Casualisation
It was great to have an article on casualisation in last week's Green Left Weekly (#547). This is an important issue, and one that is especially affecting young people.
Most young workers are casual. This is not just because these are the people most recently joining our very casualised work force, but because many are students, being forced to work on the side.
For uni students, the Youth Allowance (if you're lucky to get the
$160 a week maximum) is barely enough to cover rent and the high cost of public transport, let alone food, uni fees, books etc. Casual work is the only work flexible enough to supplement this income.
But these days, many people are first entering the work force in their high school years. I started working in year 10, and continued right through my HSC, so that myself and my mother could pay the bills. Many students feel that if they are ever to afford a house, or the rent when they leave home, they have to start saving straight away.
Businesses such as supermarkets are taking full advantage of this situation. It is standard practice to "fire" older casual workers (by simply not giving them shifts) and then hire younger workers and pay them half the rate.
Tamara Pearson
Granville NSW
Aceh and Indonesia
I refer to the article "Meetings calls for solidarity with people of Aceh" in GLW #547. I fully support the demand for the end of any Australian complicity, indirect or direct, in Jakarta's current military operations in Aceh. The stated goal of the military is to "separate the civilian population from the guerillas". This inevitably targets civilians and relies on various forms of terror and intimidation.
Furthermore, the imposition of a military state of emergency in Aceh has effectively suspended the many formal democratic rights won by the democratic movement which forced Suharto to resign in 1998.
However, I think some elements in the article were misleading. First, while harassment and control of Indonesian journalists in Aceh has been extreme, to their credit they have been able to bring substantial — even if still restricted — information to the Indonesian public. The Indonesian public is much more aware of the sufferings of the Acehnese people than they ever were of those of the East Timorese people between 1975 and 1999. The absence of information in the Australian media reflects the political priorities of the Australian media owners and the dismissive attitude to using local Indonesian sources.
Second, I do not think that the military has yet succeeded in reimposing its influence on national politics to the extent conveyed in the article — although it is certainly trying to do so. Also, ex-General Wiranto has not been adopted as Golkar's presidential candidate. He is one of several people campaigning to get Golkar's endorsement but, I think, will probably fail due to lack of support in Golkar and no popularity outside Golkar.
Max Lane
Perth
Better sites than Badgerys
The Sydney Morning Herald article, "Crean flies into revolt over change of course on airport" cited: "Mr Albanese, Labor's spokesman for employment services and the member for Grayndler, said Badgerys Creek remained the only alternative for a second airport."
This echoes years of similar claims by coalition ministers for transport Sharp, Vaile and Anderson, along the Lewis Carroll lines of "If I tell you something three times, it is true".
The peak community body, the Sydney Airport Community Forum Inc, has for four years had a policy position of a "near Southern Highlands site" instead of either Badgerys or the continued expansion of Kingsford-Smith Airport and Bankstown airport.
Wilton, the war-time standby airstrip for Kingsford-Smith, is the same travel time from the CBD as Badgerys, does not have the fog and air pollution problems of Badgerys, affects 1/14th the number of residents as Badgerys, which changes to 1/50th upon the first stage of planned expansion per the Badgerys' environmental impact statement (EIS). Wilton also allows a cross-runway and avoids $2.5 billion of off-site infrastructure, as it is right on the M5 and XPT rail route.
SACF Inc believes the current problems all result from the government's insistence on not considering sites such as Wilton, which were clearly ranked ahead of Badgerys in the last comparative site study. The government acted illegally in this regard, as the Environmental Assessment (Impact of Proposals) Act requires an EIS to compare any significant government project to "all prudent and feasible alternatives".
Like the children overboard affair and weapons of mass destruction, all effort was applied not to discover the truth.
Graeme Harrison
Sydney Airport Community Forum Inc
Alston's obsession
Thank heavens for the ABC. Senator Alston's pathological concern about "bias" in the ABC is absurd. The plan to set up an "independent" watchdog or a further inquiry does not inspire confidence at all. Stacking the ABC Board with Liberal Party cronies is a worrying precedent.
Different inquiries are needed, senator: (1) into the Liberal Party's own bias against the ABC; (2) into right-wing bias in most commercial media.
