Labor needs to step up and end Australia’s industrial bailout cycle
Reports of Labor democracy’s death are premature. At national conference, delegates can still reshape policy and Australia’s industrial future.
Michael is the national secretary of the Electrical Trades Union.
It’s been just over 120 years since trade unions founded the Australian Labor Party, the first organisation representing working people to govern a nation.
As one of the world’s oldest continuous political parties, it has consistently drawn on the power and dynamism of unions and rank-and-file members to solve new problems.
In some quarters the 50th ALP national conference has already been pronounced a stage-managed affair, with a choreographed platform decided before a single vote is cast.
It’s true that we are unlikely to see a party president wearing Speedos like Bob Hawke at the 1975 conference, but the party’s democratic processes have plenty of life left in them.
