and we must never accept that this 'law of the jungle' is welcome in Australia.
Calls to the controversial hotline, set up by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to �explain� industrial relations changes, cost an average of $33 per minute. Workers Online understands the going rate for a call to a phone sex hotline is about $5 per minute.
In figures revealed before a Senate committee, the Federal Government spent $4 million to set up three WorkChoices call centres, only to field 49,000 enquiries. This works out at $80 per call.
According to a Telstra client report, obtained by Workers Online, for a day in October, each call lasted an average of 144 seconds.
Criticism of the hotline emerged soon after it was set up, with many people complaining they were left without answers to questions.
Workers Online last year sprung the hotline for giving wrong advise on whether or not an employer could force an Australian Workplace Agreement onto a new employee.
US multinational United Group Services, has told the workers, including 38-year veteran, Steve Tsoukalas, who built the icon, to take the pay cut and brush the union they wants to keep his job.
The existing union delegate and another worker, on light duties after being injured in an accident on the site, have been told they will not be employed.
The workers and their union, the CFMEU, have a collective agreement with the existing contractor, Lucas Stuart, who is to be punted by Opera House management in favour of United Group Services, who are expected to post a 2005-2006 annual net profit of more than $70 million.
"Injured workers need to be assisted with rehabilitation and returned to work, not sacked because of injury," says Andrew Ferguson, NSW secretary of the CFMEU. "Profits should not be made at the expense of workers dignity."
"Loyal employees need to be treated with respect and not forced to work on unfair individual contracts. We need to stop this abuse of power."
The CFMEU is calling for all patrons of the Sydney Opera House to assist the campaign for justice and decency.
Details of the campaign can be found at the CFMEU website at www.cfmeu-construction-nsw.com.
A hastily assembled picket in Waterloo by around 30 members of Equity and other unionists sang, yelled, whistled and whooped outside the location of the shoot for Quaker's Oats.
It took just 20 minutes before producers caved, agreeing to move performers onto the Equity contract.
The US production company previously insisted that Equity's Offshore Commercial Contract would not be used to engage performers.
Equity hailed the result as a major victory yesterday in securing decent pay and conditions for performers working on a US offshore commercial production.
The contract they offered performers provided lower fees, residual payments and superannuation than those specified in the union-negotiated Offshore Commercials Agreement.
"This proves that if members take action, and take it quickly, they can get results," says Simon Whipp, Director of Equity. "It sends a strong message not only to local producers, but to offshore producers that if they wish to work in NSW, they must do so on a union basis."
The Equity division of MEAA only had a few hours notice of where Shalala Productions was making the commercial for release in the American market.
Whipp expressed thanks to all those who attended the protest and said that Equity would remain vigilant about other attempts at non-union productions.
Following last week's revelation that the government planned to slash 5000 public service jobs, 1000 more than previously thought, PSA general secretary John Cahill said it was time for the NSW government to be upfront about its plans.
"We are still in the dark about which services are in the firing line, yet the Government saw fit to announce even more planned job cuts," he said.
"How can the Government claim services to the NSW public won't suffer while planning bigger, indiscriminate cuts?"
Mr Cahill said the recent promises to increase the number of police, nurses and teachers did not make the problem of damage to services go away.
"More frontline staff require more support, yet the Government is planning to cut existing support services," he said.
"At this rate we will have huge numbers of nurses, policemen and teachers writing rosters, organising payroll and other paperwork. And that is just the start of it.
"What happens to those trying to keep a lid on diseases on our farms, protect the seas from over-fishing, check the safety of our roads and look after our wildernesses?"
"The public sector has already been cut by one third in real terms since 1980, and the government's changes will only wind it back further," he said. "The public wants to see governments come up with plans to improve services, not cut them."
The PSA's campaign against cuts has the backing of Unions NSW, which is intensifying its pressure on the government to draw a line through further cuts and will convene a meeting of all public sector unions to build a united front.
In a decision which moves toward bringing apprentice wages into line with reality, the Australian Industrial Relations Commission has granted metal industry apprentices an increase of $50 a week if they have completed Year 12.
Apprentices who have completed Year 11 get an extra $30 per week.
"The days of apprentices leaving school at 15 were over a long time ago. Unfortunately, this was not recognised in apprentice wages, and the low wages for apprentices were contributing to skills shortage." AMWU National President Julius Roe said.
"It is a terrific thing that something we have argued for so long has finally been accepted."
The Metal Industry Award covers more apprentices than any other award in the country so this win will have a big impact on the attractiveness of apprenticeships.
