Election 2001

Yellow peril, khaki & green concerns colour federal politics, dividing nation & parliament

IT was an election of monumental contradictions. The majority of Australians, bluffed by the government's race card, voted the Coalition back into power in the lower house, but conscientiously gave the left of centre Greens and Democrats back control of the Senate.

"Third-term IR change to be stymied by Senate", Workplace Express announced on November 12. "The Coalition looks unlikely to be able to proceed with any thoroughgoing IR policy reforms in its third-term, with any change relying on deals in the Senate with the increasingly left-leaning Democrats or Greens."

This at least is of some consolation to the union movement which campaigned hard and long for a Beazley Government only to be scapegoated for the election outcome.

National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said the new ALP leadership would come under tremendous pressure from business and media to distance itself from the labour movement which gave birth to the party.

"There are forces within the media with some support within the ALP targetting our relationship as one of the reasons behind the electoral defeat" he said. "The reality is that without the support of trade unions the ALP was likely to lose the election by a far greater margin. It is working men and women who elect them and any shift away from their interests can only further harm the party and its chances of re-election next time. The ALP needs to look at itself and make the party more relevant to working men and women and their families.

Crumlin said a lot of workers' time, energy and resources were committed to the campaign. But due to cynical manipulation of national fears and prejudices Howard used the refugee issue and the events in the US to smother his governments poor record and increase its majority.

The MUA put around $400,000 behind Labor , campaigning in more than 20 marginals. It linked its shipping campaign both to the war and nationalist sentiment in major tabloids, while continuing its environmental protests on the beaches in key marginals in the battle to get a Beazley government into Canberra.

And while this objective was not realised the all out effort did at least help hold the line, with the Government's initial 15 per cent lead over Labor at the outset of the campaign diminishing as Beazley came from behind. This was despite the government squandering most, if not all, of the $10 billion surplus to buy back disenchanted voters, while brandishing the 'war on terrorism' and its race ace.

Howard's Falkland's War, as predicted (see MWJ, September) was realised. And like Thatcher, Mr 30 per cent is now Mr Popular at home, if not abroad, where his immoral fanning of racist fundamentalism has met with international condemnation giving the Coalition a notoriety second only to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

In the end Howard was returned with a greater majority, but less stature. And yet again the Government has failed to get the numbers in the Senate. It needs the support of four other senators to pass its next wave of industrial legislation. Workplace Express reports left-leaning independent Shayne Murphy, a former CFMEU forestry division Tasmanian branch secretary and recent defector from Labor because of his anger at Labor's acceptance of high levels of woodchipping is unlikely to oblige. Likewise Tasmanian independent Brian Harradine, a State TLC secretary for 12 years. The Democrats are shifting leftwards and the Green's hold a progressive industrial relations policy. ALP leader Simon Crean has promised to block all changes that do not support workers' rights, jobs and job security.

Former ACTU president Jennie George has won the Illawarra (NSW) Labor seat of Throsby, ASU assistant national secretary Brendan O'Connor the ALP seat of Burke,Victoria, former ACTU president Simon Crean is the new federal opposition leader, former industrial lawyer Robert McClelland the new Shadow IR Minister,former Slater & Gordon partner Julia Gillard is shadow minister for immigration and former industrial lawyer (Maurice Blackburn Cashman) Nicola Roxon is the shadow minister for child care, family support and youth.