Anthony Albanese ended the year rushing a flurry of bills through parliament, clearing the stage for an election as early as March.
But Peter Dutton has been left buoyed by Donald Trump’s victory in the US.
Labor’s failure over the cost of living means Albanese could easily follow Kamala Harris and the Democrats out of office.
Albanese is trying to point to Labor’s record of tax cuts, childcare and cost of living relief. But most workers don’t feel like they’ve had any relief.
Real wages have dropped, with household living standards down 8 per cent over the past three years. That’s a bigger drop than in any other OECD developed nation.
Labor is promising further policies to address the cost of living before the election. But at the same time it has attacked blue-collar workers in the construction industry with its forced administration of the CFMEU.
This can only weaken union organisation and put pressure on wages, safety and conditions.
The other danger from the US election is that anger over the cost of living fuels racist scapegoating. Trump tried to blame undocumented migrants for taking jobs and has promised mass deportations.
Dutton thinks he can ape Trump through ramping up racist rhetoric against immigrants and refugees.
But Labor is taking another page out of Kamala Harris’ failed US election campaign through trying to outdo the Liberals on racism, introducing new deportation laws for refugees with powers more sweeping than anything the Liberals ever tried.
Labor’s attempt to cap the number of international students at universities and colleges didn’t get through the Senate but it is already restricting visas through other measures.
Immigrants aren’t a threat to jobs—keeping out international students threatens job cuts at universities across the country.
A union fightback against the bosses and the government is the way to protect jobs and tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
Nurses in NSW have again taken strike action for a one-off 15 per cent pay rise, with rail workers also staging industrial action to demand cost-of-living pay rises.
More than 1500 warehouse workers at six Woolies and associated sites in three states are also striking to win pay and end speed-ups forced on them by a new management system.
Victoria’s Building Industry Group of unions has pledged to support the strike, with the ETU donating $30,000. Everyone should support their fight. Neither Albanese nor Dutton are going to end the cost-of-living crisis—unions and workers need to lead the fight for pay.
Israeli war criminals
The International Criminal Court arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant are a small step toward justice for Palestine.
They put the weight of the world’s highest criminal court behind the arguments of the movement—that Israel is committing outrageous and appalling war crimes in Gaza.
They are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity including the deliberate starvation of civilians, the denial of medicines, anaesthetics and medical care, and intentional attacks directed against civilian populations.
A number of countries have already confirmed they were willing to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant, including Ireland, Norway, Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Switzerland and Austria.
But the response has again exposed the hypocrisy of many Western governments and their complicity with Israel’s crimes. All member states of the ICC are obliged to arrest those charged if they set foot in their territory. The US, which is not a member, denounced the ICC and declared it would always stand with Israel.
Both France and the Netherlands have cast doubt on whether they would arrest Netanyahu. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has refused to commit to his arrest, avoiding the question by saying, “We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court and its important role.”
The charges also confirm that governments who supply weapons and support to Israel are equally guilty of war crimes. Joe Biden and Albanese also deserve to be in the dock.
Australia is still allowing the export of weapons parts and the use of the Pine Gap spy base to send Israel intelligence.
Shamefully here it is those who oppose Israel’s crimes that are facing the sanctions. A student at Sydney’s Condell Park High School was barred from his year 12 formal after wearing a keffiyeh at his graduation, while Sydney Uni has announced further restrictions on freedom of speech to target protests for Palestine.
But the arguments of Albanese and the supporters of Israel’s genocide are getting weaker and weaker.
The Victorian government has ended its partnership with the Israeli Defence Ministry, in a win for the campaign to end military ties with Israel.
The movement for Palestine has to keep organising to expose Australia’s role and demand that Albanese end all ties with Israel and US imperialism. The ICC arrests warrants show why we need sanctions against Israel—to isolate the genocide state and demand it end its wars.
