Labor first needs to win the next election. Workchoices will not do it alone. Telstra's sale is a done deal, Rudd I think recognises this and must drag the unions with him. Sure a a fair deal for the wage slaves are important but in a modern economy I believe it needs making it fairer, not scrapping it.
The union movement is a proud and traditional apprenticeship for pollitics, they need to become more transparent, secret ballots being one.
A seat in parliament is part of a career path and must be for those that see it other than a reward for long service to a union.
I confess while agreeing with Keatings fiscal policies I was glad to here the last of his mouth.
Rudds good, can't buy Telstra back, but can use the proceeds of it's sale from the future fund, as would have surely the coalition for it's nefarious reasons. Otherwise why the enabling clause in the legislation?
Broadband is a winner, fibre to the node I understand to be the first, if only an interim measure, re speed. It is just one in the list of infrastructure measures needed.
Leaders are important but credible ministers are the force that allow policy success. He has a few, he needs more.
fluff

[Part 3]
The prospect of reducing tax rates for the wealthy at the expense of a long standing lack of public investment by both State and Federal Governments while the poorest Australians have some of the highest marginal tax rates in the OECD strikes me as an absurdity given that real wages and conditions, are likely to fall under WorkChoices - for how are we going to compete with the low wages of our competitors, that’s the point isn’t it – work poorer not smarter?

Rudd has been on the ball showing his business kowtow skills in offering large chunks of our money to multinationals in the hope of attracting foreign investment in such things as hybrid car and geo-sequestration showing that he can dance the business tune and with a green melody, but in reality it is business as usual.

Then there is the curious Damascan conversion of our shadow Environment minister, Peter Garrett, who’s conscience must be gagging in his once songful throat, accepting that before geo-sequestration is or could be a commercial reality China can obtain as much coal as it can pay for and whatever uranium is in existing mines can go too. In a Lateline interview Garrett sheepishly tried to side step the issue of logging and wood chipping old growth forests in Tasmania, an issue where troglodyte parochial unions further unhinged Labors chances of winning the last election.

It will be interesting to see how a new Federal Labor Government manages. We've heard and seen a willingness to pump prime the economy and engage with the market place but I have yet to find out what if any tax changes there will be, what will replace WorkChoices and how far ranging their social policy will be.

I wonder why Peter Hartcher tries to deceive, by pretending that there is a true comparison to be made between the Australian economy now , and the economy in 1982, when he knows the true comparison is between now and the Keating years?
He knows that , before deregulation, the economy was a different kettle of fish altogether. He also knows the economy of 1982 had been sabotaged by the union bosses, with their strikes and wage claims for low productivity…their threats to ‘bring Australia to its knees’…and by Labor’s new best friend, Malcolm Fraser’s lack of stomach for reform….and by catastrophic drought and oil shocks….not to mention the 11% inflation left by Gough.
He knows that the 21% was not a mortgage rate, as Labor’s 17% was.
…. And that Labor, ( good Fabian Socialists all), stole the ideas for which he gives them credit , from the Liberal dries, and thought they could use them , and the Accord deals to entrench Labor in power forever…that’s why his mob lost faith…..they could see the scam wouldn’t work.
They knew that the deals stitched up between Labor and the union bosses would never keep inflation in check, and that was the key.
Hartcher knows that the economy was doing very well long before the present commodities boom , through the Asian downturn, overseas recessions, fuel price hikes, Iraq war, and that Rudd is lying when he says the prosperity is only due to the commodities boom. The record gives the lie to him.
He knows Labor fought all the reforms at every turn…he knows it would have been disaster for Australia if our waterfront were still the rort-ridden world’s worst practice , as it was under Labor.
So this latterday con trick by Labor to sanitize themselves, will only work if the media goes in to bat for labor, and flogs half-truths and lies to the Australian people.
Hopefully, the Australian people are not nearly as stupid as Labor and the media think they ar