It will never be easy to balance IR law or trade while we would prefer an Australian manufacturing industry.
One maybe protected by tariffs, would we welcome high tax's against our primary products from other country's to protect their industry?
America plays with us like a mouse to do so, what if the world did?
IR what do you want from new laws? a total return to pre workchoices?
Is that possible? or wise?
Could John Howard ever be defeated by either as a policy?
Is it just a chance Australia needed some reform?
Getting the balance right indeed is the trick.
Its not totally my wanted outcome but its not workchoices .
I think we again and again in the Labor /union movement need to remind ourselves what is achievable.
That clearly is what voters want.

It seems that jonny doesnt sell out to big business

but dont you worry

good ole kevin will sell out the workers for his own agenda

not the workers

Labor is dead as the workers party

labor is now who will pay us more party.

We have lived in denial for too long.In order to compete with countries like china,the choices are these,maintain a level of tarrifs comeasurate with the unfair low wages of third world countries,or lower our living standards to that of theirs.We cannot have it both ways no matter what the pollies say.

There are not enough resources and energy on the planet to equal what we in Australia enjoy now.Do we let big business and Govt determine our destinies or smell the reality and make a stand?

It is not only manufacturing blue collar jobs that are under threat,any job that can be outsourced overseas will go.The rebellion of work choices is just a symptom of a much wider malaise.

Kevin Rudd has gone out of his way to appease the doubts of big business/Govt in the US in order to get the nod to assume the mantle of power.Given his recent performance,I don't think he gives a toss about the well being of ordinary Australians.

The real power plays happen behind closed doors,while the rest is just smoke and mirrors to amuse the masses.

arjay, the independent and honest political party is all around you: it's the electorate of australia, speaking through direct elections and citizen initiated referendum.

the political gang you are dreaming about, on the other hand, can be found next to the fairy godmother you still haven't stopped wishing would show up to slip you a lolly when you're low: "in yer dreams, mate".

Kevin Rudd proposal that the States all sign over their legislative powers for IR and then he will enact legislation to cover all Australians in the private sector other then those employed by the states or the Commonwealth simply will not work as constitutionally, any Federal law must apply to everyone.
No matter what the High Court of Australia stated in its judgment it was totally wrong and those interested can always check out some material that is on my blog at http://au.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-ijpxwMQ4dbXm0BMADq1lv8AYHknTV_QH. and my website http://www.schorel-hlavka.com.

I have no doubt that the High Court of Australia will end up overturning its decision and if that occurs who will protect the employers against thousands upon thousands of unfair dismissal laws, where they acted upon the understanding that WorkChoices legislation was legally valid. And, what about the thousands of employees who were robbed of appropriate penalty payments now that the legislation is found to be unconstitutional.
It is going to be a legal minefield and the blame can only lie with Howard and his cohorts as they should have been aware that they were deceiving the High Court in the litigation. Still, Howard then retires with millions of dollars from Consolidated Revenue (taxpayers) and everyone else will suffer.
Is this the kind of politicians we really want?