Guest Report

Costa on an X for President

I stand by my call for a debate about the generational composition of the ACTU leadership,despite being pilloried as being opposed to older women.

It is an intellectually dishonest argument to say that because someone favours a younger person for a position they are opposed to older people.

My critics can't have it both ways. It can't be argued on the one hand that a woman is the preferred person for a position because it will have a positive effect on our image - an argument I support - and then refuse outright to accept that a younger woman may have an even more positive effect.

The critical question of the right person to be the public face of the ACTU is not about any individual's age or ability, but their strategic value in projecting the movement to its key target group which I believe is younger workers.

The question is the target group. That's what we should be arguing about.

There is nothing shallow about marketing the movement - anyone who thinks otherwise is naive. Why has the union movement spent enormous amounts of research in recent years to understand our target markets ? Demography is an issue, to deny this is to be blind to the issues the movement is facing, in fact it borders on gross irresponsibility.

Baby boomers are overwhelmingly represented in senior positions in the labour movement - but there are a paucity of younger faces in key leadership positions.

This is despite the fact that there is an abundance of young talent around the movement at the moment - many of whom are leaving because the structures make it difficult for them to have an impact on the direction of the movement. We have an outmoded seniority mentality that undermines the need to project a younger image.

The ACTU needs to balance experience and youthful dynamism, with the ACTU Presidency presenting an ideal opportunity to dramatically signal to the community that unions are modernising.

What people don't understand is that the ACTU Presidency is largely a public face - the Secretary is the key position, but the President is the movement in a public sense.

One of the President's key jobs is to project the image the union movement wants - but it seems we are pursuing the path of least resistance in filling it, rather than having a sensible discussion about what image we want to have as our public face. "There are no alternatives available", I have been told, and that is probably right if you are narrowly defining what you look for and where you look.

What is the rush to announce a replacement for Jennie ? We have nine months to canvass all of the options.

Jennie George's election to the Presidency was a strategically successful move, it helped breakdown the image of a male dominated union movement. The decision on who replaces Jennie George should be treated with the same strategic importance.

All the union surveys show that the union movement has an aging membership and if young workers are not attracted, membership levels will continue to fall.

In a time of crisis, business as usual is not good enough - we need to be thinking outside the square.

There is an important role for more experienced officials, especially women. That is why I am promoting Nurse's Association Secretary, Sam Moait, as the Labor Council's first female President.

What has annoyed me most about the response is the way some people have dismissed the positive effect that a younger person could bring to the movement.

While I don't agree with Natasha Stott-Despoja's politics, for the Democrats she has been an enormous asset. It would be churlish for people to argue anything different. She has portrayed a youthful, intelligent image that many young people relate to.

I find it alarming to hear some people dismissing my off-hand reference to a Natasha Stott-Despoja-type person as my desire to have a 'barbie doll' image for the labour movement. I find that totally offensive and dismissive of younger women.

Yes I am 43 and, yes I agree that I would not be an ideal candidate for the ACTU Presidency. In fact, I don't think any male my age should be considered. We are too old for this job at this time.

  Who should be ACTU President? Have your say!

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  Issue 36 contents

»	Timorese Appeal to Democrats to Dump Reith�s Wave
»	Opera House Keeps New Years in the Family
»	Stressed Out: The Incredibly Shrinking Lunch Break
»	Kennett Fall a Warning to Carr
»	Combet Steps Up To The Plate
»	Thirty Hours at the Wheel - Then Sacked for Complaining
»	Reith�s Plan for Universities Exposed
»	Hockey Sticks With the Banks
»	Push to Downgrade Industrial Tribunals
»	Peace Stalks the Gong as Matters Bows Out
»	Rock the Republic - It�s Time

»	Guest Report
»	Sport
»	Trades Hall
»	Piers Watch

»	Vizard Critics Peddling Lies
»	Republic Soapbox
»	Barbies and Kens Eye High Office
»	Guilty! I Agree with Howard
»	Egan Speaks - Des Moore's No Friend of Mine!

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