"Whichever party is elected the outcome on workplace relations will be retrograde because it will maintain unwarranted restrictions"

Moore knows quite well, the banks and the bosses rely on the the Labor Party, the Liberal Party, and the unions to implement ever deepening attacks on the social position of workers, driving down wages and conditions that ameliorate levels of exploitation. It does not matter how much money the banks and bosses accumulate, new demands will be forthcoming for more. Moore is articulating further requirements, he is a veiled mouthpiece, for the financial elite.

What does Des Moore realy mean by 'unwarranted restrictions'? Despite veiling his real intentions, he means the removal of all and any restrictions on unfettered exploitation of workers. In other words, the new Industrial Laws do not go far enough. He comes out of a right wing organization that supports every form of wage exploitation and increase of poverty. Usually this layer is doing very well thank you - at the expense of workers. The politics this layer express are 'workers have no rights.'

OK All you mugs out there LISTEN UP!

Here is the end-game for John Howard's IR reforms (and all his ilk on the right-wing end of politics). This is REALLY what they want:
Skip all the intermediate steps (saves all the inconvenient "debating in Parliament" and argy bargy with Unions and lawyers) and go straight to this!

1. Abolish all benefits to all workers immediately. (John Howard has nearly done this to date)
2. Those who object to this, should be sacked immediately (and they already have been). They can try to find the money to fight a court case for "unlawful dismissal".
3. Immediately coerce (did I say that!) remaining employees into signing Australian Workplace Agreements that are internationally competitive (this is in the papers every week now); where pay rates will be matched with, and pegged to, those equivalent workers in India (and paid in Rupees) or China (and paid in Yuan).
4. Anyone who doesn't sign an AWA - refer to point 2 above.
5. Offer jobs to any/all of the following:
(a) sacked workers who have since applied to Centrelink (who will be refused unemployment benefits unless they take the job at the internationally competitive (lowest) pay rates on offer);
(b) migrants who aren't used to prior working conditions (John Howard is bringing them in by the boatload)
(c) any other worker in the world who will work for the (lowest) internationally competitive pay rates on offer.
6. Use the highest wages differential of any country (Brazil as a benchmark). Aim to quadruple the spread by 2008 (unless the Rupee/AUD or Yuan/AUD is larger).
7. Anyone who complains about the government will be imprisoned for sedition or as a suspected terrorist under current draconian laws.

Think I'm joking? Read the newspapers again !

Des has a problem with detail here."Labor will effectively remove the problem of unfair dismissal for small business." Last I heard Kevin Rudd was only going to give small business a reprieve of 12 mths exemption and then old rules will apply.

Perhaps Des may have more aptly titled the article "Let them eat cake".

One cannot help but muse at the implications for our longterm social stability with such an exploitive agenda. I think there are very few people out there who don't know of someone adversley effected by WorkChoices, just like our mate Bushbred above.

It's just a shame with Des cocooned away in his think-tank he'll never have the fantastic opportunity to negotiate for pentality rates and meal breaks with an employer.

Actually, that's not a bad idea...let's allow the neoliberal laissez-fair worshippers to have their way for a few decades, then sit back and watch the peasants revolt. You have to wonder if these people have any sense of history. The '29 stock market crash and Great Depression can be very convincingly linked to the lack of regulation of free markets gone mad, and the French and Russian Revolutions occurred exactly because of the absurd wealth disparities that are inevitable without some wealth redistribution and enforced minimum wage agreement.

MULTINATIONALS

When our oceans are full of icebergs and the current engineering is fatally flawed our Nation is in trouble.

So it is with the current neo-classical economics. Competition between nations and unsustainable and uncontrolled growth, motivated by the mantra "greed is good" is devastating our planet, while providing unprecedented wealth and power to the privileged few.

‘Liberal’ applied to this government means neo-conservative policies that are unashamedly totally corporatist, moving into Fascism with continued downward pressure on wages through measures to eliminate unions.

Unrestrained capitalism can deliver increasing benefits in a young nation by developing untapped resources, or in a mature society moving away from the rigidities of communism or the feudalism of an Islamic state. But viewing success from the narrow perspective of perceived national success, regardless of its crippling influences on weaker nations, is both morally unacceptable and economically unsustainable in the future.

Unbridled capitalism has widened the gap between the world's rich and poor and threatening the future of the planet, "Capitalism is not the only valid model of economic organisation".

When the logic of communities acting mutually prevails, it is possible to correct inequalities and direct capitalism towards fairer and sustainable development".

Unfortunately this means fighting old wars between a necessary and revived socialism and the entrenched forces of capitalist power. Western Nations who have adopted the neo-conservative agenda of amassing wealth through force if necessary must desist.

The real threat to the world is not from Islam but from the combined economic power of multinational corporations, whom dictate (policies), influence (political donations) and generally undermine honest democratic processes. It is obvious where this Liberal-National government stands in this conflict, however, it seems to have little grasp of the dangers facing liberal democracies.

A new economic model is yet to emerge, but there is little doubt that radical change is required and will come about. Whether it is through the current war and conflict model or through the cooperation needed through the type of leaders we elect with morality, integrity and vision.