10 minute read
by Will Simmons
from Volume 1: Dawn
by UTS Vertigo
Written by Will Simmons
SETTING THE SCENE
Pervading our society, from local councils to state cabinets and the federal government, is the myth of ‘equal opportunity’. With the abolition of penalty rates 1 and wage stagnation amongst workingclass jobs 2, our class struggles in Australia highlight the Liberal party mechanism through which class traps are produced and reproduced, preventing true political discourse. How is anyone meant to “have a fair go” with all of these obstacles and more in place?
With the federal election looming, the failures of the Liberal Party grow more apparent to all Australians, regardless of political allegiance. From bushfire blunders to covid cock-ups, the debt to the scandals, the selling off of public infrastructure to the wage decline, and the persistent climate inaction - they can’t seem to get anything right.
Or perhaps they do? We propose a different view: the Liberals are not simply incompetent at managing Australia. Rather, they are managing Australia strategically by pushing the nation further into the depths of neoliberalism, and it’s doing its job well. Their goal, however, is not to serve the public - it’s to serve, firstly, corporations and, secondly, themselves. Why have welfare for struggling Australians when you can give it to billionaires who turned a profit during the pandemic?3 Why offer free Rapid Antigen Tests to those in need when you can let your mates in Big Pharma exploit their desperation?4 Why defend free speech activists like Julian Assange when you can push legislation to reveal the identity of your online critics or allow the Murdoch press to run its conspiracy theories? Especially when that same press plays the role of personal hype-men disguised as journalists.5 The justification of this is the same, decades-old played out slogans of ‘Trickle Down Economics’ or ‘Can Do Capitalism’ or just plain old buzzwords like ‘Freedom’ or ‘Safety’.
One would think that Australia, this time, has had enough and that no amount of spin can change that. But what would a new Australia look like? Alternatively, what does the Australian Labor Party have to offer?
This article is written by the secretary of the UTS Labor Left Club on its behalf. UTS Labor Left’s values are the four pillars of: Feminism, Socialism, Unionism, and Democracy. You can get involved in the club by contacting their Facebook page: facebook. com/utslabor
A RECENT HISTORY OF LABOR REFORM
To gain insight into what Australia could look like, we must first look at what previous Labor governments have done for working Australians. Despite only leading 30% of federal governments since Federation, there have been several significant forms introduced by the Australian Labor Party throughout its history.
During the 1970s, under Gough Whitlam, we saw the end of the colonial and racist ‘White Australia Policy’. Whitlam also oversaw the introduction of universal healthcare, free tertiary education, legislated equal pay for women, and the laying of groundwork for the historic Land Rights Act. Later, under the Hawke Government, Medicare was launched (which successive Liberal Prime Ministers have systematically weakened to push Australians into for-profit health insurance). The Sex Discrimination Act was also passed along with major economic reforms, which saw Australia avoid the Asian Financial Crash of ‘97 nearly two decades later.
Keating would continue this legacy by introducing the National SuperAnnuation Scheme, allowing millions of Australians to retire comfortably without working into old age.
While the global economy crashed in 2008, leaving millions destitute, evicted, and without jobs, Australia came out unscathed thanks to Treasurer Wayne Swan and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s stimulus package. Now, as the country (and the world) faces looming recessions and depressions heading into our third year of the pandemic, the Liberals have no plan of action. At least none that inspire hope.
It was under Labor that Julia Gillard became the first female Prime Minister, a historic moment for gender representation within politics, which the ALP has consistently fought for. They achieved 47% of Federal ALP seats being held by women, in contrast to only 23% of Liberal seats. 6 With Gilliard at the helm, we saw the first inklings of progressive climate policy in 2012. The Gillard Government’s Carbon Tax saw immediate results with the decrease of carbon emissions, a policy that would have placed Australia at a strategic economic advantage if allowed to continue. Instead, we currently face sanctions for our inactions - ranking among the highest carbon polluters globally and ranked last in the developed world on climate change action. 7
The cumulative effects of these progressive policies are still felt today, despite the gutting of our healthcare and welfare systems by the Liberal Party.
ALP AND THE AUSTRALIAN YOUTH: AN EXAMINATION OF PARTY POLICY
So, is the current ALP all it’s cracked up to be? We think not, but it certainly can be. The ALP is, at its core, is a left-wing political party that cares about the Working Class, LGBTQIA+ and Indigenous communities - that can not only get elected but can effectively implement its policies to the benefit of all Australians.
While there have been many accusations of Labor under Anthony Albanese not offering any real change, it’s clear that those who make these claims have never deeply researched one of the most progressive platforms this country has seen in decades.
So, let’s take a look at it.
On tackling climate change, the ALP has promised a 43% reduction in emissions by 2030, with a net-zero target by 2050 under its ‘Powering Australia’ plan. While not the most radical plan, it is the most thorough. It comes with the creation of over 600,000 jobs, cheaper power bills for families, more affordable electric vehicles, and investment in ‘Green Metals’ to modernise and future proof our current mining and manufacturing industries. 8 Furthermore, Labor’s commitment to manufacturing our public transport and Green Infrastructure, among other things, ensures a decrease in the carbon footprint of these projects as we no longer need to have our projects shipped internationally on fuel-guzzling cargo ships.
Labor understands that to enact real climate policy, we first must make room for the legitimate needs and worries of the working class and their families whose livelihood depends upon fossil fuel. That we must work hand in hand with energy and mining worker’s unions to secure these outcomes. Labor Left, through its involvement through programs such as the Labor Environmental Action Network, and the Australian Manufacturers Workers Union’s Hunter Jobs Alliance, has worked directly with communities to develop its climate policies.
