DOCSLIB.ORG

Religious Dynamics in Australian Federal Politics

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Religious Dynamics in Australian Federal Politics Department of the Parliamentary Library Informati nand Research Services For God and Countryo' Religious Dynamics in Australian Federal Politics Dr Marion Maddox 1999Australian Parliamentary Fellow Department of the Parliamentary Library For God and Country Religious Dynamics in Australian Federal Politics Dr Marion Maddox 1999 Australian Parliamentary Fellow ISBN 0-642-52724-5 © Commonwealth of Australia 2001 Except to the extent of the uses permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means including information storage and retrieval systems, without the prior written consent of the Department of the Parliamentary Library, other than by Senators and Members of the Australian Parliament in the course of their official duties. For God and Country: Religious Dynamics in Australian Federal Politics The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and may not be attributed to the Information and Research Services (IRS) or to the Department of the Parliamentary Library. Readers are reminded that the paper is not an official parliamentary or Australian government document. Presiding Officers' Foreword Established in 1971, the Australian Parliamentary Fellowship has provided an opportunity for an academic analysis of many aspects of Parliament and the work of Parliamentarians. The work of Dr Marion Maddox, the 1999 Fellow, has been the first to assess and set in context the religious influences felt by current and past Senators and Members as they pursue their parliamentary duties. With two doctorates (in theology and political philosophy) Dr Maddox brought both fields together in her Fellowship project. In for For God and Country: Religious Dynamics in Australian Federal Politics Dr Maddox explores religious influences and debate in and around the Thirty-Eighth and Thirty-Ninth Parliaments. While interviews with some 60 present and past Senators and Members form the centrepiece of her study, Dr Maddox has drawn on the Convention Debates of the 1890s, the Constitutional Convention of 1998 and landmark court cases on Indigenous religious/spiritual issues to present an insight into how attitudes to religion may have influenced the players and the issues in Australia. Dr Maddox gives us an overview of 'the sacred's unruly incursions in the secular public sphere' and sees the work she undertook during her Fellowship as both a complement to her previous work and as the starting point for further work. This is goal of the Australian Parliamentary Fellowship appointments and Dr Maddox has met this splendidly in this publication. iii Contents Presiding Officers' Foreword iii Acknowledgments ix Chapter One: Religion in the Corridors of Power 1 Dinner Tables and Street Corners 1 Beyond the Split: Towards Thicker Description 2 Beyond the Catholic-Protestant Divide 4 Beyond the Religion-Conservatism Nexus 6 Secular Nation, Spiritual Politics? 11 Talking about Religion in the Corridors of Power 16 Religion on the Barricades 19 Religion and Political Formation 26 What's the Religious Problem? 28 Endnotes 31 Chapter Two: With Hope in the Electorate: God and the Constitution 41 Prelude to a New Preamble 42 The Constitutional Second Coming 43 God and the Covering Clauses 44 Spiritual Wealth and Citizens' Rights 46 Humbly Relying on the Blessing of Almighty God 47 Incarnation of the Generic God 51 God's Good Convention 54 A Century of Recognition 56 Reluctant Recognition 56 Ultimate Reliance 57 The Preamble as a Prop to Faith 58 A God Beyond the Counter 60 A Little Bit of God Won't Hurt Anyone 60 Humbly Relying on Everyone's Gods 61 Why Religious Inclusiveness Mattered to the Founders 64 Why Religious Inclusiveness Mattered in 1998 68 The Rise of God and Decline of Politics 75 v Contents Populism 75 Relationship Between Church and State 77 Fear of Divisive Religion 81 'But You Have Made Us a Little Lower Than the Angels': God and Republican Consciousness 84 God of the (Constitutional) Gaps 88 Humbly Relying on Which God? 90 Endnotes 91 Chapter Three: So Help Me God: Religious and Political Vocation 105 The Sacred and the State 105 Section 116 105 Liberal Australia 107 God and Parliamentary Formalities 109 Prayers 109 Swearing-in 114 Declaration of Interests 117 'Conscience' Voting 118 Public Figures, Private Commitments 120 Parliamentary Christian Fellowship 120 Opening of Parliament Services and National Prayer Breakfast 125 Monday Night Group 126 National Student Leadership Forum on Faith and Values 128 National Mourning 130 Deliberation and Debate 131 Should Religious Convictions Shape Political Views? 132 Why Are We Here? Religious and Political Motivation 134 Should Religion Show in Debate? 138 What is a Religious Issue? 