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Issue No. 318 03 August 2006  
E D I T O R I A L

Don't Bank on Costello's Oil Shocker
Did the economy slip on a banana skin or an oil slick?

F E A T U R E S

Interview: A Life And Death Matter
Macquarie Street and Canberra are squaring off over safety in the workplace, NSW Minister for Industrial relations, John Della Bosca, explains what's at stake.

Unions: Fighting Back
When John Howard's building industry enforcer started threatening people's homes, one couple hit the road. Jim Marr met them in Sydney.

Industrial: What Cowra Means
The ruling on the Cowra abattoir case highlights the implications of the new IR rules, according to John Howe and Jill Murray

Environment: Scrambling for Energy Security
Howard Government hypocrisy is showcased in its climate change manoeuvring, Stuart Rosewarne writes:

Politics: Page Turner
A new book leaves no doubt about whether the faction came before the ego, Nathan Brown writes.

Economics: The State of Labour
The capacity of the state to shape the political economy and thus improve the social lives of the people must be reasserted, argues Geoff Dow.

International: Workers Blood For Oil
A new book by Abdullah Muhsin and Alan Johnson lifts the lid on the bloody reality of US backed democracy for Iraq's trade unions

History: Liberty in Spain
Worker Self-Management is good management. The proof in Spain was in Catalania, Andalusia and continues in the Basque Country, as Neale Towart explains.

Review: Go Roys, Make A Noise
Phil Doyle thought he'd find nostalgia, but instead Vulgar Press' new book, Maroon & Blue is a penetrating insight into the suburban mind under stress.

N E W S

 Ah, Sol

 Telstra Contractors in Bush Raid

 Spooks Go �Nuclear�

 Drivers Under Attack

 Stacks on the Hill

 Advertising Works

 29 Face Secret Interrogations

 Bureaucrats Sit on Wages

 Blue Mountains Fit Through Loophole

 G Spot for Rally

 Chalkies Give WorkChoices An F

 Howard Base Shaky

 Deaf Workers Lose Voice

 Canberra Scratches WorkChoices Handicap

 MUA Hungry for Change

 Vanny Changes Story

 Activists What's On

C O L U M N S

The Locker Room
Ruled Out
Phil Doyle plays by the rules

Fiction
Tommy's Apprentice
Chapter One - Tommy and "The Boy"

Politics
Westie Wing
Ian West wonders what might happen if the NSW Coalition actually did win power next March at the State elections.

L E T T E R S
 Bussies Are Tops
 What Was He On About?
 Belly On Balance
 Help Wanted
WHAT YOU CAN DO
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Tool Shed

Mad Max


Our Tool Of The Week shows why sport and politics don't mix

*****

Yes, welcome back, welcome back...to the Tool Shed.

The sporting world was thrown into turmoil last week when it was discovered that Max Walker was still alive.

The one time Melbourne footballer and the only bowler in living memory to use the karma sutra to develop his run-up, Walker was aghast this week that the MCG could be used by ordinary people.

"I love the MCG. It should be for the good of the people, not for the bad of the people," said Walker, upon hearing that the ground would be packed out in November with working families protesting about WorkChoices.

It is puzzling as to which aspect of WorkChoices Walker thinks is for the good of the people.

Does Walker prefer getting people to work on weekends for a flat rate? I guess that would save people from having to get involved in grass roots sport, freeing up more people to attend motivational speeches from Mr Walker.

Or maybe Max prefers people being able to be sacked without notice or reason, like his colleague Bill Lawrie was as Australian captain?

Maybe the former test cricketer thinks that having a safe workplace, being treated with dignity and respect, job security and a living wage are bad for people?

Or maybe our Tool Of The Week likes WorkChoices because he's a brain dead klutz who has spent his entire life sucking up to the big end of town like some performing monkey for Melbourne's B list.

When Keith Stackpole, Ron Barassi, Dean Jones and even that arch-trotskyite Sam Newman, have no problem with working families using the ground, surely Max has some idea about how far on the outer he is.

It's not as if Max Walker is really in the first tier of the pantheon of Australian sportspeople - with that trade mark moustache it's hard to imagine him getting a thousand wickets, or a thousand of anything else really.

After all, he should be able to remember that Billy Graham used the MCG on his crusade for lost souls and Jimmy Swaggart's missus. If it's good enough for televangelism, the Pope, David Bowie and Madonna, it's good enough for working families.

Cripes, even Billy Joel has played a concert there, how's that supposed to be for the good of the people Max?

Imagine if Max Walker could use his amazing powers for good, instead of evil.

Sure, we'd be less one motivational speaker, but hey, that's the price we have to pay if the MCG is to be used for the good of the people, not for the bad of the people.

As for our Tool Of The Week, he should stick to his one great achievement in life, blowing the theme to Wide World of Sports out of his nostril.

Wonderful stuff that.



Show Us YOUR TOOL!

The most inspiring interpretation of this week's tool get's a souvenir edition of Ship of Tools. Deface the Tool of the Week, click the button above to post your artwork, fill out the form and send your entry in and we'll post the winners next week in the Tool of the Week Gallery.

 
 

Ship of Tools - All the tools in one shed!

View our Gallery of Tools

Nominate a Tool!

Your Name:
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Your Country: Your State:
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Type why you think this person should be Tool of the Week here:

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