"This approach contrasts with the Howard Government "solutions" to the skills shortage which amount to dumbing down and splitting up the trades qualifications and a massive increase in exploited imported guest labour," Roe said.
Roe said though the new arrangements would survive for sometime into the era of WorkChoices, the Government's reforms would hinder the future development of skills.
"A return to the old rates would only further exacerbate the skills shortage, and be unfair to deserving apprentices."
The wage rises will take affect from the first pay period after March 6.
Several reports had supported the plan, arguing that buses from an interchange at Hamilton would provide a better service, but rail unions and the local community had pointed out that a bus is not a train.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma apparently heeded the concerns, deciding to drop the plan to remove the heavy rail link and instead invest $20 million in the rail service.
The decision comes as the Combined Pensioners & Superannuants Association of NSW Inc (CPSA) and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) are calling on NSW Premier Morris Iemma to scrap the NSW Pensioner Travel vouchers booking fee.
Effective from Wednesday 1 March 2006, NSW pensioners wishing to use their NSW Pensioner Travel Vouchers for travel on CountryLink Services will be required to pay a booking fee of $10 or 15% of the full adult fare,
"We cannot believe the Iemma Government not only has the audacity to reduce public transport services that older people, especially those in rural areas, rely on, but also then tax us for a greatly inferior service," says CPSA State Secretary Bob Jay.
"This is one of the most outrageous and underhanded things I have seen in my 30 years as a union official," says RTBU Secretary Nick Lewocki. "These are a group of people who have worked hard, paid their taxes and made significant contributions as members of our community. Now the Iemma Government has decided to tax them out of our public rail system."
The RTBU and CPSA are seeking an urgent meeting with the Premier in order to have this issue resolved immediately.
The 47-year-old man was working at a food processing business in the town of Nhill when the incident occurred last week. The man was flown to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital for treatment.
It was the latest in a string of serious industrial accidents in regional Victoria.
Executive Director of WorkSafe Victoria, John Merritt, said it underscored the need for proper guards on machinery, and proper supervision and training of workers.
"Serious injuries arising from working with machines are entirely preventable," said Merritt.
He said regional Victoria had produced an "inordinately high" rate of workplace deaths and serious injuries in recent years.
Regional workers were being admitted to hospital intensive care units at a rate of five to one compared with Melbourne-based workers, he said.
The safety arm of Victoria's peak trade union body, the Victorian Trades Hall Council, echoed the concern.
"Union workplaces are safer workplaces," says Renata Musolino. "Unions offer workers support, protection, information and help workers know about their rights,
Musolino welcomed the initiative, the WorkSafe safer workzone campaign, which was using regional tours to reinforce safer Victorian workplaces.
"Over the past five years we have had no less than ten managers and three State Ministers for Transport responsible for Sydney Ferries," says NSW AMWU Secretary Paul Bastian. "Every time there has been a problem, the manager resigns or is sacked. A new manager comes in with an entirely different style and priorities to the last manager.
"So effectively there has been no management at Sydney Ferries."
Bastian pointed out that an "army" of highly paid consultants accompanies each new minister and manager, each making their own set of recommendations on strategies, budget cuts and priorities that are often in conflict with the last consultant's advice.
Bastian says that the end result is no long term planning or strategy at Sydney Ferries.
"On the advice of one of their consultants, ten years ago Sydney Ferries halved their maintenance workforce," says Bastian. "Since then there has been a revolving door of contractors rather than a well trained, stable workforce.
"At any one time, up to almost half the maintenance workers could be contractors, working on out dated equipment, without the training and experience they need.
Bastian says the travelling public has a right to expect the highest possible standards of safety and reliability from Sydney Ferries.
"That's not possible unless the Government is committed to providing stable management, a long term strategy and a well trained permanent maintenance staff."
The latest manager, announced this week, is Waterways chief and former navy fleet commander Rear Admiral Chris Oxenbould, who will take charge of Sydney Ferries for six months following the departure of Sue Sinclair after just 21 months as chief executive.
Sydney Ferries has an annual maintenance budget of $22 million.
The United services Union has backed a call by reserve bank Governor Ian Macfarlane for the Federal government to hand over billions in GST revenue to the states to address the shortfall.
"When the Reserve Bank Governor makes comments like that it is time for all politicians to sit up and take notice," said USU Executive President Michael Want. "Right across NSW we have regional communities struggling to maintain services and improve infrastructure due to lack of funds."