141 Structure, Anti-structure and Parliamentary Religion 144 Endnotes 147 Chapter Four: God and Caesar in Australia 159 Churches in the Marketplace 160 What is a Moral Issue? 165 vi Contents Who can Comment? 170 Who is a Partisan? 172 Who is a Representative? 177 Whose is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory? 179 In from the Margins: New Blends of Church and State 180 Endnotes 189 Chapter Five: Lyons in the Bear-Pit 199 'The Coalition's Conservative Christian Faction' 199 Conservative Christian or Just Plain Conservative? 201 Discussion Group, Pressure Group or Faction? 208 Parties and Factions 211 Conservative Allsorts 213 Party, Policy and Leader 214 From Future Directions to Fightback 216 Mardi Gras 218 Minorities and Mainstream 222 Transition 225 Howard to Power 226 Whatever Happened to the Lyons Forum? 228 A Flash in the Liberal Pan? 229 The Lyons Forum and Religion 233 Endnotes 235 Chapter Six: Sacred Sites and the Public Square 245 The Myth That Would Not Die 247 Religion, Tradition, Custom 249 Religious and Civil Interests: A Classic Liberal Distinction 250 'Religious' and 'Civil' Interests in Indigenous Traditions 251 Discussing Religion in the Secular Public Square 253 'Not a Religious or Spiritual Relationship': Mabo v Queensland 257 'Knowing They Are Genuinely Held': Junction Waterhole 259 'Not Supported By Any Form of Logic': The Hindmarsh Island Royal Commission 262 'The Connection Has Not Been Made': The Mathews Inquiry 267 vii Contents Religious and Civil Interests in the Thirty-Ninth Parliament 270 Religion, the Sacred and the State 275 Endnotes 277 Chapter Seven: Conclusion 285 Wall of Separation or Webs of Intersection? 285 Appendix: Interviews 289 Index 297 viii Acknowledgments This study was only possible because of the support of the Parliamentary Library and the Library Committee, and the generous participation of present and past Senators and Members of the Australian Parliament. In the Parliamentary Library, help with the detail of research came especially from Carol Kempner and members of the Social Policy Group, Cathy Madden and members of the Politics and Public Administration Group and Judy Hutchinson. June Verrier, Carol Kempner and Kate Mathews smoothed administrative obstacles. The final editing was greatly helped by Maryanne Lawless in the Parliamentary Library and by Siobhann McCafferty at Victoria University, Wellington. Remaining errors, inconsistencies and omissions are despite the efforts of Rev. Bill Edwards, Rev. Shirley Maddox, Professor Paul Morris, Mr Jonathan Nicholls, Dr Rodney Smith, Dr Michael Symons, Dr June Verrier and Professor John Warhurst, all of whom read parts or all of the manuscript, in some cases twice, and made valuable comments. Authors conventionally thank their families for their support and tolerance. In my case, the birth mid-fellowship of my son Lawrence, and the subsequent diagnosis of his severe disabilities, increased the usual stresses of a major research project, both for me and for my immediate family. Michael Symons and our daughter Dorothy enabled me to persevere. Lenna Symons, Shirley Maddox and Anna Bianchi know that the project could not have been finished without their help. Willa and Roger Mouldon became our de facto Canberra family. Many other people gave us great emotional and practical support. One of the themes of this study is the contested meaning of 'family values'. Much of my own teaching on that subject has come from Dorothy and Lawrence; I dedicate it to them. ix Chapter One: Religion in the Corridors of Power Dinner Tables and Street Corners Modern Australia has been called 'the world's most secular society'.1 While that claim may be disputed (for example, by New Zealand),2 religion is seldom regarded as a particularly revealing or interesting dimension of Australian national life. Ecclesiastical statements on political issues gain a measure of public attention, but church attendances are in decline. The much-vaunted growth of immigrant and 'new' religions in fact takes up only a tiny percentage of the slack. Sectarianism, once a defining feature of the Australian party system, has faded. So, too, if one believes the 'Tweedledum-and-Tweedledee' school, has political passion. Opinion polls show declining public faith in political processes, decreasing party identification among voters and high levels of ignorance and misinformation about political players and institutions. Victorian etiquette is no longer needed to quarantine once incendiary topics: religion and politics have become the things no one would bother to discuss at the dinner table.3 The academic world is scarcely more interested. Although Australia boasts substantial scholarship in both religion and politics, there is little sense of any noteworthy overlap.4 Australian scholars
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Productivity Commission April 2013 The
