Union influence and poverty

October 18, 2007, 7:17pm,  204 views

The Prime Minister has stepped up his attack on union influence within the ALP. In the only published news item today on the Liberal Party web site, Howard comments on Gavan O’Connor’s loss of pre-selection in Corio and his decision to stand as an independent.

This is the latest example of how former trade union officials have muscled aside long-serving Labor Party members. Gavan O’Connor to my understanding, I could be wrong on this, was the only person in the Labor Party that actually had a farming background. And for his pains he’s been kicked out and replaced by somebody who holds a senior position in the ACTU. So, when we say that 70 per cent of the ministry in a Rudd Labor government would be former trade union officials we are not joking.

It was otherwise a quiet day on the campaign trail, with Labor’s web site posting bland media releases on costing promises, beating poverty and criticising the National Farmers Federation on broadband rollout.

Although laudable, Labor’s track record on banishing poverty isn’t all that great, as Bob Hawke would recall.