The Union will be running a public awareness campaign and cites findings in the Independent Study commissioned by the Local Government Association of NSW, which shows that:
� Councils require $14.6 billion over the next 15 years for asset replacement over and above maintenance requirements, double the rate of current expenditure;
� There is an annual infrastructure spending gap of up to $600 million replacement cost;
� There is an Infrastructure backlog of $6.3 billion, or 13 per cent of total asset value.
According to Michael Want these figures confirm the union's call for a substantial financial commitment to local government.
"While NSW continues to be robbed of $3 billion per year it will be difficult to address this funding crisis," he said.
The United Services Union, representing over 30,000 local government workers across NSW.
Tune in to Workers Radio Sydney 88.9FM Weekdays 5:30am - 9:00am
The 2006 Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA raffle
shortly to open!!!
Wednesday, 1 March, 2006.
We invite you to take part in this year's Raffle by buying a ticket, selling
tickets or encouraging your family and friends to participate.
FIRST PRIZE Round the World Trip for Two. Imagine, you and a friend heading
off around the world on a trip of a lifetime!! Every ticket gives you the
chance to win the great prize of a ticket for two around the world with $720
spending money and one night's accommodation in London thrown in.
SECOND PRIZE Acer Travelmate Laptop Computer. You will be able to go
anywhere with this great laptop, valued at $1,300. Acer Travelmate Model
2304Lci, Celeron M-350 with new 1MB Cache, 15" Widescreen, 256MB RAM, 40GB
Hard drive and many more features.
Raffle tickets can be purchased from 1 March 2006:
� Ph: 1800 888 674 Fax: (02) 9261 1118
� Email: [email protected]
� Online at www.apheda.org.au
MONSTER East Timor Fundraising Event
When: Sunday 26 February, 2006
Time: 12.00 - 4.00pm
Where: The Republic Bar - Elizabeth Street, North Hobart
Music - Daiman Stephens (Hobart Singer/Songwriter)
Joe Adelstein (Boston USA Singer/Songwriter)
Film - "Martial Lawless" Documentary on the mobilisation and politicisation
of East Timor youth with martial arts while under occupation
Complete with martial arts displays at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm.
For more info email [email protected]
Bid for Freedom
Art Exhibition and Auction
When: Exhibition March 1-5, 2006
Mon-Fri 10am to 5pm, Sat, Sun 1pm to 5pm
Auction March 5, 2006
Sunday March 5, 1.30pm to 5pm
Where: The Glen Eira City Council Gallery
Cnr Glen Eira and Hawthorn Roads
Caulfield VIC 3162
Melways Ref: 68 A2
More than 100 Australian artists have generously donated works to be
auctioned to raise money for the Brigidine Nuns Asylum Seeker Project
For more info see http:www.bid4freedom.org
30 Years of the Saharawi Republic & the Sahawari People's Struggle for
Independence
Australia Western Sahara Association
When: March 12, 2006
Where: Mori Gallery
168 Day Street
Sydney
Guest Speaker: Kevin Rudd MP, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
$20/$15 (including finger food) Money raised will go towards health and
education programs in refugee camps.
RSVP Lesley Osborne 0439 363 010 or [email protected]
APHEDA Garage Sale
When: Saturday February 25, 2006
Where: Cnr Cliff Parade and Spray Street
Thirroul
Take a drive over the new Sea Cliff Bridge this Saturday and score a bargain
for a good cause.
Supporters from all over the Illawarra and further have made donations which
will be sold with the proceeds going to the Fahisoi Composting project in
East Timor.
For more information email aphedasouth [email protected]
Human Rights...Negotiable?
What would an Australian Bill of Rights do for you?
Presented by the Port Jackson ALP State Electorate Council
Saturday 11 March 2006
Leichhardt Town Hall 2- 4:30pm
Cnr Norton & Marion Sts, Leichhardt
Guest Speakers
o The Hon. Rob Hulls MP Victorian Attorney General
o Julian Burnside Queen's Counsel, Refugee Rights Advocate, Author
o Tim Palmer Walkley Award Winning Journalist, ABC Jakarta
o The Hon. Susan Ryan Chair of the New Matilda Human Rights Campaign
RSVP: SEC Secretary Verity Firth on 02 9692 8761 (leave a message) or at [email protected] by 1 March 2006
Sick of marching in a straight line?
The Queers in Unions group - Workers Out - invites you to be involved in our float and parade entry for Mardi Gras, Saturday 4 March.
We're looking for all sorts of union members from all sorts of unions to come along and join the fun.