    Agency Snapshot: The Productivity Commission April 2013 The Productivity Commission is one of Australia’s most highly respected research and advisory bodies, and is regarded as the Federal Government’s principal advisory body on all aspects of microeconomic reform. Established under the Productivity Commission Act 1998 (Cth), the Productivity Commission came into effect in April 1998 following the amalgamation of the Industry Commission, Bureau of Industry Economics and the Economic Planning Advisory Commission. The Productivity Commission is an independent statutory authority within the Treasury portfolio, with the current ten commissioners appointed on five-year terms. Contents Background ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Productivity Commission Act 1998 .......................................................................................................... 2 Members of the Productivity Commission ............................................................................................... 2 Influence on Policy-Making ...................................................................................................................... 3 The Process ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Inquiries reported in the 43rd Parliament ................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Effects of Physical and Social Environments on the Health and Wellbeing of Children and Young People
    THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS ON THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE Prepared for the W.A Commissioner for Children and Young People by Dr Carmen Lawrence, June 2019 Contents Section 1: Introduction…………………………………………………………….3 Section 2: Social determinants………………………………………………..4 Section 3: The spatial dimensions of children’s lives in WA…..5 3.1: Population profile..…………………………….……………………5 3.2: Social profile…………………………………………………………….6 3.3: Children’s health and wellbeing……………………………..6 3.3.1: Definitions and measurement of health and wellbeing…………………………………………………………….6 3.3.2: Children’s health and wellbeing data sets………7 3.4: Summary………………………………………………………………14 Section 4: Why place matters……………………………………………….15 4.1: Locational disadvantage……………………………………….17 4.2: Regional and remote areas…………………………………..17 4.3: Green space, backyards and public open space….18 4.4: Transport………………………………………………………………19 Section 5: The important attributes of place……………………….20 5.1: Socio-economic status and neighbourhood disadvantage……………………………………………………………...20 5.2: Pollution…………………………………………………………………24 5.3: Noise……………………………………………………………………….28 5.4: Community safety and violence……………………………29 5.5: Social capital………………………………………………………….31 1 5.6: The natural environment – Exposure to nature/greeness…………………………………..………………...33 5.6.1: Population studies………………………………………….35 5.6.2: Physical health…….…………………………………..........36 5.6.3: Mental health and psychological wellbeing……………………………………………………………………39 5.6.4: Cognitive benefits………………………………………….42 5.6.5:
    [Show full text]
  • Smb School of Mines and Industries Ballarat
    school of SMB mines and industries ballarat a campus of the university ballarat a guide to heritage buildings at the smb campus in lydiard street south, ballarat cricos provider number 00103d table of contents precinct plan Precinct Plan 1 public Introduction 2 car park dana street Timeline 4 Founding of the Ballarat School of Mines 5 Former Wesleyan Church 15 Technical Art School Building 16 Administration Building 18 north Former Court House 19 albert street albert Former Ballarat Gaol 20 A B H armstrong street south street armstrong c lydiard street sth street lydiard F D e eyre street G grant str eet This Guide was prepared for A Former Wesleyan Church the University of Ballarat by BAdministration Building Keith Boast with the assistance of Clare Gervasoni, Art C Technical Art School Building Curator at the University. The D Former Ballarat Gaol photographs and illustrations in the Guide are from the E Former Court House University’s Historical F ‘Old’ Chemistry Building Collection. G Former Junior Technical School H Former Botanical Gardens the school of mines and ind ustries b allarat a campus of the university of b allarat a guid e to heritage b uild ings in lyd iard street south, b allarat 1 introduction smb has a proud history of over 130 years of continuous operation. you are invited to experience and enjoy the charm of smb’s architectural heritage in one of ballarat’s most historic precincts, lydiard street south. he Lydiard Street South precinct of Ballarat is richly reflective of Ballarat’s In the ensuing years, SMB has experienced a major heritage.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 John Johnstone, 'A Glorified Landscape Gardeners'
