HISTORIC CHALLENGE TO ANTHONY ALBANESE
16 January 2008
Hon Anthony Albanese MP
Federal Member for Grayndler
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government;
Leader of the House of Representatives
Parliament House Office
PO Box 6022
Suite MG43
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
RE TARIFF RESTORATION
Dear Minister
You may recall I wrote to you a year ago, on behalf of the Australian Independent’s Alliance, foreshadowing an alliance of independents and small parties, with the objective of negotiating a balance of power coalition with the ALP. Independently of this; or vis a vis a remarkable intelligence system, you publicly acknowledged the possibility of such a coalition.
In response to my e-mailed letter, you mentioned you would follow developments with interest.
However, the course of history flowed elsewhere. Our proposal was based on the supposition that John Howard would emerge from the dirty tricks cupboard and close the polling gap dramatically; possibly, we hoped, costing the ALP the election; therein to claw back victory through a coalition with us.
As it happened, in the midst of our surveys something startling emerged. Measuring with an extempore and therefore fairly blunt auxiliary instrument, we discovered that only 4% of the Australian electorate believed Howard’s 3.2% unemployment claims. Moreover, almost all survey participants ‘figured’ the true level was around one in five; confirmed at 19% by our surveys of a proven demographic corridor. Obviously our Aussie voters are not as dumb as most politicians believe.
From their body language and behaviour, we were able to intuit that Aussies were also very angry about Howard’s over-proselytised Era of Prosperity. A little pumping revealed that almost everyone knew someone who was terminally depressed by the belief that in the apparent midst of plenty, he (or she) ‘was the only useless shit that couldn’t feed his family’. It is clear that at least some suicides resulted from this perception, and news of these seemed to reach every barbie and smoko room. This was an anguish that most Australians could not ignore. Yet nothing was said.
The obvious implication was that Aussies were sitting impassively and watching Howard perform his bizarre antics on TV. All this time, the thought was running through their heads Just wait for the elections, you power-crazed little fucker.
Donald Horne (The Lucky Country, 1964) had it right all the time; the post election day smiles had nothing to do with a Labor win. They were the exultant grins that follow the execution of a tyrant. This also means that exultant ALP pundits are surfing on a hollow wave, one that could collapse at any moment.
Anyway, Anthony, the point of all this is that it became depressingly apparent that our closely-fought election scenario was just not going to happen, and the coalition prospect was dead unless the unexpected came along. So we proceeded on this basis; optimists to the end.
Nevertheless, our first political objective was more alive than ever and only one political entity we approached declined to join the Tariff Restoration Bloc. This, by the way, was Graeme Campbell of Kalgoorlie, who evidently felt it beneath his political warhorse dignity to read a proposal not authored by his august self. Needless to say, when he finally reads this, he will come around.
The then recently formed Small Business Forum also joined the fray and, at its 2006 National Conference, predictably supported tariff-driven resurrection of primary and manufacturing industries, but also (Gillard take note) opposed AWAs, outsourcing, off-shoring and the entry of foreign labour. Interestingly, the SBF also incorporates an extremely competent Aboriginal enterprise component.
All of which brings me to the reasons for this letter.
ALP insiders inform us that Rudd is now considering tariff restoration; or at least posturing with this as a conceivable option. This speculation is more recently confirmed in the right wing online Market Oracle
Now I have been around politics, mainly ALP politics, since the early 1960s and there are two things I have learned: First, there are two ways of doing everything; the easy way and the hard way. The second lesson was that the ALP will always be indecisive, and finally be forced to do everything visionary the hard way.
Others have a different take; that the ALP is big on ideology and personal ambitions but devoid of vision. This is the benchmark of little people with big power.
Whichever perception is more accurate, I am hoping we can finally learn from history here.
I am sure it will not surprise you to learn that roughly 70% of our combined membership and those of associated groups are ex-ALP branch loyalists and activists. I would venture to say that all the real talent in the old ALP branches now belongs to us, whilst the rusted-on party ideologues, hacks and sycophants are with your moribund branches. Many existing ALP branch supporters also feel disenfranchised since academic elites took over the party in the mid seventies; as also occurred in the unions. These are people who are expressing keen interest in what we have to say. Essentially, we are saying we are the real Labor Party.
