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January 30, 2004
I see that Chris over at Back Pages is all emotional from the energy and froth and bubble of the 2004 ALP conference being held in Sydney town. Chris is a political junkie. But it makes a welcome break from the dreariness of lecturing.
For all the recent talk of internal democracy, the conference is more a ritual celebration by the party for the party: a party still controlled by the factions of machine politics run by machine men who think like machines. The Conference is a ritual celebration of how wonderful the ALP is; its activities are presented by publicists to seduce the Canberra Press gallery; and it fills the media flows with images of the brave new leader.
Most of what happens inside the Conference is closed to ordinary citizens.
 (photo by Pat Scala)
What is public is Latham's opening speech, the attempts by the Howard Government to prevent a resurgent ALP from gaining too much traction, and Bob Brown's over-the-top enthusiasms for Latham. The political centre is Latham. The Press gallery has been hooked.
I read the speech yesterday, along with the Crikey's leaking of the draft (much ado about nothing) and Costello's interpretation of the draft to mean that the ALP's real agenda is to raise interest rates, hike taxes and increase the budget deficit (joke). Howard's punches keeping missing their target.
The buzz words of Latham's 'Opportunity for All' speech include big country, propersity with a purpose, rungs on the ladders of opportunity, rebuilding community, national security and grassroots democracy. The series of oneliners speech is looks thin on paper but it comes across well when delivered, and the oneliners look good on the grabs of television.
It looked like an election launch.
The theme and dream being sold is aspirational, suburban working class boy making good. Making good is the good life.
How does government enable this dream to be achieved?
Through social mobility from Australians climbing the ladder of opportunity. The opportunities are opened up a prosperous economy achieved through competition and productivity. The market-based economy is the engine of growth, and Labor is the champion of economic reform. The free market is what sits behind the speech to the party faithful.
Management of the economy is through tax cuts, small government and budget surpluses.
It is a policy that leaves the cracks in a welfare system that was designed to alleviate poverty and despair.
The holes in the welfare stem are to be covered by responsibility, rebuilding community, social capital and governments working with the voluntary sector. Latham's Third Way is highly critical of the heavy hand of the state.
Yet I detect a heavy hand behind the values community talk in dealing with the poor. They need to be coerced and disciplined with a big stick to reenter the market.
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But it makes a welcome break from the dreariness of lecturing. For me at least Gary, it actually makes a welcome break from the discipline and hard work of lecturing. Can't believe the publicity the thing is generating. Sething is happening here.