    John Johnstone, ‘a glorified landscape gardeners’ role in forestry in Australia This paper was presented at the AHA Annual Conference, 2-6 July 2018 in Canberra. Gerard Fahey. orcid.org/0000-0003-3183-7762 The Victorian School of Forestry (VSF) established in 1910 at Creswick offered the first formal Forestry Course in Australia. The School was managed by the Forest Commission of Victoria from its opening until a period of co-management with the University of Melbourne in the 1980s and finally, after 2000, as a Department within the University. Yet the origins of the VSF are effectively lost. The one material statement is a metal plaque installed in 1952, honouring the former Premier and local member for Creswick, Sir Alexander Peacock. The plaque credited Peacock, To whose inspiration & initiative the establishment of this school was largely due. 1 However, reconstructing the story through historical newspapers, parliamentary papers, forest department records and private correspondence has revealed that other individuals were involved in the establishment of the school. The primary inspiration for the establishment of the School, and the one who took the initiative and did the work at Creswick, was not Peacock but John Johnstone, the Superintendent of State Plantations from 1902 to 1926. Johnstone has been overlooked in the history of the School for a number of reasons: he was not listed in the official Department records or the Government Gazette prior to 1913; he 1 had clashed with others who fostered grudges, was seen as an outsider and was not considered to be a forester by those who came after him.
    [Show full text]
  • Women in the Federal Parliament
    PAPERS ON PARLIAMENT Number 17 September 1992 Trust the Women Women in the Federal Parliament Published and Printed by the Department of the Senate Parliament House, Canberra ISSN 1031-976X Papers on Parliament is edited and managed by the Research Section, Senate Department. All inquiries should be made to: The Director of Research Procedure Office Senate Department Parliament House CANBERRA ACT 2600 Telephone: (06) 277 3061 The Department of the Senate acknowledges the assistance of the Department of the Parliamentary Reporting Staff. First published 1992 Reprinted 1993 Cover design: Conroy + Donovan, Canberra Note This issue of Papers on Parliament brings together a collection of papers given during the first half of 1992 as part of the Senate Department's Occasional Lecture series and in conjunction with an exhibition on the history of women in the federal Parliament, entitled, Trust the Women. Also included in this issue is the address given by Senator Patricia Giles at the opening of the Trust the Women exhibition which took place on 27 February 1992. The exhibition was held in the public area at Parliament House, Canberra and will remain in place until the end of June 1993. Senator Patricia Giles has represented the Australian Labor Party for Western Australia since 1980 having served on numerous Senate committees as well as having been an inaugural member of the World Women Parliamentarians for Peace and, at one time, its President. Dr Marian Sawer is Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of Canberra, and has written widely on women in Australian society, including, with Marian Simms, A Woman's Place: Women and Politics in Australia.
    [Show full text]
  • A STUDY GUIDE by Katy Marriner
    © ATOM 2012 A STUDY GUIDE BY KATY MARRINER http://www.metromagazine.com.au ISBN 978-1-74295-267-3 http://www.theeducationshop.com.au Raising the Curtain is a three-part television series celebrating the history of Australian theatre. ANDREW SAW, DIRECTOR ANDREW UPTON Commissioned by Studio, the series tells the story of how Australia has entertained and been entertained. From the entrepreneurial risk-takers that brought the first Australian plays to life, to the struggle to define an Australian voice on the worldwide stage, Raising the Curtain is an in-depth exploration of all that has JULIA PETERS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ALINE JACQUES, SERIES PRODUCER made Australian theatre what it is today. students undertaking Drama, English, » NEIL ARMFIELD is a director of Curriculum links History, Media and Theatre Studies. theatre, film and opera. He was appointed an Officer of the Order Studying theatre history and current In completing the tasks, students will of Australia for service to the arts, trends, allows students to engage have demonstrated the ability to: nationally and internationally, as a with theatre culture and develop an - discuss the historical, social and director of theatre, opera and film, appreciation for theatre as an art form. cultural significance of Australian and as a promoter of innovative Raising the Curtain offers students theatre; Australian productions including an opportunity to study: the nature, - observe, experience and write Australian Indigenous drama. diversity and characteristics of theatre about Australian theatre in an » MICHELLE ARROW is a historian, as an art form; how a country’s theatre analytical, critical and reflective writer, teacher and television pre- reflects and shape a sense of na- manner; senter.
