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Issue No. 320 | 18 August 2006 |
Fixing the WorkChoices Mess
Interview: A Life And Death Matter Unions: Fighting Back Industrial: What Cowra Means Environment: Scrambling for Energy Security Politics: Page Turner Economics: The State of Labour International: Workers Blood For Oil History: Liberty in Spain Review: Go Roys, Make A Noise
Which Bank Tossed Out of Court
The Locker Room Fiction Politics
Labor Council of NSW |
Tool Shed The Man Who Wasn't There
***** Ian Harper's journey through life in a parallel universe appears to be going smoothly, untroubled by the appearance of any low-paid people from the real world. The reality challenged Harper expressed a wish to meet low-income earners a while back. Harper appears to be troubled that what he wished for may actually come true. So Harper has done what lots of ordinary people do when they want to meet someone - he's hired a PR agency. Of course most low-income earners have access to a PR agency. When dealing with Centrelink, or negotiating an AWA, ordinary folk are often known to get on the blueberry and talk media with the guys down at the agency. And who else to have their finger on the pulse of what ordinary Australians think and feel, but some ponytail wearing, banana swallowing goose from Crows Nest or South Yarra. It really shows what Harper's low pay commission is all about; a vehicle for bible thumping Harper to continue his mendacious hypocrisy unabashed, providing window dressing for the Federal Government that it is going through some sort of legitimate process, when it is a forgone conclusion that he is about sending a sizeable portion of the Australian citizenry off to a third world existence. Exactly what sewer Harper emanated from remains unclear, yet the man who thinks sweat shops are a good idea, and that the people cooking his food, washing his dishes and scrubbing his toilets are overpaid, has decided to distance himself from any accountability with the Australian public. His idea of 'meeting' people consists of sending some B grade PR flack out into the real world to sound out The last time this was effectively used as a form of public administration was during the reign of Louis the XVI - the French king was fond of sending his musketeers out into the countryside to deliver the kings will at the business end of a barrel. Unfortunately the technique embraced by Harper was so popular in Monarchial France that the citizenry rose up against the powers that were, leaving many who supported the Harper-Louis XVI method sans head courtesy of the astonishingly efficient guillotine. While Harper's intellectual prowess remains untroubled by reality, common sense, or anything that's actually going on in front of his face, his sanity must be called into question if he thinks that the Fair Pay Commission can get away with public consultation consisting of sending some smiling idiot out to This must be a fantastic contribution to making those of us who will be affected by the Low Pay Commission feel so included in the decision making process. In fact, Harper's concern for us runs so deep that he doesn't want to be sullied by actually meeting us and hearing what we think. We look forward to Harper sending a PR flack along to meet with the Federal Government, the Business Council of Australia, ACCI and Australian Business Limited, after all, he would in no way be biased against the ordinary people who merely have to survive on the basis of his decisions would he? Besides, our Tool Of The Week is a busy man. It takes up a lot of time making dumb decisions that alienate and annoy the general public.
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