WorkChoices and liberty

As Kelty inadvertently infers, the concern now is that the Labor Party lacks the ideological base from which to elevate the debate.

Paul Keating was the initial impetus for IR reform. He wasn’t a true believer, though. As demonstrated by his violent criticism of WorkChoices, his championing of change was purely pragmatic - he knew the economy wouldn’t survive without it.

John Howard capitalised on this - and many other upgrades - but lacked the conviction to be honest about the final step. Like the Australian electorate, he craved all that freedom can bring but was not quite able to live accordingly.

Australia can opt for the kind of compromise proposed by the Rudd government. Without a courageous Liberal Party, however, it’s likely we will continue to deny the cold hard facts about the free market and the long-term cost of allowing our fears to drive policy outcomes.