    [Show full text]
  • MS 5110 National Aboriginal Conference, National Office And
    Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Library MS 5110 National Aboriginal Conference, National Office and Resource Centre records, 1974-1975, 1978-1985 CONTENTS COLLECTION SUMMARY .......…………………………………………………....…........ p.3 CULTURAL SENSITIVITY STATEMENT ……………………………………........... p.3 ACCESS TO COLLECTION .………………………………...…….……………….......... p.4 COLLECTION OVERVIEW ………...……………………………………..…....…..…… p.5 ADMNISTRATIVE NOTE …............………………………………...…………........….. p.6 Abbreviations ............................................................................................................... p.7 SERIES DESCRIPTION ………………………………………………………..……….... p.8 Series 1 NAC, National Executive, Meeting papers, 1974-1975, 1978-1985 p.8 Subseries 1/1 National Aboriginal Congress, copies of minutes of meetings and related papers, 1974-1975 ................................................ p.8 Subseries 1/2 National Aboriginal Conference, Minutes of meetings and related papers, 1979-1985 ......................................................... p.9 Subseries 1/3 National Aboriginal Conference, Resolutions and indexes to resolutions, 1978-1983 .............................................................. p.15 Subseries 1/4 Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Portfolio meeting papers, 1983-1984 .................................................................................. p.16 Series 2 NAC, National Office, Correspondence and telexes, 1979-1985.... p.20 Subseries 2/1 Correspondence registers, 1983-1985 ………………………… p.20 Subseries
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Volume 1 the Senators, the Senate and Australia, 1901–1929 by Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate 1988–2009
    Introduction to volume 1 The Senators, the Senate and Australia, 1901–1929 By Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate 1988–2009 Biography may or may not be the key to history, but the biographies of those who served in institutions of government can throw great light on the workings of those institutions. These biographies of Australia’s senators are offered not only because they deal with interesting people, but because they inform an assessment of the Senate as an institution. They also provide insights into the history and identity of Australia. This first volume contains the biographies of senators who completed their service in the Senate in the period 1901 to 1929. This cut-off point involves some inconveniences, one being that it excludes senators who served in that period but who completed their service later. One such senator, George Pearce of Western Australia, was prominent and influential in the period covered but continued to be prominent and influential afterwards, and he is conspicuous by his absence from this volume. A cut-off has to be set, however, and the one chosen has considerable countervailing advantages. The period selected includes the formative years of the Senate, with the addition of a period of its operation as a going concern. The historian would readily see it as a rational first era to select. The historian would also see the era selected as falling naturally into three sub-eras, approximately corresponding to the first three decades of the twentieth century. The first of those decades would probably be called by our historian, in search of a neatly summarising title, The Founders’ Senate, 1901–1910.
    [Show full text]
  • Ministerial Careers and Accountability in the Australian Commonwealth Government / Edited by Keith Dowding and Chris Lewis
    AND MINISTERIAL CAREERS ACCOUNTABILITYIN THE AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT AND MINISTERIAL CAREERS ACCOUNTABILITYIN THE AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT Edited by Keith Dowding and Chris Lewis Published by ANU E Press The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200, Australia Email: [email protected] This title is also available online at http://epress.anu.edu.au National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Title: Ministerial careers and accountability in the Australian Commonwealth government / edited by Keith Dowding and Chris Lewis. ISBN: 9781922144003 (pbk.) 9781922144010 (ebook) Series: ANZSOG series Notes: Includes bibliographical references. Subjects: Politicians--Australia. Politicians--Australia--Ethical behavior. Political ethics--Australia. Politicians--Australia--Public opinion. Australia--Politics and government. Australia--Politics and government--Public opinion. Other Authors/Contributors: Dowding, Keith M. Lewis, Chris. Dewey Number: 324.220994 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design and layout by ANU E Press Printed by Griffin Press This edition © 2012 ANU E Press Contents 1. Hiring, Firing, Roles and Responsibilities. 1 Keith Dowding and Chris Lewis 2. Ministers as Ministries and the Logic of their Collective Action . 15 John Wanna 3. Predicting Cabinet Ministers: A psychological approach ..... 35 Michael Dalvean 4. Democratic Ambivalence? Ministerial attitudes to party and parliamentary scrutiny ........................... 67 James Walter 5. Ministerial Accountability to Parliament ................ 95 Phil Larkin 6. The Pattern of Forced Exits from the Ministry ........... 115 Keith Dowding, Chris Lewis and Adam Packer 7. Ministers and Scandals .........................
