PETER BALDWIN ON PRIVATISATION‘ BRIAN HOWE INTERVIEWED RAP MUSIC MOSCOW SPLITS BEERS No. 120 • August 1990 • $2.95 iTELECOMPETITION 3 0009 02889 3209 The future for our phones FREE BOOK OFFER Free to new subscribers: The Book of Leaks by Marian Wilkinson and Brian Toohey. Retail value: $14.95 They've hijacked our media An American citizen, Rupert Murdoch, Arts, Labor’s mates, the environment, has the Australian newspaper scene by the Yakuza in Australia, Harry Bailey, the throat. Packerdominates magazines ICAC, Blackburn and many more. and now has the Nine Network back The Eye publishes critical material on (cross-ownership rules don’t apply to the media that has no chance of appear­ him). ing in mainstream outlets. Meantime, The Eye, having survived Written by some of Australia’s most assaults in the High Court from Gareth perceptive journalists, its hard-hitting re­ Evans, keeps on beating the Big Boys to portage is leavened with pungent hu­ stories on the Hayden Papers, the Win­ mour, cartoons, and acclaimed comic chester case, insider trading, ASIS, the strips. Edited by Brian Toohey, The Eye fills the gap with satire, comment, and independent reporting Get The Book of Leaks (retail $14.95) free and save on the cover price Please send 12 issues of The Eye lor $37.50 Name.................................................................. Address............................................................... .P/C. No stamp needed if you attach cheque and mail to The Eye Freepost No 5, Box 290, Apsley, Qld 4034. Overseas subscribers: South Pacific, add $17; elsewhere add $30 The Eye is quarterly. Subscriptions may take up to three months to start. CONTENTS BRIEFINGS THE DAWKINS DIALECTIC: An ALP senator tries to steal the education agenda. 2 ADRIATIC ESCAPE: Albania catches the disease. 4 CIVIC VIRTUES: Czechoslovakia's new broom. 6 COLUMNS PROFILE: Jose Concepcion: symbol of Cory's revolution gone wrong, 7 CHINA SHOP: Michael Gill on business' loose morals. NOT FOR LOAN F cFORE: 8 JUDY HORACEK: Bob's almost-record term. - JU L 19*31 47 ONG CONSUMING PASSIONS: Froth and Bubbles. UNIVERSITY Or WOLLG 45 MICHAEL biRT liaRARf NEWS FROM NOWHERE: Reality Hackers. 46 L DEAR DR HARTMAN: Lift up your nighties... 48 FEATURES CROSSED LINES: It's turnaround time for Telecom, again. Doug Fraser reports. 10 SALE TIME: Privatisation is back. Peter Baldwin urges a more thoughtful left response. 16 HOWE NOW: The Left's senior federal minister, Brian Howe, interviewed for ALR. 22 DECLINE AND FALL: The Labor movement is in precipitous decline, agrees Stuart Macintyre. But new structures aren't the solution. 26 THE CRACK UP: Leading Soviet reformer Vitaly Korotich interviewed. 30 MATTERS ARISING BUM RAP: Two views on pop's most controversial child, rap music. 34 CONTROLLED CHAOS: Chaos theory: please don't let it be misunderstood. 38 REVIEW S GREENPRINTING: Fighting through the sustainable development jungle. 41 INDIAN SUMMARY: A new study of Nehru and his times. 43 POOR LAWS: Eva Cox on welfare in the 'eighties. 44 AUSTRALIAN LEFT REVIEW: 120: AUGUST 1990 > EDITORIAL COLLECTIVES - SYDNEY: Brian Aarons, Eric Aarons, Hilda Andrews, David Burchell, Clare Curran, Jim Endersby, Gloria Garton, Jane Inglis, Sue McCreadie, Carlotta McIntosh, Peter McNiece, Mike Ticher. MELBOURNE: Louise Connor, Jim Crosthwaite, David Ettershank, Kate Kennedy, Pavla Miller, Ken Norling, Olga Silver. BRISBANE: Nicola Doumany, Jane Evans, Howard Guille, Mike Kennedy, Colin Mercer, Michael Meadows, Jeffery Minson, Rob McQueen, Paul Norton, Marg O'Donnell, Tony Woodyatt. MANAGING EDITOR: David-Burchell. PRODUCTION EDITOR: Kitty Eggerking ADVERTISING: Mike Ticher. ACCOUNTS: Hilda Andrews (Sydney); Olga Silver (Melbourne). DISTRIBUTION: (Newsagents): Wrapaway, 36A1,34 Fitzroy St, Marrickville 2204. (Bookshops and other outlets): Manic Ex poseur, PO Box 39, World Trade centre, Melbourne 3005. Ph: (03) 416 2050. f DESIGN: Jim Endersby. COVER GRAPHIC: Jim Endersby. TYPESETTING: Gloria Garton. PRINTER: Spotpress, 105-107 Victoria Road, Marrickville 2204. PUBLISHED BY: Australian Radical Publications, 635 Harris St, Ultimo 2007. All material CALR1990. Permission must be sought to reprint articles or reproduce graphics. CORRESPONDENCE: ALR, PO Box A247, Sydney South 2000. PHONE: (02) 281 7668; (02) 281 2899. FAX: (02) 281 2897. ALR welcomes contributions and letters. Contributions must be typed, double-spaced on one side of the paper only. They will be returned if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. A style guide is available on request. Arrangements for electronic transmission of articles - either on disc or by modem - can be made. Ring the ALR office for information. Views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the editorial collective. 