Today's news about the touring ACTU theatre production "I Lost Me Job" might deflate any perception of union honesty. As for the ALP projecting the appearance of unity, it will continue to struggle until it comes up with a leader able to abuse T/A like the last bloke.

In the face of Peak Oil, which is literally staring us in the face, the antics of ALL Australian politicians are about as useful and relevant as toddlers squabbling in the sand pit.

As far as I can see, the most interesting political event in recent Australian political history was the Tampa affair, because of the fact that Howard's strongest supporters were voters from the Labor Party's heartland. I know of no other issue where this has happened. This is the sort of re-connection with its heartland that Labor has to make if it to have any hope of forming government. Issues such as AWA's are of secondary importance.

I think this article is way off on the wrong track.

“Labor must find a way to target the 1 million votes from union members without alienating non-union members and the broader community. If they can do this, they could pull off a surprise in 2007.”

Piffle! What Labor really needs to do is target the few million voters who care about the terrible direction our country (and the world) is heading in, with respect to peak oil, continuous population growth, water-supply crises and many other aspects of antisustainability.

This deep and rapidly growing concern is masked in our political system by the fact that there is no way to express it at an election – we have the choice of either voting for one pro-expansionist antisustainability mob, or the other pro-expansionist antisustainability mob. And if we do vote for one of the minor slightly green parties, our vote gets hijacked and ends up counting for either Labor or Liberal, due to that disgusting rort of democracy - compulsory preferential voting.

This is Labor’s great opportunity – to fill the gaping political void and take up the issue of peak oil and all other sustainability concerns with a vengeance.

They are a poor imitation of the Libs at the moment, offering hardly anything different of any significance. And if they did by some strange twist of fate win power, they would just take us down the same old road to ruin that we are currently on.

When fuel price rises really start to bite, unemployment could very easily blow out, inequality become rife and civil strife ensue. THIS is a thousand times more important than the current IR issues. If Labor led the way with sustainability issues, there is no real reason why the unions wouldn’t be right on their side.

Next wednesday when the reserve bank raises interest rates (due in part to high petrol prices) we will see people start to scream. Already people cannot afford housing with housing affordability at its worst for decades. Even if you are a new home buyer on $58,000 per year income the average house is $100,000 out of reach.

Sure interest rates were high under Keating but 17% on a $50,000 mortgage is less (by about $10,000) than 7.5% on a $250,000 mortgage.

Next wednesday will be the begining of the end of this government. Remember "Its the economy stupid".

Ludwig, as much as I agree with you, World Governments have known about peak oil for at least 20 years and have done nothing. Peak oil is affecting us right now, but not so much at the pump just yet. That will follow soon enough. In the meantime, our Governments want to hide peak oil from us as long as possible or risk having their lucrative business partners interests crash down around them. Much of our population are like sheep held in check by the promise of unending growth and the wealth it provides. Eventually, the rich and powerful will cut and run and live forever in their secure little worlds. They'll have plenty while the "peasants" grovel for enough food simply to stay alive. As I've found out the hard way, most people don't want to be dragged out of their seemingly smug and secure little fantasy worlds. They don't want to know about peak oil. As sheep, they simply want to keep their heads down and graze on that oh so green grass our lying Governments provide short term. Try and stir them out of their cosy little spots will ensure you get a good head butting. Ludwig, there are none so blind as those who refuse to see!

Steve, any chance wages have gone up in 10 years (in proportion to rises in house and land prices) or are they cast in cement?

Sage

Of course you are correct, I think real wages have increased by 13.4% since the election of the Howard Govt. this is way short of the 500% increase in the average mortgage.

Joe average who is paying $500 a week to put a roof over his families head, he has to live in an "outer suburb" and drive to work, petrol prices have added $30 a week, council rates are $30 a week. Insurances phone electricity etc another $70 per week. $630 a week before feeding the family. Then of course there are clothes. etc etc

An interest rate rise which looks imminent given todays 4% inflation rate, will resonate around suburbia. They will remember Howard saying interest rates will not go up (although he did not actually say it - that is what they thought they heard).

