<img src="http://larvatusprodeo.net/files/2010/03/softvswitched1.jpg1.jpg"
Possum has obtained the polling conducted by UMR for six Queensland unions on the impact of Anna Bligh’s privatisation plans on Labor’s vote. It’s not good news for Bligh, and he suggests, not good news for Kevin Rudd either:
These figures suggest that the Bligh government’s asset sale plan will reduce the ALP’s two-party preferred vote share at the federal election in Queensland by up to about 2%. That is a significant impediment to Labor winning and retaining seats in Rudd’s home state.
His conclusion is interesting:
That level of generic political outlook suggests that not all is lost for Bligh. When combined with asset sales being the dominant issue that is chasing votes away from Labor, with the union movement agitating for the program to be overturned and with Bligh’s program spilling political consequences across into the federal election sphere?—?the option of a back flip with a triple pike on the asset sale program must be filling the minds of Labor politicians everywhere.
I suspect that the polling doesn’t properly disaggregate the influences of the actual privatisation decision and the perception that Bligh did an almighty turnaround from her election rhetoric, because the choice between the two options is not a particularly salient one given that they’re inter-related. So a backflip would undoubtedly be good for Rudd (or a bit of old-fashioned distancing, as he did with Peter Beattie’s unpopular council amalgamations). But I suspect the jury is still out as to whether Bligh could turn around her fortunes. Given that she’s not the most flexible politician in the world when it comes to changing course, a new Premier might be the answer for Queensland state Labor.
QR coal is like having a state-owned tobacco distribution company. Or as Hansen says: “The trains carrying coal to power plants are death trains.”
But perhaps if they’re privatised, phasing-out this dirty business may be even harder.
Well it might be, but it would help if there was a credible alternative. While Fraser has the intellectual capacity, he is also firmly locked into ‘selling the assets’. Apart from the inexperienced Dick, the cupboard is bare.
Part of the problem is that young Frazer is behaving like, well, a smug young smartarse on the issue. Bligh needs to start a conversation on the alternatives instead of playing the my way or no way line.
Firstly she needs to convince us that, given the economic recovery, that action of this magnitude is still needed.
Secondly she needs to lay out alternatives such as bringing Qld government taxes and charges in line with the rest of Australia. It may also force the LNP to stop its popularism on the issue and tell us what it would do.
I suggested to a trade union official (very involved with the anti-privatisation push) that we needed people with impeccable labour / trade union credentials to run against every important member of the present Queensland government, starting with Anna Bligh and Andrew Fraser.
(I’d see it as under the banner of something like “Independent Labour”.)
Neither the Premier or Treasurer seem to understand that there is anything of value in life – other than helping crony capitalism line its pockets through trickle down capitalism.
With some good candidates and a tight exchange of preferences with the Greens, some members of our government may have to face the task of talking to the parliamentary superannuation funds manager, prior to leaving George Street for the last time.
His response in a nut-shell: He didn’t know of any trade union officials who had a sufficiently squeaky clean past or who could be talked into it.
Maybe as the union movement focuses more on this issue, some of this reluctance may change.
Without a parliamentary opposition or a media worth calling a “Fourth Estate”, it will depend on people getting motivated, opinionated and active about what they want for their future.
And it goes to show, how nothing of the Queensland political mindset has changed since the days of the Country / National Party regime: ignore what the people are saying they want, sell the future to the best talker, and offer jobs and mines – and mines and jobs.
And just for good measure the promise of more jobs and mines.
I think the time has come for the unions to call Labor’s b;uff and actively run a put Labor last campaign. There is no point in having an ALP government when they are as anti union as Bligh is. We should actively campaign for Bligh’s defeat even if it means an LNP victory. We must have a long term goal to teach Labor a lesson. If they realise they will lose power if they attack workers then next time they will think twice. I know many, many teachers who are preparing to abandon the ALP because of the way they treated the Teachers’ Union. Other workers should also be willing to elect the LNP to punish Labor. I know I wil be putting Labor last and perhaps even voting for the LNP just to punish the Labor sellouts. I would prefer an enemy I know rather than a sellout ALP government that attacks its friends.
Mark, simple, once it is sold, it will be forgotten. Asset sales have rarely led to destruction as long as they are not on the eve of an election. Bligh should tell Rudd she is continuing as delay will only make it closer to her election.
Peter @ 1:
Qld’s coal trains don’t go to power stations anymore. As far as I’m aware, coal-fired power stations are supplied by trucks.
terangeree,
that is not accurate. Or at least it is not the case with my local coal-fired power station. The power station near the town over the range is supplied with coal by truck – but that is because the mine is about 1000 metres from the station.
There is nothing that can haul bulk tonnage like a locomotive.