Bracks Watch

Insight into the Socialist Left

It is marvellous when internal factional documents get a public airing. The real value is that it shows what the key players in the political parties are really thinking, rather than what they normally disseminate for public consumption. This is certainly the case with the Socialist Left ("SL") faction of the Australian Labor Party and their manifesto for election to internal party positions within the Victorian branch.

State and Federal Policy
The delegates you elect to State Conference will vote for our state election platform, our State policy committee members and Victorian delegates to the National Conference. SL candidates support, and will vote for members of policy committees and delegates to National Conference who support, progressive policy positions, including:
• No more privatisation of essential public infrastructure and services, and a re-examination of ways of funding public infrastructure investment, including direct government investment and public sector borrowing; [9C: State ownership funded by deficits, presumably the Cain/Kirner Victorian Labor Government (1982-1992) was a model of fiscal rectitude]
• An independent foreign policy, based on Australia's national interest, and a recognition that our national interest is best served through our participation in multilateral relationships with other nations; [9C: 'independent foreign policy' is SL code for decoupling Australia from our defence and security relationships - particularly with the United States. This would probably require the doubling of defence expenditure in order to maintain comparable levels of security]
• The protection of Australians civil liberties and democratic rights as a key part of any security legislation; [9C: SL code for going soft on potential terrorists]
• Industry development policies to reinvigorate our traditional manufacturing industries and support the development of new industries creating jobs and economic growth for Australia; [9C: SL 'dog whistle' for pouring taxpayers' money into uncompetitive industry sectors where Socialist Left trade union strength predominates. Maybe we a few billion petrodollars could be borrowed to finance this scheme (see under 'Jim Cairns' and 'Rex Connor'). In North Korea this is known as the 'Juche Theory']
• Removal of the private health insurance rebate and the reinstatement of Medicare as the key element in funding our public health system and providing a universal health care system for Australians; [9C: significantly this is a policy denied by Left faction member and health spokesperson Julia Gillard, despite suggestions in the 'Latham Diaries' that this is what a Latham Labor Government would have done. This policy would increase private health insurance costs by 30% and make it unaffordable for millions of Australians]
• Defending workers right to organise and collective bargaining; [9C: the SL faction must look after the interests of its trade union proprietors]
• Protection of our natural environment, including the control of green house gases, sustainable water use and conservation strategies and greater government support for the development of wind and solar energy; [9C: some factional motherhood lines to keep everybody in the tent, but some of these energy cost increases would create difficulties for the 'traditional manufacturing industries' that they want to shower with taxpayer funds]
• Restoring the balance of Federal education funding between public, parochial and elite private schools. [9C: SL code for punishing parents who save to finance an education for their children outside the teachers' union dominated State system]

A wonderful insight into the thinking of a major constituent element of the putative alternative government in Australia. Remember that this faction controls about 40 per cent of the Australian Labor Party in Victoria.

posted by 9C @ 7:41 AM