2 BRIEFINGS The Dawkins Dialectic The report finds that training in the The Senate Standing Committee on Education, professions provides the knowledge chaired by ALP Senator Terry Aulich, in its report on and skills essential to professional priorities for reform in higher education sets out to [>ractice - but a component of broad confront the policies of John Dawkins, the Minister iberal education in a number of dis­ for Employment, Education and Training. It is the ciplines needs to be added. first challenge to the Minister from within. How significant is it? As well as the suengths, the report also exemplifies the weaknesses in the old liberal-progressive position. It is right to criticise Dawkins for being The Aulich Report makes a sustained hands". He attacked Aulich for spend­ concerned about structure without attempt to reconstruct the higher ing too much time in Canberra rather content (quality), but the content of education policy agenda, declaring than in his home state of Tasmania education cannot be explained that Dawkins in his White Paper em­ and blamed Tasmania's low school separately from structure as tne report phasised structural issues rather than retention rates on Aulich's tenure as tries to do. It sidesteps too many the quality of the education which •state Education Minister. More tell­ realities. It misses the influence of students receive - what they learn, ingly, he said, the report failed to con­ commercialisation of business train­ how well they are taught, and how nect with the current debate on higher ing, overseas student marketing and well they are prepared to live and education. work in a world of rapid change". research on the swing to full fee cour­ ses and away from basic science and The same comment was made by a In education circles, saying some­ liberal scholarship. It also misses the less polemical Australian Vice- remarkable growth of business thing has no educational basis is akin, Chancellors' Committee. They are studies and management education, in different contexts, to saying some­ right. Dawkins' policies are too im­ driven by vocational pressures. thing is patriarchal, or unAmerican. portant to ignore, even if you disagree The effect is to deny its legitimacy, to with them. Joined by the academics' place it outside the discourse. In its unions, the vice-chancellors also The Dawkins policies have a con­ attempt to seize the agenda, the report rejected the report's attacks on the crete basis in the system, in business ignores the current policy debates and standard of university teaching. The studies and applied research. These propounds a completely different ap­ committee had few friends in the do not fit the liberal studies paradigm proach - an alternative policy dis­ education world, or in government, and so the report ignores them. But course, an antithesis to Dawkins' although it received qualified support they cannot be wished away. They thesis. in the media. need to be challenged and changed, not ignored - or the Dawkins policies This is not a novel approach, but will produce precisely what his critics So what was it that drew John rather that old liberal-progressive fear. educational philosophy in which Dawkins' fire? The report calls for 'education' is set against 'economics'. broader education of professionals, The report cites the opinions of The report does not put forward an greater cross-cultural and social Professor John Goldring, who points alternative perspective on the educa­ awareness among graduates, better out that economists now occupy "un­ tion/economy relationship, or a pack­ teaching, more creative and critical paralleled positions of power’ within age of economic reforms superior to thinking, less rigid specialisation in public administration but that much those of Dawkins. All it says is that a courses, and more liberal access to so­ economics education is "extremely broad liberal education maximises cial groups under-represented in narrow and does not enable students education's economic contribution - a higher education. But for all this, the to develop wide and critical perspec­ return to the simpler policy consensus report's solutions are vague. tives". What it does not realise is that supporting the 1960s expansion of there is a link between the narrowness public education. It wants more fostering of "higher level abilities such as a capacity for of economics and the nature and ef­ fects of its power. Dawkins' response was predict­ critical analysis, adaptability and able. With calculated fuiy, he moved creativity" and more encouragement quickly to discredit both the report of "lateral and divergent thinking" The education of tomorrow's and Aulich. There will be no policy (what? how?). It wants universities "to public servants