Ruling class spells it out

Vanguard May 2013 p. 3

The monopoly capitalist ruling class is rubbing their hands in anticipation of a change of government, which will give them another opportunity to ram through even more of their reactionary anti-worker policies.

The chieftains of big business and foreign imperialism have trotted out their agenda well ahead of the federal election, to ensure that it is taken up and factored into the electoral policies of the main parliamentary parties.

This direction was initially delivered at a dinner function held in the National Gallery of Victoria by the Institute of Public Affairs on 4th April.

The evening was hosted by gutter journalist Andrew Bolt. Among the keynote speakers were Tony Abbott, Rupert Murdoch and Gina Rinehart.

John Howard was there, as were Michael Kroger, shock jock Alan Jones, and mining tycoon Hugh Morgan.

They agreed on some 75 policies that they believe will radically transform Australia. 

Key ones are;

• The ABC is to be sold off, and SBS is to be fully privatised

• Corporations allowed to make secret payments to political parties

• Medicare will go for most Australians

• A return to WorkChoices, just by another name

• The clean energy fund and renewable energy target will be scrapped

The message was reinforced a fortnight later, when Tony Shepherd, President of the Business Council of Australia (BCA), addressed the National Press Club in Canberra. The BCA represents the 100 largest companies operating in Australia, many of them multinationals.

Among other things, Shepherd spoke in favour of smaller government with less regulation, reducing and ‘rebalancing’ taxes, changing the Fair Work Act, attracting more foreign investment, having an ‘open labour market’ along with the ‘flexibility of the 457 visa arrangement’ and ‘performance based pay’ for teachers.

While it was all slash and burn for the working class and others who depend on government services, it was music to the ears of the big mining monopolies.

“We should give Infrastructure Australia an unfettered responsibility to produce a prioritized, national infrastructure plan with focus on nationally significant projects that lift productivity”, said Shepherd, as he went on to talk on the need for nuclear energy.

Prepare to meet the challenge

This really means the lowering of living standards, turning Australia into a mining based banana republic (except with a Queen) and scrapping any vestige of national independence that Australia might still retain.

For workers it means misery at work, with deteriorating working conditions and a return towards the Eighteenth Century Master -Servant laws. No doubt Gina would like to see her $2 an hour wish come true. There is a very good chance that these scoundrels will have an opportunity to apply their agenda.

Times call us all to prepare to meet the challenge.

Fortunately, the majority of Australians, particularly those that make up the working class, want none of this.  They will fight back.