Observation two;our perception of where Australia needs to go is rapidly being shared by what we would describe as the thinking segment of the Australian population; including some newly outspoken Aborigines.
Third, we have attracted very significant support overseas, from people who are convinced we are on a winning course. This morning we asked one of these notables if he would form an international group which will proselytise our common goals and values, and then proclaim support for Australia’s Tariff Restoration Bloc. We are sure the Murdoch media, and ABC/SBS will have difficulty maintaining their boycott after that.
Observation four; the Tariff Restoration Bloc cannot be divided, because we have, by definition, only one single goal. From the beginning, we made it clear to prospective participants that we are all free to differ on every other issue. Specifically, on this basis, even the Christian Right and Centre has joined us. All entities agree that even tariff restoration alone, will bring back genuine prosperity and hope for the future; as the below list demonstrates:
Fifth, on the politico-economic front, proponents of Tariff Restoration hold all the aces, and I briefly list here only the immediate benefits:
Re-establishment of family farms, two thirds of which closed down following tariff reduction and removal;
Subsequent recommissioning of regional bank branches, schools and hospitals;
Re-establishment of regional agricultural support industries and businesses;
Resurrection of the one third of Australian manufacturing lost over the same period;
Creation of two million full time jobs within three years of tariff installation;
A reversal of the disastrous population drift to coastal cities which, exacerbated by imprudent intake of migrants and refugees, has severely strained already inadequate urban water catchments. Urban population reductions will end the current urban water crisis;
In the wake of population dispersal to country regions, urban residential property prices will plummet, chasing investment buyers away, thereby reducing rents, and simultaneously making home ownership a realistic dream for young couples and families (a supply and demand reversal which will then force rents even lower). This will dramatically free-up consumer spending and, balancing endemic inflationary pressures, place downward pressure on wage increase demands (which normally precipitate the traditional wage-price spiral). Surveys demonstrate that around one third of young families would move to rural or regional centres for the better family lifestyle, and something over 40% of retirees will do the same, even if only to escape crippling rate rises. Many also cite fear of crime and violence in cities as a motive for moving.
Resuscitation of the regional and rural economy will render local governments solvent once again, thus killing off the much-hated Queensland Amalgamation of Councils programme.
Considerable pressure will be lifted from State Grants as demand for city infrastructure falls (motorways, bridges, airport extensions); meanwhile, regional infrastructure already exists; in mothballs;
A halt to urban sprawl will ease the threat to wildlife (and to Traveston Dam’s near-extinct species), and negate demand for conversion of outer urban arable land to housing;
Following political tradition, although state ALP Governments now regard the federal ALP Government as The Enemy, their powerbase is dependent on election funding by developers, and by the centralisation of workers; both of which political resources will gradually evaporate. Tariff Restoration, therefore, also favours the federal ALP body;
At a level of global politics, leaders are publicly reversing their policies on free markets and tariff removal; with Hillary Clinton signalling this quantum shift only a few days ago. Clearly, the ALP has painted itself into a corner;
As the inexorable US dollar meltdown progresses, tariff restoration will act as a firewall against global recession, (which our assessment identifies as deepening into a Greater Depression).
We could go on, but we are sure you appreciate our point. Ultimately, we have all the ammunition; and we will win. As one Australian corporate CEO opined, there is no cogent argument for not restoring tariffs.
What remains to be seen is, can Australia’s progress to a more prosperous and democratic future, be achieved in a spirit of cheerful accommodation of disparate points of view, or must this descend into one of Australia’s typically gruelling political brawls.
We have put our position to Kevin Rudd and to Julia Gillard and have not even been graced with a reply; which is an eloquent reply in itself. In a supposed democracy, this is disappointing considering we represent, albeit indirectly, a significant percentage of the Australian electorate.
You have been the only ALP leader to respond and so, apparently, you will remain our only point of contact.
If our informants are reliable, it appears that Kevin Rudd intends to sideline us by portraying the Tariff Restoration Bloc proposal as a strident albeit belated call for what is already established ALP policy. Given that there are many committed ideologists within the ALP who bitterly oppose such a move, this will be loudly refuted from within, as well as repudiated by knowledgeable foreign observers, and some Australian business identities of substance who are fast running out of patience.
The perception being the reality, you can ask yourself who the Australian Electorate will believe.
