Labor builds on positives

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

Labor took the policy initiative during the third week of the campaign.

The ALP's major announcements on education and the environment built on its tax, family payments and Medicare policies, representing a substantial agenda for change. The Coalition took an increasingly negative position, signalling a major scare campaign to come.

The leaders' TV debate symbolised the growing difference between the parties. Mark Latham appeared positive and enthusiastic about achieving reform. John Howard seemed reactionary, tired and negative. The studio audience - like many other Australians - scored Latham the winner by 2-1.

This week I visited the marginal electorate of Corangamite, taking in the surf coast and Geelong. AWU members in the nearby Alcoa plant wanted to know more about Latham and Labor's policies. Others said they were tired of Howard.

The influx of "sea changers" to the electorate means ALP Candidate Peter McMullin has a real chance of becoming the first Labor member for Corangamite since the Great Depression.

Faced with people's interest in Latham and that they are looking for change, the Coalition abandoned any pretence of a positive campaign. Peter Costello launched a billboard advertisement in Sydney containing an alarmist and personalised attack on Latham. Howard said virtually nothing positive, apart from promising a couple of spy planes over the northwest coast.

Liberal scare tactics affected reporting of the ALP's education policy. This would increase funding to both needy public schools and the vast majority of private schools. Latham's plan would benefit around 3.2 million Australian children in public and private schools. This includes 2499 Catholic, other religious and regional independent schools.

But this fact was lost in the concentration on a "hit list" of a few rich, elite colleges (only 67 schools) - all of which have benefited under the Coalition.

By botching his water policy announcement, Howard sabotaged the State-Commonwealth agreement. It was a bit much for him to accuse the states of playing politics over the environment, when he was executing an extraordinary back flip by opposing old-growth logging.

Latham's alternative commitment of $1 billion to save the Murray River is instead part of a substantial and achievable policy.

The debate over our commitment to Iraq unfortunately took on the overtones of World War II. Curtin was right then, and Latham is right now: our major military commitments should be in our own region, not on the other side of the world.

Labor remained the underdog at the campaign's midpoint.

This week, expect Latham to try to build on his positive approach, while the Coalition steps up its scare campaign.