It was very refreshing tonight to watch Bob Hawke on sbs’ Insight deliver a passionate and simple message about WorkChoices – that the legislation is a fundamental attack on the basis of the Australian ethos – that the disadvantaged should be lifted up through state institutions, and share in our national prosperity.
One can only hope that Kim Beazley can find reserves of passion and clarity to draw on comparable to those displayed by Hawkie in a powerful performance tonight.
I had the exact same ‘Onya, Hawkie’ thought as well watching Insight.
The contstant mantra of ‘choice’ suffocating . Especially the guy arguing against penalty rates on Sunday. If the IR reforms were really about choice instead of limiting workers’ real choice I’d be more likely to consider being in favour.
I remember struggling for to earn $5 an hour in LA. Heaven forbid that we drive wages to equivalent levels for the sake of dubious economic forecasts.
Especially the guy arguing against penalty rates on Sunday
It was a strange and beautiful moment when he joined the single mum in railing against McDonalds.
Hawkie’s masterful orations aside, John Buchanan’s insights really owned the show. Which also made me wonder, where’s Kevin McDonald these days?
Damn, missed it. Yet I’ve also noticed that Hawkie does seem to have rustled up some of the old charisma on this issue.
I think the transcript will be up in due course, Chris. Hawkie was particularly good in exposing the lies of Peter Hendy.
Andrews was invited, but didn’t show. Wouldn’t want to debate Hawkie, or for that matter, confront real workers worried about their bargaining power, their families, their travel allowances and penalty rates.
Ditto that Mark, Shaun and dk.au – it was beautiful to watch. Actually made the hairs on the back of the neck stand up a bit, for the first time in a while. The apparent effectiveness of Hawke in absolutely trashing Hendy is probably also a bit of a critical commentary on the Bomber’s softer way of doing things.
Transcript is up now.
this debate is quite surreal to me.
only a complete idiot would even debate that lower mimumu wages would lead to more employment.
Surely a better way is to insist on Family tax credits so we don’t have working poor like in the USA.
no-one who has either been to business school or in senior management would believe collective agreements are far better than inddividual ones except for senior management!
Reading though the transcript there are some good points regarding the need for reform. A person should be able to cash in half their long service leave if they desire (one of the examples cited for reform). But why do we have to have reform that fundamentally undermines the rights of workers to do so? It doesn’t make sense.
The cleaner in Goulburn is a good example of what the workers that could suffer the most. For the sake of more employment we create a new class of working poor. This is not a fair outcome. Go Hawkie!
I think Moir makes a valid point in today’s SMH. (that link looks like it will be invalid after today)
Have come to have a somewhat dim view of Hawke over the years but felt like cheering last night. Sheer pleasure to see Hendy absolutely destroyed. It didn’t take intelligence, but passion and sticking to the basic points. Buchanan was excellent but looked like he was enjoying a game. Shorten looked shifty – Bob radiated sincerity.
Yes, if only Beazley could manage half the passion, clarity and moral outrage.
Having seen Hawke a few times recently talking about IR, I can’t help wondering if he has been encouraged to come out of retirement due to the non-performance of Beazley (and for that matter most, if not all, of the federal ALP lineup).
Is there any pollie on either side of the house that can rouse the emotions these days as does Hawke? I don’t think so. Graham Freudenberg said on radio yesterday, time the ALP pollies got back to public meetings – they need some practice in stirring the senses of the public.