Kevin Rudd, shining in the glow of apparent post election popularity, would do well to reflect on his admirable Mandarin-demarcated relationships, when China’s exports to the US grind to a halt and the WA commodity market crashes. In politics, yesterday’s monuments become tomorrow’s millstones. There are other plaudits-to-dust scenarios on the horizon.
Now this may sound like we are shaping up for a piece of the political action, so I had better present our position. If we read the situation correctly, Rudd will come under extraordinary pressure to conform to antithetical lobby demands, so we want to ensure that the entire tariff restoration assessment, planning and implementation process takes place within open view of the electorate. As we suspect you will agree, this is also in the ALP’s interests, there being no better alibi for reneging on an earlier set of alliances than manifest national electoral demand.
(As for my personal part in all of this, as editor, the TRB already has my commitment to vacate the dual position of convenor just as soon as a consensus development structure is in place and which is fully accessible to the electorate. I will, therefore, no longer have any formal influence on proceedings. And I have no political ambitions whatsoever).
Demonstrably, this is an entirely patriotic and altruistic Aussie enterprise.
In summation, we hope we have been able to convince you that:
Tariff restoration is by increasingly-popular demand;
It is in the direct interests of all rural-dwelling Australians, and those whose incomes are derived from manufacturing, either as owners or employees;
It is in the eventual interests of all Australians; who will benefit from a healthier economy, exclusively Australian-grown foodstuffs, fish and produce, more sensible management of water, and generally improved lifestyles;
It automatically resolves several crises of city infrastructure management, particularly use of water;
The impact of tariff restoration on water, will translate as a drying up of privatisation opportunities for Bechtel and associates, and therein hamstring Malcolm Turnbull’s political ambitions;
It negates demand for Queensland’s proposed Council Amalgamations (thereby winning the hearts and minds of Queenslanders, the key to winning 2010);
If supported by the ALP along the lines we recommend, it will convert small business to a position of support for the ALP, thereby forcing the Liberals to retreat to the uncomfortable position of supporting global corporations and banks;
The primary impact of tariff restoration conforms to the ecological imperative that the Australian continent cannot sustain European-style cities;
It creates an impervious firewall against global recession.
Where to from here?
There is a simple way that the ALP Government can implement tariff restoration and simultaneously retain the Tariff Restoration Bloc as an invaluable political ally rather than adversary, without losing face; and that is to publicly acknowledge electoral pressure and, in response, establish a Tariff Restoration Commission, appointing Tariff Restoration Bloc representatives as the Commission’s over-viewing advisory body, and employer of analysts and other experts.
This will satisfy the public’s demand for transparency and electoral accountability, meanwhile providing Government with a highly visible and independent source of resistance to awkwardly-positioned lobbies. Moreover, as the impact of tariffs bites in, the influence of these lobbies will rapidly dissipate.
An attractive feature of this arrangement is that the Liberals and Nationals will be legless, their imagined natural mandates now annexed by the ALP; with both farmers and small business now solidly in the ALP camp.
*We do not want the following to be seen as an ultimatum; which is a boorish and counter-productive tactic at the best of times. On the other hand, in our former discussions with ALP tacticians and politicians, we are constantly intrigued by their arrogance, and their unsubstantiated presumptions of superior intellect and occupation of the higher moral plane.
Even amateurs can effortlessly undermine their political rationale and positioning. Their only salvation has been a relatively uncritical media; or more specifically, incredibly inept and ignorant journalists. That the media can be bypassed and the electorate reached by alternative technologies and techniques, will prove to be the undoing of both.
But the import of this weakness in the context of this negotiation is that we doubt the ALP perceives the vulnerability of its own position. We believe it is in the interests of all parties that these be taken into account.
Thus, the rosy picture outlined in the preceding paragraphs should be balanced with a hypothetical converse proposition; we have equally creative plans should Rudd decide to reject our overtures.
Mr Rudd should be aware that the punishment dealt out to Howard is a two edged sword. As Opposition Leader, he failed to bring the Prime Minister to account over his fraudulent presentations about unemployment and the true extent of poverty. Ignoring the drivel put out by ACOSS, our figures show that 68% of Australians barely survive on incomes under $29,000 per year; and 54% are dying in slow motion from malnutrition and medical and dental neglect. This is the real picture.
