Powell meets NZ Alliance
By Peter Anderson
Independent Victorian Senator Janet Powell left for New Zealand on November 13 to address the conference of the Alliance about right-wing industrial relations policies, and to share information about the experience so far of the Victorian Kennett Liberal government.
A coalition of NewLabour, Green, Maori and small business parties, the Alliance is firmly opposed to the economic rationalism of the NZ Labour and National parities. Part of her mission was to learn how and why the Alliance was formed, of special interest given plans for a similar alliance in Victoria also aimed at breaking the two-party political system.
Powell suspended her parliamentary duties on November 10 to support the strike and rally against Kennett's industrial relations legislation in Melbourne, which "represents the greatest threat to the rights of workers this century".
Criticising federal industrial relations minister Senator Peter Cook, she said on November 2 that "Sounding off about forming legislation to protect Victorian workers from the Kennett government's industrial relation program rings a bit hollow to me after the [federal] government and the Democrats got together last month to bury the repeal of [sections] 45D and E" of the Trade Practices Act.
"No wonder Jeff Kennett felt free to move in on workers' rights in Victoria when they are not being defended in Canberra." n