Like Rudd, the Clintons are China experts too.
Yes, but how long will it last now?
I’m no expert on Oz politics, but it looks like the Workchoices program created not a free-market environment, but one in which unions and businesses are restricted in how they can negotiate. Businesses write up some standard employment contract (AWAs) and no negotiation is allowed. As a result of giving the business side so much legal power, wages have been depressed.
Screwing people’s wages is not a good way to win them over.
Interestingly, Labor, which won on an anti-Workchoices platform, actually wants to keep most of its provisions. You’d think they’d be talking about a rollback.
Labor has been out of power for more than a decade, and few in Mr. Rudd’s team — including him — has any government experience at federal level. His team includes a former rock star — Midnight Oil singer Peter Garrett — a television journalist and former union officials....
Should be interesting to watch this play out....