For young people, the Albanese Government is offering free TAFE to support the ongoing diversification of the modern Australian workforce and skill shortages left by the pandemic. On top of this, it also supports regional, remote and outersuburban communities, first-generation university students, and First Nations Australians by ensuring more places at our academic institutions. This new dawn of Australian politics requires both a progressive government and young people’s empowerment – especially those not yet old enough to vote. Labor’s new youth engagement model provides a formalised engagement channel in government and policy development.
Under the Liberal government, young Australians have been denied the opportunity to help form the policies and make the decisions that impact their lives and futures. Facing higher rates of casualisation and underemployment, 9 significant barriers to education and training, a rent 10 and housing affordability crisis, 11 and the climate disaster, the future for young people is dire. Since 2013, when the Abbott Government abolished the Youth Advisory Council and the Office for Youth (both introduced by the previous Labor Government), there has been no framework for engagement or communication.
Young leftists, both at high school and university, are left behind by the government at every turn and for decades have found their voice in activism. The increasing mobility around climate change with the notable School Strike 4 Climate has triggered mass media and government attention. Young people need and deserve a
say on the issues that impact them, and the government needs the input of young people to develop successful youth policies.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?
None of this even scratches the surface of the ALP’s federal platform, nor does it mean that it can’t change and adapt for the better. Undoubtedly, the ALP has its faults, and it doesn’t go far enough in many areas. We at UTS Labor Left acknowledge this, which is why we are fully committed to changing the ALP both from within the party’s ranks and externally. Every time the party fails to live up to its expectations, whether it be refugee rights, or to fight Mark Latham’s transphobic legislation, you will find us protesting or marching. It’s important to remember that the most effective way of influencing the party as young left-wing activists is to ultimately engage in its spaces, branches, caucuses, and policy conferences. While the endless bureaucracy of a party machine might seem intimidating and hopeless, the beauty of it is that it is fundamentally democratic, with every member being able to get their say on policy at both state and federal levels. By having a little red card in your wallet, you are more likely to influence Australian politics for the better.
In light of this, the biggest problem facing the ALP at the moment is its lack of support from the Australian left (particularly students), who have long since written it off as a legitimate means for progressive change.
If more young people choose not to engage with the Labor Party its internal bureaucracy will continue to stagnate the party’s values at the behest of its right-wing Faction, who wish to see Labor’s progressive, socialist, and left-wing values stamped out to seem ‘more electable’. It’s time for the younger generation to have its say:
Politics needs to be more than just a matter of voting once every three years.
THE FUTURE IN OUR HANDS
In the lead up to a federal election, the ALP needs a strong, active, and young left-wing faction, willing to put in the hard yards to push the party in a new direction. Both Albo and Tanya Plibersek (Shadow Minister for Education and UTS Alumni) started their political careers as passionate students. Now they are shaping the future of the ALP, and hopefully, the nation.
Australia cannot afford to endure more of the same old Liberal agenda. With the influence of third parties and independents limited, we shouldn’t have to settle for Labor centrists. Australia must push forward with a strong left-wing agenda capable of combating climate change without sacrificing workers, one that can avoid reckless spending while delivering on vital social services and public infrastructure. At the end of the day, to beat the right-wing of Australia, we must first fight it from within the ALP. We can’t fall asleep at the wheel of the machine, and leave Australia’s best chance at a brighter future in the dark.
REFERENCES:
1 Karp. P, 2017. ‘Sunday penalty rates cut by up to 25%, hitting retail and hospitality workers’, The Guardian, 23 February, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/feb/23/ sunday-penalty-rates-to-be-cut-by-25-to-50-fair-workcommission-rules
2 Cruse. K, 2021. ‘Workers’ wages are going backwards’, Australia Council of Trade Unions, 18 August, https://www.actu. org.au/actu-media/media-releases/2021/workers-wages-aregoing-backwards
3 Karp, P. 2021, ‘Harvey Norman repays $6m of the $22m it claimed in jobkeeper after record profits’, The Guardian, 31 August, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/ aug/31/harvey-norman-repays-6m-of-the-22m-it-claimed-injobkeeper-after-record-profits
4 Evans. J, 2022, ‘Scott Morrison says he won't 'undercut' businesses by funding free rapid antigen COVID-19 tests’, ABC News, 3 January, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-03/ morrison-resists-free-rapid-antigen-testing-for-covid/100735518
5 Vincent. M, 2020, ‘Scott Morrison and Murdoch's News Corp empire 'operating like a team', former PM Malcolm Turnbull says’, ABC News, 17 November, https://www.abc.net.au/news/202011-17/scott-morrison-murdoch-media-like-a-team-turnbullsays/12891218
6 Hitch. G, 2021, ‘What are quotas? Will they help solve the government's culture problems?’, ABC News, 24 March, https:// www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-24/what-are-quotas-sexismparliament-house-women/100024642 7 Doyle. M, 2021, ‘Australia scores zero on climate policy in latest Climate Change Performance Index’, ABC News, 10 November https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-10/australia-scores-zeroon-climate-policy-in-latest-report/100608026.
8 Australian Labor Party 2021, Powering Australia, ALP, Canberra, https://www.alp.org.au/policies
9 Ludlow. E, 2022, ‘Reports show worsening conditions for Australian youth,’ World Socialist Web Site, January 20, https:// www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/01/21/yout-j21.html.
10 Norton. A, 2020, ‘3 flaws in Job-Ready Graduates package will add to the turmoil in Australian higher education’, The Conversation, October 20, https://theconversation.com/3-flawsin-job-ready-graduates-package-will-add-to-the-turmoil-inaustralian-higher-education-147740
11 Chowdhury. I, 2022, ‘Why are young Australians locked out of home ownership? The answer is politics’, The Guardian, 16 January, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/ jan/16/why-are-young-australians-locked-out-of-homeownership-the-answer-is-politics