You can be a dancer, help us build our fabulous float or get a group together and come along and be part of the parade entry on the night.
Contacts
Dancers and other performers: Bronwyn Winter on 0412 770 424
General parade entrants: Dominic Quigley on 0424 007 638
All other enquiries: Email [email protected]
John Howard: 10 Years On
It is now 10 years since John Howard was first elected as Australia's Prime Minister.
This forum will consider the Howard Government's 10 years in power and the impact it has had on Australia.
With:
n Julia Gillard MP, Shadow Health Minister
n Gerard Henderson, columnist with the Sydney Morning Herald
n Judith Brett, Author
When: Wednesday 22 March from 6.00pm to 7.30pm
Where: Gleebooks, 49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
Cost: Free
Chair: Senator John Faulkner, President of the NSW Fabian Society
Yesterday 2 AWU officials stopped at the Rothbury Riot Memorial. I could only wonder at the length of that strike and the solidarity of those who took path.
As we have our turn to fight for workers rights we should remember those great unionists - a badge from today's fight, saying your rights at work worth fighting for sits in honour of those men - and as a reminder it's still true today.
Allan Bell, NSW
So, Premier Morris Iemma has guaranteed that the toll on the M4 would be removed in 2010.
I for one would be much more comfortable if the guarantee was that he will remove himself and his collaborators, and preferably prior to 2010.
Tom Collins, NSW
As an LHMU member, the article "Capital Punishment on the Menu" made clear that it is the calm before the storm. The vulnerability of Filipino guest workers are a sharp example of Federal government IR policy to return Australia back to the regime of individual contracts under the Masters and Servants Act of the 19th century.
Its not just foreign workers. Indigenous people were put on Work-For-The-Dole labour programs ten years before non-Indigenous workers. They have always been underpaid, treated like slaves and racially vilified. Indigenous public servants are leaving the government bureaucracy running Aboriginal affairs in droves because of the taken position they play.
The paternalism of Australian governments results in racism that is all pervasive in the lives of every single Indigenous person. For 218 years there has been rampant land theft, stolen wages and children, and the decimation of entire Aboriginal nations. This has been, and continues to be an ongoing genocidal war.
The Stolenwealth Games in Melbourne, and the spin congratulating our so-called multiculturalism hides a dark history, and the present reality of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia. The Black GST, which stands for Genocide to be stopped. Sovereignty to be restored. Treaty to be made has an Indigenous leadership bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. We will be opposing the Games as part of our convergence in Melbourne from all over Australia.
There is unfinished business between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia, and that is the reason to support the Black GST.
Craig R Hall
Indigenous Social Justice Association
( Melbourne Supporter's Group )
Can anyone explain why the State Labor Government opposes the sale of Telstra but is selling the Snowy Hydro scheme. Is the Labour movement really supporting this or is it just those few stupid dinosaurs who see it as some desperate act to revive the fortunes of the Iemma Government. Although Labor has been selling out the working people for at least 10 years it is now condemning working families to low pay and 19th century working conditions brought about by a certain victory for the coalition at the next election.
Labor has always survived by utilising the maxim "a Labor government is always better than a Liberal one", no matter how often it sells out. Its key constituencies have swallowed this nonsense for years. The privatisation of the Snowy Hydro is the result of inbreeding by a succession of apparatchiks and sleazy compliant parliamentarians.
Its time for strong-minded Labor independents to take on the official Labor candidates at the next election and to do their damnedest to defeat these shameless men and woman.
Paul Palmer, NSW
It is wrong to refer to low-paid migrant workers as 'hordes'. In so far as I am aware of the employment situation in Australia, I think your editorial has much merit: however, the words we use matter.
Those of us in the labour movement must be very careful not to allow our positions to be hijacked by racists and I think you should withdraw the word 'hordes', which has connotations of barbarian invasion.
I hope you will accept this letter in the fraternal spirit in which it is intended.
Paul Hardy, Ireland
Mort De Monolith
Pockmarked and pitted by vengeful time,
a mask ravaged by decay and failing strength,
a shroud of sagging, wayward flesh, incontinent,
bright eyed and jaundiced, lost to living glory.
Once a bold and boisterous Turk, now spent,
and at the last threshold, giving up the fight,
curiously compliant, yielding to invading night
Rags to riches to rags, whisper sneering cynics
and smirking oracles as his empire passes on.
His tongue-trapped heirs bleed dutiful phrases.