But do we of the TRB have prerequisite credibility?
A leading economist has challenged our figures and has agreed to some kind of conjoint assessment, commencing in February. He has already conceded that unemployment is over 8% and we are prepared to go along with the agreed-upon final figure, which will be enough to precipitate a slide that, under the weight of additional evidence that we will introduce to the electorate, will eventually bring down the Government.
The extent of poverty in Australia alone, is dynamite that cannot be buried forever and the Internet ensures this situation will become public knowledge sooner rather than later. Mr Rudd, now as Prime Minister, still has not acknowledged this and to do so now is to admit to the earlier silence. Under sustained assault, his position is untenable.
Just to dispel any doubts about our political weaponry that your colleagues might entertain, there are several volatile issues that would horrify the electorate were it to learn the truth. Among these are:
The actual findings and cost ($280 million) of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the associated impact on Aboriginal communities of resultant non-custodial sentences for violent criminals, remedies which have resulted in a 20% rise in Aboriginal crime.
The true and documented history of the Stolen Generation.
The real function of the Land Councils, particularly the NLC.
Corporatisation of Australian States.
The swollen livers and kidneys, and subsequent deaths, of laboratory rats fed on Monsanto foods, now approved for planting in Australia.
Continuing approval of pharmaceuticals that kill at least one in seven patients thus prescribed; and expensive cancer drugs that simply do not work.
The continuing approval of dangerous chemicals added to foods.
Australian Government awareness of the relationship between providing for the global heroin market and the invasion of Afghanistan.
We could probably rattle on with a couple of dozen other instances in which Government has failed the Australian people; in some instances possibly involving criminal offences.
We could probably add to this the absolute myth of deniability. There is no such thing. As the Constitution makes clear, Ministers must know; and have a duty to perform ‘good government’ and we will call that bluff.
Your colleagues may wish to gamble on our incapacity to communicate with the electorate in the face of a total media blackout, but this would merely indicate an ignorance of technologies, logistics and the power of electoral anger; and attempts to repress us will only enhance this.
It is difficult to imagine why anyone would willingly choose to go down such a road of conflict, which will benefit no one. Yet indications are that this is happening.
We sincerely hope that, in some small way, this confidential letter will contribute towards a smoother transition to Australian prosperity. We are confident that you will be able to illuminate the conference table for the benefit of the genuinely pro-Aussie elements of the ALP. (You have out assurance that only six of our most trusted members have read this letter and all are recognised as having absolute integrity).
You will also appreciate that circumstances have caught up with us all, and we must launch our campaign in the near future.
To avoid precipitant action, we would be grateful for a firm indication we can work together in the common cause of egalitarian, rather than the current statistical, Australian prosperity.
Kindest regards
Tony Ryan
Interim convenor
Tariff Restoration Bloc
Addendum to letter, above .
Anthony
Since we e-mailed you this letter, Simon Crean has undertaken negotiations with Indian Ministers, and with Tata and other Indian global industrial entities, regarding proposals that will further compromise Australia’s economic independence.
Worse, these must be viewed in a context of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s ready acquiescence to a multi-force American industrial entrée into the Indian sub-continent, a move that Indian trade unions and consumer organisations perceive with serious alarm; led as these are by Monsanto (a company that has caused 110,000 Indian suicides during the past decade), the US/Israeli nuclear industry, Wal-Mart (the western world’s most ruthless wage underpayer), Coca Cola (who routinely plunders Indian village aquifers, then moves on), and other equally avaricious giants.
As Crean’s delegation obviously has our Prime Minister’s support, we can conclude that reports about Rudd’s consideration of tariff restoration, are manifestly false; which accords more comfortably with his long-known position; and that evidently differs in no way with those of his predecessors, Hawke and Keating.
In juxtaposition with your silence, it seems we should proceed, unimpeded by hopes of intelligent intervention in this destructive madness. You will also appreciate that as you have abrogated your responsibility to respond to this formal expression of electoral sentiment, correspondingly we terminate the status of this letter as confidential, and this will be published in oziz4oziz.com. Nevertheless, we will do nothing in the coming weeks that might cause attitudes to harden and thereby close off flexible options.
Kindest regards
Tony Ryan
For the Australian TARIFF RESTORATION BLOC
16 January 2008
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