The Gillard Government and imperialism

Vanguard August 2011 p. 3

The Gillard Labor Government is under sustained attack. This attack is being carried out by a group of corporations operating in Australia. This group is headed by the most ruthless international finance and mining cartels, headed by US and British interests, but also locking in junior partners in Australia.

It has to be said that in many ways Gillard and her team have paved the way for this with their failure to resolutely take on policies and actions that are in the interests of the Australian people. Their carrying on of much of what had been begun by the previous Howard government has eroded support.

Labor has delivered for the ruling class, but a decisive section now makes it clear that this is no longer enough. Support for the Gillard government is being shifted to Tony Abbott and the Coalition. Pressure is being put for the adoption of more reactionary policies and practices.

The ruling class is demanding the full neoliberal agenda, such as:

• Removal of the few remaining legal protections for workers and unions. Fair Work Australia does not go far enough for them. They want the ongoing attack on unions stepped up.
  


• Putting an end to a price on carbon and other significant action on global warming.
  


• Removal of the mining tax and expansion of the GST.


• Breaking the relationship between the government, the Greens and independents.

The ruling class feels that the Gillard government is too unreliable. A few close connections to the union movement remain. It makes too many compromises with unions and the Greens for their liking.

Although the shift is significantly driven by developing Australian conditions, it is not unconnected to the global situation of imperialism, characterised by deepening economic and political crisis. Similar developments are occurring in other countries, although each takes its particular form according to local conditions.

The epicentres of the crisis are Europe and the USA. Imperialism seeks to export this crisis, by pushing it on the backs of working people. Serving this is an emerging wave for greater than ever government cut backs, privatisations, wage reduction, tax relief for the corporate world. All this is backed by a use of more repressive measures to force through the changes.

Affecting developments is the battle between different sections of the imperialist ruling class for dominance. At present the most reactionary section is on the rise.
It spells greater hardship for the majority, if the plans of the ruling class are successful. Signs of growing resistance are there. Various battles are being fought to hold back the tide. People sense that action needs to be taken. This will grow. An opportunity to broaden the depth and scope of the capacity of the working class and the Australian people in general to assert their interests, is starting to open up.

The way forward involves preventing the most reactionary section of the ruling class from realising its goal. The broadest possible unity and action can be built around the key issues. This may involve a level of conditional support for the Gillard government on key issues, but ultimately the interests of the people can only be won in the struggle for national independence.