The ABC provides much needed balance and objectivity in news coverage and commentary. Without it, Australians would be entirely at the mercy of private sector media ownership concentration — unmatched anywhere in the Western world. They would be much the poorer for it.
Klaas Woldring
Pearl Beach NSW
Accounting
I was overjoyed by John Howard's projected economic cost to the Australian people of the Solomons expedition. It will cost "$200-300 million a year", John Howard said. Isn't that a fine piece of economic costing and accounting?
Wouldn't it be great if hospital, health-care, university and sports administrators could say, "What are we spending? Oh, $200-300 million a year!"
Denis Kevans
Wentworth Falls
War criminals
No weapons of mass destruction found after months of searching. This was the widely trumpeted cause for the declaration of war and invasion of Iraq.
The reason for war seems to have been oil. Remember during the riots in Baghdad, the Americans placed armed guards around the oil administration building, whilst hospitals and so on were left to their own devices.
An article in the Sydney Morning Herald dated May 19 tells us at least 1700 civilians were killed and 8000 injured in the battle for the capital, said a survey from 27 hospitals in Baghdad and its outlying districts. Undocumented deaths of civilians in Baghdad could reach up to 1000.
Surely, the time has come for the coalition of the willing, led by America, to face an international court of justice and explain fully the reasons for their actions, and be prepared to accept the verdict of such a court.
Jean Hale
Mannering Park NSW
US lied about Vietnam and Iraq
The US, Britain and Australia told their populations that they were going to invade Iraq because Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction that could be sold to terrorists for use against the West. This was a lie!
Similar lies were told 30 years ago in order to justify the illegal and immoral attack on North Vietnam. The US administration then and now lied to their own countrypeople in order to justify an illegal and cowardly attack on another country.
The US has used the September 11 attacks to justify their new aggressive approach to nations that have a different political, economic and religious system to their own. In the past, US arrogance was held in check by the Soviet Union. Increasingly Russia and China are trying to placate the US in order to obtain foreign investment, aid and access to markets. This US administration is determined to increase its hegemony in those regions that have to date eluded or repelled it by force.
Their level of hypocrisy knows no bounds. At the same time as the US condemns North Korea and Iran for wanting to develop nuclear weapons, they are spending more on weapons of mass destruction than most of the rest of the world combined. They condemn other nations who want to defend themselves as rogue states, but they are in breach of the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty by refusing to destroy their own nuclear weapons.
Australia's servile attitude towards the US has meant that we have shamefully participated in the illegal attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq. Howard's inability to distinguish between Australia's national interest and that of the US has made us a target for international groups who are willing to use force.
His latest stupidity is to embark on war games aimed at readying our forces to participate in piracy on the high seas, illegally boarding vessels and bringing down planes. To enforce this policy would constitute an act of war, but I don't think Mr Howard minds putting Australian lives at risk, so long as it isn't his own or his families.
Adam Bonner
Meroo Meadow NSW
Peace movement lockout
Having locked everybody out, "The Coalition for Walking Around in Circles" continues in exclusion to advocate symbolic passive protest regardless of whether or not such tactics work.
Books Not Bombs was the last straw because it represents the next stage in the movement — peaceful civil disobedience, which regards capitalism itself as the real enemy of peace.
The mainstream "Peace" movement, due to its traditional trade union ties with Labour, would prefer to see an ineffective peace movement than one which attacks war at its source.
Never in human history have so many gathered en masse to protest a war before it even started.
Predictably, the rallies were marshalled to death. I remember marching through the city and being constantly told by someone wearing a fluorescent vest: "Keep moving or you'll hold up traffic."
Tens of thousands reached Howard's office, and there again, dozens more true believers doing police work for free. The look on one young marshal's face was unforgettable: "Why are we holding these people back?"
Her bearded mentor reassured her with a pat, that they were engaged in noble work. His hat was plastered with CFMEU stickers. The CFMEU and the AWU are the most influential members within the mainstream "peace" umbrella. Their Labor Party preachers are masters at anaesthetising mass popular dissent with endless uninspired and patronising speeches, greasy sausage sizzles and bad music.
War is upon us and the symbolism abounds — Howard, Ruddock, Blair and Bush. You can only wave so many paper doves before it all becomes a token exercise in recycling.