While his soon to be eagerly maligned memory
is set in tainted history by posturing, strutting,
sharp-beaked birds of prey, impatient to rend
rotting flesh and wallow in this dubious bounty.
They came to praise their outrageous Caesar,
this sycophantic gumbo of mealy-mouthed
mercenaries and miscreants, to bury him deep
in golden, overflowing, and mellifluous praises.
No truth to be exhumed from this sorry sepulchre,
no light to be shone into the darker shadows,
no one here with the will to cast the first stone, yet.
He gave generously and secretly to the poor,�
the faithful trumpet, defiantly and desperately.
He was a magnificent man of the common people,
rough and ready in the great Australian tradition.
He was ever a warrior, and of noble countenance,
a brave crusader, a super legend with a kind heart,
said Channel Nine, committing prime time crime.
He was detested by many and feared by most,
responded the outraged and resentful peasantry.
Countless, bruised and sullenly silent survivors
will not mourn his early passing through this door,
and so very many will say, we don't want to pay
for this sanitising of history, this Roman Holiday,
this obscene carnival, this tribute to a dead tyrant.
Ruthless, he grasped at ever-increasing power.
In his arrogance, he conspired to bribe his way and
ride through the fine eye of the mythical, holy needle,
on a cavorting polo pony. Where is the dignified camel?
Chanted the insolent and vociferous lower orders, in
protest, but they were silenced, roughly dragged away,
into safekeeping, by the loyal people�s paid-for police.
He wasn't present to share the farce, seethe at the fuss on
the evening news, or rage against the advert free special.
He�d already gone, moved on, of course, he did it his way.
Farewells concluded at a private affair, select and discrete.
No beating of a muffling drum, no rain soaked squaddies,
in the dead of night, the sods with their bayonets turning,
no riderless horse, just the acrid smoke of a giant, burning.
Dermott Ryder, NSW
These are the people who are meant to believe that the state is the solution, yet here they were carrying on as if the public service was the only thing standing between society and a healthy economy.
There were the 5,000 jobs that will be cut in a bid to plug a cyclical glitch in the budget; but that was not the worst of it; it was the way the government spun out all the clich�s of bludging public sector workers as if the cuts were some kind of service to the public.
Some of these were opportunistic, others downright disingenuous; when the Daily Telegraph splashed on public sector stress leave, there was the new Treasurer, once a defender of workers rights, singing the tired old song of rorts. We've seen it before on the railways; soften up the public with allegations of rorts then send in the dogs. Peter Reith was good at it too!
Then they splash with their grand plan to end the 'unattached list', spruiking about public servants being paid to do nothing; without fessing up that the vast majority of the 0.01 per cent of public servants on the list are actually doing meaningful work in departments where their positions have been restructured out of existence.
And then there was the bizarre announcement of a two-week public service lock-down over Christmas, a proposition that could ensure that any festive emergency is dealt with via a recorded telephone message.
The enduring sadness came not from the search for efficiencies; of course the public's money should be used wisely, but in the way the government seemingly invited the debate about services to be dumbed down.
With the benefit of research over summer we can make a few observations about this tack: first, the cliches of lazy public servants doesn't wash with the public; secondly, they reject the notion that the private sector does these things better and thirdly, they will punish candidates who cut jobs at the ballot box.
And this is where this week's adventure gets even sadder; a Labor Government was actually giving up its natural political strength, the delivery of services, in order to attempt to compete with a right-wing party on the issue it can never win on, the economy.
This is a classic case study of the Fingerhut Principle of framing the debate (see editorial in issue # 272 that applies to political parties in all western democracies.
Conservative parties win elections when the debate is on national security or the economy; progressive parties win when the debate is rooted in services - education, health and the rights of ordinary working people.
Elections are not won on the relative merits of the policy positions on these issues; simply on the issue that is dominating a voters mind when they cast their vote.
No matter how many jobs Costa cuts; if voters are thinking about the economy next March, Labor will be in trouble; in contrast, if the sacking of 29,000 workers - cuts that will undermine public services - is front and centre, Labor should be popping the champers.
With the NSW industrial relations system up for grabs, the next state election is too important to sacrifice on the economic adventurism of a few Cabinet members. This is a time when we need a Labor government that has the courage to play to its strengths.
Here's hoping that this week's audit was the end of the job cutting madness; and that Labor realises that only a combination of defending workers rights and standing up for public services will be their ticket to electoral success.
Peter Lewis
Editor
Search All Issues | Latest Issue | Previous Issues | Print Latest Issue |
© 1999-2002 Workers Online |
|