    [Show full text]
  • Life Education NSW 2016-2017 Annual Report I Have Fond Memories of the Friendly, Knowledgeable Giraffe
    Life Education NSW 2016-2017 Annual Report I have fond memories of the friendly, knowledgeable giraffe. Harold takes you on a magical journey exploring and learning about healthy eating, our body - how it works and ways we can be active in order to stay happy and healthy. It gives me such joy to see how excited my daughter is to visit Harold and know that it will be an experience that will stay with her too. Melanie, parent, Turramurra Public School What’s inside Who we are 03 Our year Life Education is the nation’s largest not-for-profit provider of childhood preventative drug and health education. For 06 Our programs almost 40 years, we have taken our mobile learning centres and famous mascot – ‘Healthy Harold’, the giraffe – to 13 Our community schools, teaching students about healthy choices in the areas of drugs and alcohol, cybersafety, nutrition, lifestyle 25 Our people and respectful relationships. 32 Our financials OUR MISSION Empowering our children and young people to make safer and healthier choices through education. OUR VISION Generations of healthy young Australians living to their full potential. LIFE EDUCATION NSW 2016-2017 Annual Report Our year: Thank you for being part of Life Education NSW Together we worked to empower more children in NSW As a charity, we’re grateful for the generous support of the NSW Ministry of Health, and the additional funds provided by our corporate and community partners and donors. We thank you for helping us to empower more children in NSW this year to make good life choices.
    [Show full text]
  • Asylum Seekers and Australian Politics, 1996-2007
    ASYLUM SEEKERS AND AUSTRALIAN POLITICS, 1996-2007 Bette D. Wright, BA(Hons), MA(Int St) Discipline of Politics & International Studies (POLIS) School of History and Politics The University of Adelaide, South Australia A Thesis Presented to the School of History and Politics In the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Contents DECLARATION ................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................. ii ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................... iii INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. v CHAPTER 1: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK .................................................................. 1 Sovereignty, the nation-state and stateless people ............................................................. 1 Nationalism and Identity .................................................................................................. 11 Citizenship, Inclusion and Exclusion ............................................................................... 17 Justice and human rights .................................................................................................. 20 CHAPTER 2: REFUGEE ISSUES & THEORETICAL REFLECTIONS ......................... 30 Who
    [Show full text]
  • Address to the NSW Fabian Society Seminar at Gleebooks on Wednesday April 20, 2005
    Address to the NSW Fabian Society seminar at Gleebooks on Wednesday April 20, 2005 Could Chifley win Labor preselection today? By Rodney Cavalier Could Ben Chifley win a Labor preselection today? No. Could a railwayman from Bathurst win preselection today? No. Could a man or woman who works during the day or night in a job that involves getting dirty and perspiring and without access to a telephone during working hours win a preselection today? No. Could a professional devoted to his practice and his clients - that is, willing to work long hours, including night and weekends in preparation and research - could such a person win a preselection today? No. Who can win a preselection today? In the absence of intervention at the level of the parliamentary leadership, preselection in seats which matter falls exclusively to the inhabitants of the political class. The political class embraces union officials, ministerial and parliamentary staffs and party employees. Most of these people, certainly the aspirants for Parliament, are an operative for a faction. The ALP factional operatives are members of the only class which has survived into this century - the political class. They are a coherent grouping which fulfills all of the Marxist definitions of class: consciousness of each other, action in concert, action in self-interest. The nucleus of the ALP political class is trade union control of the Labor Party. Although unions are reduced to 17 per cent of the workforce and falling, though they represent fewer than one in ten Australian voters and do not command the votes of even half of their own number, union control of the ALP governance is stronger now than ever - even though its formal representation at Conference is 50 per cent.
    [Show full text]