I love rally marshals, but like police and gods, they have no more power than what we invest in them. Whether it's blue serge with a gun or a fluoro vest and Bob the Builder's hat — it's just the illusion of authority. Whenever these characters try to stifle our movement, it should be our job to call their bluff.
Union officials who lead us nowhere, misquoting Gandhi and flapping doves, mock their own history of struggle and squander our potential. Alternatively, civil disobedience, targets the warmongers economically, is inclusive, effective and much more fun.
Francis O'Neill
Tempe NSW
Mark Latham: revolutionary
In view of the Howard government's entrenched popularity amongst the Australian electorate, I suspect many committed Labor supporters such as myself are left feeling not only despondent and pessimistic in regards to their party's ability to change public opinion, but also alarmed in the face of what appears the most formidable, if not insurmountable, of challenges: how to remain relevant in the face of an era dominated by liberal ideology and governed by "corporate politics".
The fundamental effect on society of long-term liberalism is perhaps most evident in the disintegration and extinction of the public sector, and it is from this that Labor values of social equality, equal opportunity and the fair distribution of wealth derived from strong economies are derived.
The global dominance of conservative, or perhaps more aptly termed "corporate politics", and the consequential privatisation of social institutions and infrastructure, in particular ownership and monopolisation of mass media, which is largely responsible for shaping societies through the creation and popularity of cultural "trends" and lifestyle choices on the one hand, to the all powerful and persuasive ability to determine moral standards, ethical conduct and political opinion on the other, has left all others but its advocates impotent.
In light of this, the corporate world will continue to strive to ensure that corporatist governments sympathetic to its interests, remain entrenched. As a consequence, Labor leaders such as Simon Crean, despite possessing fair and equitable visions for a future Australian society, are pursuing something reminiscent of Sisyphus and his eternal struggle.
What must be recognised is that nothing short of a revolution has any chance at all of impacting on the current status quo. The voice of opposition must necessarily become the voice of organised dissent. Labor and the minor parties must be reckless in their attack on the injustices inherent within the ideology of the of the current order.
Perhaps in Labor front-bencher Mark Latham the comprehension of what is required is most apparent, and those of us who have not lost faith in human decency, must support him wholeheartedly.
William Mark Hardiker
Fitzroy Vic
Veterans' entitlements
Much rhetoric has emanated from the Department of Veteran's Affairs in recent times regarding veteran benefits and income support. Little has, however, been forthcoming regarding compensation payments payable under the Veteran's Entitlements Act.
The special rate, also known as the totally and permanently incapacitated payment (TPI) of $376.40 per week, is regarded by the government as a supplement to retirement payments for TPIs who have been in employment for more than 20 years and have significant superannuation entitlements.
Approximately 47% of TPIs do not have any other income to be supplemented. Some of these may get a service pension as a top up. Some however, don't have qualifying service and therefore cannot get a service pension. These people receiving a pittance of the TPI payment are considered to be well off, in comparison to Centrelink pensioners and therefore entitled to no other income support. Their income, however, is a far cry from their counterparts who draw each fortnight a TPI payment, service pension and superannuation payments. It is this situation which has prompted lobbying government by TPI pensioners.
From 1920 until 1970, the TPI payment was paid at 96% of the Commonwealth basic wage/average weekly earnings. This payment has not been benchmarked to any known value for near three decades.
The original purpose of the payment was to replace earnings, which those deemed TPI, would have had during their normal working life. This has been lost through decades of government inaction.
From 1936, the service pension, similar to the aged pension, was targeted towards disabled returned soldiers who could not prove unequivocally that their "troubles" were due to war service. In 1982, the full service pension was attached to the TPI payment as a means tested supplement for retirement income. Those who were fortunate to gain a retirement income, take full advantage of both supplements with their retirement income.
This brings us to an interesting anomaly today in the form of compensation to employers who have employees being deployed by the services. Employers receive an Employer Support Payment of $899.80 per week, which is paid from the Department of Defence to employers for use of their employees in the reserve force, reflects a truer up to date compensation value for TPI's who have no retirement income.
The Employer Support Payment of $899.80 per week, for use of an employee, as opposed to $376.40 per week for being totally and permanently incapacitated, reflects the value government holds, toward those injured severely from war.
Raymond Evans
Wodonga Vic
From Green Left Weekly, August 6, 2003.
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