We are about to enter into a Federal election campaign here Down Under. To say this is going to be the election campaign to end all election campaigns would be a huge understatement. On one side we have our glorious leader Prime Minister John Howard and the Coalition Government of the Liberal and National Parties. On the other side we have arch-villian and former mandarin Kevin Rudd leading a pack of mangy Labour mongrels with all the money and muscle of every unionist thug in the country behind them.
Kevin Rudd has been ahead in the political polling since the start of the year by a pretty big margin. It's been crushingly boring. Everyone in the media and the Labour party has been going on and on and on about it for months. They all think Rudd will be the next PM. They've been spreading the Big Lie now for so long that that everyone in the whole country believes it now, everyone that is except the actual current PM, and die-hard Liberal supporters like myself. The odd thing is that for almost a century no Australian government has been kicked out of office without there being an economic downturn or a major crisis in competance. Neither of those preoconditions exist now. On the contrary we are enjoying a golden age of economic prosperity and the government's competance on issues as diverse as the economy, immigration, terror, indigenous policy and yes now even the environment is undeniable. So why is the government in so much trouble?
The trouble stems from one issue that is fundamentally tied to the Australian way of thinking. The big issue of this election is the new Industrial Relations framework introduced by the Howard government called Work Choices. In it employers are given more freedom to hire, fire and pay employees as they see fit. Previously Australia used to have a more centrally regulated and unionised system. Employees still have rights under the new system, good and fair rights, it's just that they are defended by government bodies not unions. Essentially under the new laws, worker's rights are no different to any other citizen's rights in that the Govt. and Police uphold them, not vigilante groups who strut around thinking they own the place and trample on people's rights by their sheer clumsiness.
The labour-market flexibility under the new laws is fundamental for the continued economic growth of the country. Work Choices has freed small business up to hire more people which has lead to the lowest unemployment rate in over 30 years. The new IR laws are also vital for the stability of the economy. If inflation and interest rates are to be kept under control in a near full-employment economy wage increases need to be due to increased productivity, not union leverage. Otherwise real wages will fall as inflation rises, and recession looms with the resulting job losses.
Work Choices is working, but it threatens the unions. They have therefore been running the biggest scare campaign ever seen in this country - all about evil bosses and their plans to destroy ordinary working families. The question is whether or not Australia is now grown-up enough to realise that the boss is not the bad guy. Because of our heritage Australians have a deep-seated distrust of authority. I think distrust of authority is often wise, but disgust at all people in authority is just childish. Someone has to be the boss. Deal with it. The boss needs us as much as we need them and we all need to work together in order to compete in the global economy. The Unionist us-and-them mindset is a thing of the past. If we don't all grow up, get along, and get on with the job there won't be any jobs to go to.
I fully agree with Kevin Rudd when he says Austalia is now at a turning point (thanks for the soundbite, Dad). The Australian population will decide at the next election between going forward with John Howard to a new age of prosperity and confidence for Australia and going backward into the ugly recesses of cringing Australian psyche with Kevin Rudd. My gut feeling is that Australians have ambition. Look at the spectacular success of our sports teams. We love to win - and that's a very very good thing.