The inflation dragon is out of its cage, and scaring people witless no government could survive. Its a shame the alternative are witless as well.

Steve,

I think you mean that AVERAGE wages have gone up. These include the stratospheric salaries paid to corporate executives.

Take them out of the equation and look again.

The things that are going up that nobody mentions anymore are bankruptcies, divorce rates, suicides and the number of homeless.

THAT's how you measure the health of a society, not on a financial balance sheet.

Wonder what Beazley's up to pretty well agreeing with Howard about a plan for going domestically nuclear rather than turning more to wind and tidal power, etc?

Not that so much, however, but even if Kim did honestly believe in nuclear, with a Federal election not so far off, it would be better for Kim to keep quiet about expressing himself so similar to the opposition.

It reminds so much of US Democrat front-runner Kerry during the last US election when he promised to send more troops to Iraq to do the job properly, as he said.

Both instances show indication of extremely poor pre-election strategies.

About 80% of people earn less than $40000 a year and almost 40% are part time employed earning even less. No one has a hope except for the bureaucrats, middle management, academics and the elite rich of paying for a house. Forget about peak oil, its peak economic rationalism we should be worrying about.

Bushbred, Beazley's been told by his masters (big business donations) to toe party line or they will not give him their bribes. Unions have passed their use by date as they're hierarchies and people are fed up enough with elite hierarchies constantly bleeding them dry. What we need and will be forced to undertake, will be a much different system.

People need to demand accountability from management, government and politicians. It will come when a viable alternative is brought forward. Sadly it will only happen with civil unrest, as the elite are determined to keep us all enslaved.

A system disenfranchising the populace, making them work harder for less, removes their freedoms and ability to express comfortably in their lives, is destined for the grave. We may wake up one morning, finding our world has fallen over. One significant event, will start the domino effect of collapse. History shows, societies tend to collapse, quickly and violently.

If you look beyond the blinkers, things are going round in circles. Nothing is really happening, we're still concentrating on technologies out of date for our situation, yet any alternatives are quickly pushed aside by the elite, with the populace following like sheep.

Hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayers money is going to prop up failed privatisation yearly, repeating the turn of the 19-20th century, when the elite enslaved the populace and they rebelled after being sent to slaughter in war. Nothings changed, just repeating and we never learn.

I agree with Ludwig.The cost of energy is the issue and Labor are the blind,no eyed deers stuck in the bog.Yeah, a still no eyed deer.
As energy becomes more expensive our living standards will fall.We have to use other alternatives such as natural gas.The Coalition have been very slow off the mark on this issue perhaps because of the power of the oil giants.Shouldn't they be doing what's good for the country?

The reserve bank wants to increase interest rates due to the inflation created by oil and banana prices?They've got to be kidding.People aren't spending more and wages haven't risen much.I think it is more about the balance of payments deficit and our Govt trying to push wages down to compete with China.Unless we are willing to work for $2.00 per hour,there is no way we can compete.

If interest rates continue to rise we will have an economic collapse at much lower interest rates than the early nineties because people are have borrowed so much now due to high house prices.

If Labor started addressing the real issues,perhaps we will listen.I don't think they have the talent or the courage.There is no way we'll vote them back in their present shape,unless the wheels fall off the Coalition.

I actually think the author makes a good point. I remember hearing that something like 40% of unionists voted conservative in the last election. Not only is this an abomination given the current government's assault on collective bargaining, and its determination to destroy by any means necessary Labor's industrial base: it is also indicative of the cost of abandoning 'class politics'.

