Comments on: Judith Brett on Rudd's first year

By: Adrien

Adrien — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:39:42 +0000

Meanwhile the Australian flag stands for an agency that has worked effectively for most of those who swear loyalty to it.

Indeed JAck. Hit on the head old bean, the head. It’s high time this country went back under the auspices of the British Navy.
.
Let’s call Gordon Brown and tell him to send the RN tout de suite.

By: adrian

adrian — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:19:42 +0000

At least it wasn’t Work Fair – Less Disgruntled Employees.

By: Audio Nerd

Audio Nerd — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:16:10 +0000

PC – at least it wasn’t WorkFair Australia!

By: Pavlov's Cat

Pavlov's Cat — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:51:24 +0000

I’m still making up my mind on Fair Work Australia.

It’s a minor point, but I do wish they’d stop decorating policy with ditzy little titles full of dodgy grammar. It’s like putting synthetic bows on your underwear.

By: Katz

Katz — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:16:28 +0000

I give credit to Rudd for repealing up some of Howard’s small-minded and mean-spirited programs and provocations.

Sometimes it is good to go back to the way things used to be.

But a more general question is whether the Left have exhausted the achievable agenda of progressive change.

Is this as good as it will ever get?

By: Lefty E

Lefty E — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:35:45 +0000

“… or the harassment of staff in the tertiary sector.” Actually Paul, the Rudd govt quietly abolished HEWRRS (Higher Education Workplace Relations Requirements) a couple of months back. A lot of the really creepy Howard-era nasties for Uni staff are now in the bin, where they belong.

Rudd doesnt make a fuss of some of these things, nor do the press.

By: Paul Burns

Paul Burns — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:18:29 +0000

I’ve been having debates with some of my leftwing comrades about how much Rudd has actually done. Sure he hasn’t done near enough of what many of us probably would like. A lot seems to have been done quietly and unannounced and inevitably these seem to have been some of the really good things (eg in immigration policy) done with no fuss or banging of drums and ringing of bells. I’m still making up my mind on Fair Work Australia. He seems to have done little to stop the persecution of building workers or the harassment of staff in the tertiary sector. Some tertiary peoiple I know say they were in the front line of Howard’s “reforms”. I believe them, but I don’t have personal experience of this.
As a disabled pensioner I do have the impression Rudd is trying to stop the marginalisation of the disabled. This is excellent especially for those disabled people who do not have the education or mental stability or family support to fend for themselves against the depredations of government.

By: Katz

Katz — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:51:16 +0000

Smiley,

How much did we “need” in 1972?

In 1972 a largish minority wanted some of the change Whitlam had in mind. Whitlam achieved change in the face of much opposition.

Much of the social change Whitlam enabled is now generally accepted as hugely beneficial. Even Howard either didn’t want to or knew he could not unravel Whitlam’s reforms.

Tony Blair made a virtue of longevity. I’m not sure that longevity is a quality that is consistent with the qualities that are often found in reform governments.

By: smiley

smiley — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:40:44 +0000

Katz

But do we have the same dire need for radical change in 2008 as we did in 1972?

By: Katz

Katz — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:04:01 +0000

Some things are inevitable. Many aren’t.

Whitlam’s answer was to “crash through, or crash”. People are still talking about Whitlam and he has left an indelible mark upon Australian culture.

Whitlam had a mission for change, rather more than even many of the folks who voted Labor expected. But there was a wide expectation for change in 1972.

In 2007, beyond tipping Howard out of Kirribilli House, not much expectation of change motivated Labor voters.

If one suggested to Rudd that he ought to attempt to “crash through”, his response would be “To where?”

Rudd is a managerialist. As far as he is concerned, Australia has already arrived. He sees his job is to keep Australia where it is.

Rudd’s key constituency is folks struggling with a mortgage. He inherited them from Howard. Howard and Costello encouraged these folks to bury themselves under a mountain of debt. Rudd’s mission is ensure that they suffer as few consequences as possible for their life choices. And he is prepared to spend an enormous sum of money to do it.

Leftists used to think that there are other ways of spending those resources.