ON THE WALLABY- 2nd May 2007

”If you want to test a man’s character, give him power” – Abraham Lincoln

“KEVVIE, YOU AND JULIE JUST LOST ME”

Last night I sent this email, probably to no avail I’ll admit, to the Opposition Leader Mr Kevin Rudd.

I emailed:-

”Dear Mr Rudd,

I have followed your career with interest and I had real hopes that here at last there was someone who could rid this country of John Howard and the pencil was poised to vote Labor in November or whenever.

Then came your Conference and with that your IR policy, and as much as I detest John Howard and what he has done to Australia, as a small businessman, given the choice of the unions getting hold of the economic throttle again or more years of Howard et al, I would vote for the latter!

Hopefully many others of the small business community will be emailing you and Julia Gillard with the same message in the hope that you can do a “Tony Blair” and have the courage to tell the union boys to pull their heads in.”

I realise they are strong views and doubtless many of my colleagues would have been surprised with my initial voting intention but the reality is for me ,as a small businessman, a return to the “bruvver” days of union power is simply not on and if that means more of the lies, deceit and manipulation of John Howard, then so be it.

I spend much of my time auctioneering in the areas Kevin Rudd ( and Mark Latham before him) looks at as being where the “working families” live and work. Maybe we are dealing with two separate groups here but those I deal with, and which I think are very representative of the community, seem to have different ideas to Messrs Rudd, Gillard and the unions.

I see people who, in sadly far too many cases, have overspent on borrowing and are having problems with debt reduction but in having said that, as Mark Latham observed, their expectations are still all the creature comforts they can get hold of.

They come from many lands, are of many faiths and are here with the “stardust of ambition” in their eyes, they are prepared to work hard and reap the appropriate reward/s.

Quite frankly, the changes brought in by Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, and capitalised on by John Howard and Peter Costello have created a whole generation of “mini capitalists” and as much as this is galling to the union movement with their continually declining membership, that is the reality.

Where Rudd, Gillard and the ACTU have failed, is that they have not recognised this fact and the unions, who are indeed faced with near extinction if Labor loses the election, have chosen to want to return to the “good old days” and they have not “re-invented” themselves to make their role applicable in the global society that we live in today.

To me what unions should be about is not about belting employers with the big stick but to be working with employers in lifting employees skills and aspirations. If the question of “what’s in it for me” as a potential union member, can be answered by them showing that there is value in paying my membership fee, then of course I will join.

If that question cannot be answered, and it is obvious that it is being answered “nothing” by fewer and fewer people in the workforce, then the unions will go the same way as VHS videos- of use once but not anymore.

Whilst much of what Labor are striving for (38 hour week, 4 weeks annual leave, 2 years for maternity leave etc etc) are commendable, the fact is that today we live in a global society, we must compete globally and that the average Australian citizen has become used to shopping virtually whenever, they like the opportunity of bonus payments, they like the flexibility in working hours etc.

Should some of the Labor measures be re-introduced, I believe that many small businesses will either fail or become marginal and with that, add pressures to the employment figures (downwards) and with that a loss of economic stability.

What really galls me is that virtually the whole Labor parliamentary team have never had to work for themselves and therefore do not know first hand the “wrench in the guts” that comes with juggling tight personal and very tight business budgets, having to (before the Work Choices legislation) worry about employees using the Unfair Dismissal process to get some top “go away money” payments and working you arse off 80+ hours a week to make hopefully a living.

I hope that Kevin Rudd can do a “Tony Blair” and have the guts to take on the unions but my feeling is that both his courage and time will run out.

That is a pity for I believe Australia needs a change – but not at the cost of re-entering the industrial dark ages!

Carpe diem Tony

Tony Fountain

Professional Speaker, auctioneer and author

Sydney NSW Australia

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