Labor succumbs

Peter Parker

Australia desperately needs to see the back of John Howard and 
his Coalition. And while Labor leader Mark Latham has been making 
lots of new friends lately they are not the people who will hand 
him victory in the next Federal election — the Australian 
public.

Latham landed his latest clutch of friends following his decision 
to support Howard's plans to lift the price of prescription 
medicines covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS). The 
resulting 20 percent rise in the cost of prescription medicines 
will mean a rise of $4.90 to $28.60 per script for general 
patients and by 80 cents to $4.60 for concession card holders.

So it is not a decision that will help Latham make friends 
amongst ordinary Australians.

However, the transnational drug companies, who already make 
super-profits on everyday medicine, will be more than happy with 
Latham — this gives them the perfect opportunity to argue for 
further price increases.

Federal Treasurer, Peter Costello, could barely conceal his 
delight, announcing that "the Coalition absolutely welcomes the 
backflip by the opposition leader". And well they might. In the 
eyes of the majority of Australians this cost of living slug is 
not from Howard and Costello but from the Labor opposition only 
months — if not weeks — before a federal election.

On board for FTA

Latham also committed the ALP to supporting the Free-Trade 
Agreement (FTA) in the House of Representatives.

Although Labor members of a joint parliamentary committee refused 
to allow the Howard Government to fast-track legislation to see 
the FTA deal implemented by January 2005, they are only 
prevaricating and asking for more time to understand the 
implications from the FTA.

But what is there to consider? Rank and file trade unionists and 
Labor Party members know that the deal will be a disaster for 
Australia.

Delegates at Labor's recent Queensland conference correctly 
pointed out that the FTA would mean "goodbye to local [media] 
content, goodbye to tens of thousands of local jobs, goodbye to a 
bright future for local industry".

The most popular policy announcement made by Mark Latham so far 
is his commitment to bring the Australian troops back from Iraq 
in time for Christmas. It struck a massive chord with ordinary 
Australians.

But Latham's promise wasn't popular with Bush and his coterie and 
the US President saw fit to intervene directly into Australian 
politics.

Here Latham had a clear opportunity to tell Bush that Australia 
is an independent country that won't be dictated to by an 
American President.

Instead Latham ran for cover. He left it to his Foreign Affairs 
spokesperson Kevin Rudd to assure Bush that the ALP fully 
supports Australia's ties to the USA.

And what's more it appears Bush's pressure is starting to pay 
off. The ALP now tells us that only some troops will be withdrawn 
and the Navy will continue patrols around Iraq.

The ALP does not have the policies that we desperately need to 
ensure a decent future for ordinary people.

Labor approved the $4.90 increase for PBS on the grounds it will 
raise $250 million per year to help deliver a "balanced budget".

Yet Labor could save 10 times as much by abolishing the 
disgusting $2.5 billion subsidy the state pays to the private 
health insurance industry. This would be a massively popular 
policy. With $2.5 billion we could ensure universal bulk-billing, 
public dental services, proper investment in health 
infrastructure, reduce the charge for medications — and still 
have millions left over to spend on education, public housing, 
public transport, aged care, other community services and the 
environment.

When talking about our children Latham waffles on about reading 
at bedtime and junk food advertisements.

Why don't we hear Labor committing to phasing out Federal funding 
of private education and re-investing those billions of dollars 
back into the public education system for the benefit of all 
children?

Real jobs not McJobs

We know that in a few years there will be a massive shortage of 
qualified tradespeople — plumbers, electricians and builders.

Why doesn't Latham commit to our children's future by increasing 
funding for TAFE and higher education and abolishing fees? What 
about involving the trade unions in designing and monitoring new 
apprenticeship schemes that deliver real training, at decent 
rates of pay instead of the drudgery of McJobs?

Why doesn't Latham commit to preserve the jobs we have by 
rejecting the FTA? Why won't Latham commit to protecting 
Australian workers and defending their rights by categorically 
stating he will repeal every single piece of Howard's anti-worker 
and anti- trade union legislation?

He will not do so because the right-wing ALP leaders have shown 
time and again that they are incapable of adopting and fighting 
for decent and popular progressive policies.

Whether it is a question of health, education, union rights, 
immigration, refugees, foreign policy, their strategy is to 
present a so called "small target".

The result is a pale imitation of the Liberal party that fools 
no-one. No wonder that Howard might actually win the election!

If the Liberals win another term of government the immediate 
blame for this will fall squarely on the cowardly ALP leaders who 
have failed to take the fight to the Howard Government.

It is imperative that we continue the struggle to build a left 
and progressive alternative to the Liberal and Labor Party 
pendulum which offers a genuine, pro-people alternative.

This means building the support for progressive and socialist 
policies that will solve the problems faced by the overwhelming 
majority of Australians, and most importantly, building the 
support for the Communist Party of Australia among working 
people.