For too long any talk of inequality and social injustice has been instantly derided as 'the politics of envy'. But, as one of the contributers to our discussion, here, has noted: the vast majority of Australian workers are on under $50,000 a year - and a goodly portion of these on under $40,000/year. Why, then, the talk of 'middle Australia' comprising those on $60,000/year and higher? (and, consequently, the need for further tax cuts to fuel the fires of inflation and conspicuous consumption even further)

Rather than falling into this trap, Labor needs to commit to the kind of 'class politics' that it is best at: a 'fair go' for collective bargaining and industrial regulation, a commitment to high quality health and aged care for all regardless of income, and a commitment to high quality public secondary and tertiary education which is affordable, and which commits to research in the public interest: not merely in search of the corporate dollar.

While the blue collar working class is in decline: and with it the kind of old class politics which used to be the hallmark of the ALP, new faultlines are appearing in Australian society, and differences in access to education, health, aged care, banking, public transport, communications etc: are making class - and postcode - as relevant as ever.

Rather than eating into the surplus with tax cuts for those who can do without, Labor ought commit, now, to providing services and infrastruture for the needy, while at the same time proving its economic credentials by supporting education, training and innovation.

Steve, you can always tell when there is a war on - everything gets robbed to pay for rich mens wars (let's be honest, they are the only ones who benefit - even though the ordinary man pays for it in blood, sweat and tears - and of course cash!

Have you ever seen a rich man come out of a war broke? If you look back in history, they always come out richer. When will the ordinary men in the street finally stand up and say no to the true problem causers in society. Will we always be so cheaply bought for the price of a few extra tinnies?

Sorry to burst your bubble their K£vin but look at americas war on terror now most definately a rich man's war but when the U.S was hit by "Hurricane Katrina" they werent prepared let me ask you where is their money goin?

I love it. Intrest rates up for a third time, petrol prices soaring and no Job security.
Exactly what everybody with a less than $100K annual income, who voted for Howard deserves.

Hedgehog, I can appreciate why you and many others would think along these lines, but I beg to differ. Many people voted for Howard because they perceived him as being the lesser of two evils. Labor has to wear a lot of the blame – for not setting themselves apart from the Libs as a realistic alternative.

So only a few of those who voted for him are getting what they deserve.

Ludwig thats crap and you know it. If people are to apathetic to follow Politicians intentions they deserve what they get. Whats the point of low intrest when you can lose your job for no reason. Not that intrest rates are all that low. Average morgage now $250K at 7% compared to $50K at 17% with a 9% real wage increase in the corresponding period. I rejoice, give us another intrest rise for the me me me crowd. Labor was never going to gut the fair go in Industrial Relations,so dont pedal that crap.

Oow the hog’s a hankering for a fight.

I be nice and gentle and he be as prickly as a porcupine.

Shame on him, for not upholding a friendly and respectful tone of debate. It’s all too easy for some to get nasty at the first sign of disagreement. And apparently it is extremely difficult for them to even contemplate being decent and tactful, and respectful of differing views.

There is NO real choice when it comes to our politics. Those that were on the other side of the political spectrum – the Greens, Democrats and One Nation, have been either blown away, relegated into insignificance or have joined the ranks of the big-business and profit-motive panderers.

I wrote; “Many people voted for Howard because they perceived him as being the lesser of two evils. Labor has to wear a lot of the blame – for not setting themselves apart from the Libs as a realistic alternative.”

And by crikey, ain’t it the truth – absolutely!

The notion that people necessarily vote for a particular party because they support their initiatives and policies is bunkum. It is VERY much the case for a large portion of the voters, that they vote for a party that they don’t really support.

And it is also a case for many voters, of not voting for either main party, and not wishing their vote to trickle down to either main party, but having their vote hijacked and count for one of the main parties. Such is the rort of the compulsory preferential voting system.

So there is no way in the world and that everyone who voted for Howard deserves what we are now seeing – rising fuel prices, rising interest rates and poor job security.

OH yes they do Ludwig, oh yes they do. Howard and his real agenda have been around for 25+ years.