The Labor National Conference at Darling Harbour was supposed to set an example of cohesion and party discipline. Items of contention were kept out of sight - until members of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy union marched through the venue waving flags and beating drums - and demanding that John Howard's coercive powers be banished from the law books.
This union is little more than a bunch of thugs. Responsible unionists will applaud the government's resolve in retaining a law that will reign in the excesses that have seen this union inflict property damage, intimidation and totally illegal banditry in it's quest for union control of the industry.
When Kevin Rudd sought government some were concerned that Labor would cave in to union power. Bad and doubtful laws have been reworked - but the worst elements of union power have been constrained - and that does not look like changing anytime soon !
The joke of this conference was Rudd's claim that he was in the process of generating fifty thousand " Green " jobs.
The responsible minister, Mark Arbib, who holds the job of Employment Participation minister simply did not have a clue what this was all about - and stumbled badly. Even Rudd was ruefully forced to admit that " Mark 'didnt have the best of days ".
Just for once Rudd had not done his homework - and set in place the correct structure for a major announcement.
Those fifty thousand " Green " jobs were just spin. A wild mixture of short term training for some and nebulous, previously announced initiatives with little value for others. Actual, full paid jobs fell far short at about six thousand.
At least this annual conference showed more discipline that previous gatherings - and there seems to be at least a chance that negotiations over this nation's health system may be heading towards a sensible solution.
We can learn to live with a little spin. After all - that is politics !
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