Wayne Swan warned that pensioners could have increases cut because the pension is tied to average earnings and if that goes down, pensions go too. I haven’t seen anything else about that. Have you Weez?

That’s a bloody important point! It’s not like pension adds up too well as it is.

JT, no, I haven’t heard Swan’s comment. Not surprising. With the media environment as it is at the moment, Kim Beazley could bungee jump naked and smeared with strawberry jam and still not get the notice of the editorship. Beaz won’t be anyone’s cuppa until he moves the ALP to the left instead of splitting his seams riding on the fence.

Marcus, pensioners are the least of the concern of the flaming Libs. We don’t make significant campaign contributions… I’m not getting used to my new insignificance. If HoWARd will strip the pay and conditions of working folk to the level suiting his goals for free trade with China, those of us who cannot work are completely off his radar.

All I can say is ‘go Billy, go!’ There’s got to be some floor crossing on HoWARd’s destruction of the Australian workplace. With working one hour per week counting as being ’employed,’ unemployment is dramatically higher in Australia than HoWARd is citing. With his trampling of workers’ rights, it’s set to get a whole lot worse.

But it all just keeps coming back to the media environment doesn’t it.

Those of us who fall left of the tories havn’t got buckley’s chance to effect real change so long as those sites that construct society’s truths remain propaganda engines for the Murdoch’s and Packers of this world. Even Fairfax’s management has been caught up in the glamour of it all with their daydreams of a Fairfax TV channel. Sorry Fella’s… the big boy’s won’t let it happen & meanwhile little Johnny’s taking yez for a ride.

Marcus, in wartime, one of an invading army’s primary goals is to seize or destroy radio and television transmitters. HoWARd is working on seizure of the media through deceit. Changing media cross-ownership laws simply gives his super-rich mates an opportunity to make even more money. The moguls would be fools to bite the hand that shovels gold into their coffers.

Yes, the conduct of Fairfax of late is concerning. It’s tragic, not just from the standpoint of the loss of the fine and longstanding journalistic traditions over at Fairfax, but the loss of a necessary voice in mainstream media.

It’s up to you, me, Margo and other truly independent writers to source and publish. Like it or not, we are the new free press.

I’ve just finished listening to the latest “Background Briefing” on the ABC Radio. Its about the Williamtown aircraft engineers’ strike. It does a good job of exposing the current and anticipated situation. It also exposes the federal government’s “take no prisoners” approach. I recomend that all who are interested listen (avaliable in RA and MP3).

Peter, thanks for that. I’ll go have a listen as I missed the show on air this week.

[…] Can we fight back? Sure, but definitely not one AWA at a time. If you can join a union, the time to join was yesterday. This is not the USA nor is it China. This is Australia, where we value our families and fair protections for working people. Just say NO to serfdom! […]