Voters tired of all the buck-passing

The following article by AWU National Secretary Bill Shorten is the first in a five part election commentary series appearing in the Sunday Herald Sun in the lead up to the 2004 Federal Election to be held on 9 October.

After Australia's Olympics success, John Howard's performance in the first week of the election campaign was more than a let-down.

I wonder what Roy and HG would make of Howard's welcome home for our sporting champions on the day that his Liberal colleagues were bickering about whether one of them really called the PM a "lying rodent."

Howard has tried to minimise the evidence of his dishonesty by talking about "trusting" the Coalition on interest rates and national security. He said voters were "bored" by the kids overboard issue - suggesting Australians don't really care if their Prime Minister is loose with the truth.

Economic management is important. Mark Latham this week began to successfully neutralise Howard's scare campaign on the issue, with strong commitments by the ALP to balanced budgets and low interest rates.

The highest-ever levels of household debt and credit card debt reveal the growing pressures on working families under this Government.

If people think the economy is working, they should ask someone who isn't. Most new jobs are low paid, part time or casual and jobs growth is spread unevenly around the country.

Everyone knows that Medicare has been run down, bulk billing rates have collapsed, and it costs more to see the doctor than ever before. People are sick of the buck-passing between the states and the Commonwealth over Medicare and hospitals. Latham, in agreement with Labor state governments, will end the buck-passing so that governments can work together to rebuild public health for the long term.

Parents worry that their children won't be able to afford to go to university or TAFE. These days $100,000 university degrees are a reality and place higher education out of the reach of the average student or working family, including the members of my union.

This is one broken promise by Howard that voters are unlikely to forget.

Howard benefits from the upper hand that most governments have in elections.

But I believe that by the final two weeks of the campaign - when swinging voters are making up their minds - it will be clear that he has miscalculated about both Latham and voters.