VSU - Possible temporary reprieve
Today's newspapers have mentioned that Senator Barnaby Joyce of Queensland intends to cross the floor in regard to the Howard Government's Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) laws unless there was some kind of compromise to ensure that essential services such as sporting facilities and childcare were maintained. It was also raised that legislation to deprive the student body of their political voice may not come into effect next year, in effect giving the students a one year reprieve.
I remain skeptical, although Senator Joyce did cross the floor last night, the first government senator to do so since the 80s. After all, he's still a card-carrying member of Evil and like Telstra, it could be easy for Howard, Sophie P et al to stitch up a crummy deal that would see the VSU legislation passed virtually intact. It does seem like the Reactionary Forces do want the IR "reforms" as a priority rather than VSU though, so there is a chance that compulsory student unionism may survive in 2006.
On the other hand, it would be wrong for any of us to go off our guard just because we might be handed this temporary stay of disembowelment. We must continue to lobby Senator Joyce to support the existing system to the fullest extent possible; while he is a foul and beastly dinosaur when it comes to social issues, we cannot afford to let our own ideologies and dogma get in the way of negotiating with the tiger for our very lives. We are on hard times and unpalatable liaisons are a fact of life.
NZ Final Election Results
This morning, the final results for the New Zealand election were released after the special votes originating from university campuses and overseas were counted. The final distribution of seats:
Labour 50
National 48
NZ First 7
Greens 6
Maori 4
United Future 3
ACT 2
Progressives 1
Opposition Leader Don Brash finally conceded defeat, after two weeks of suspense following election night where neither the Left nor the Right could conjure up a majority and the nation hung in the balance to see where the postal votes would take them. In the end, the National Party lost a seat, leaving the Clark Government in control to start negotiations with the minor parties to form a minority government.
This year's campaign was difficult, with the Labour Party's mission hampered significantly by internal troubles caused by members of the Right faction. The National Party shamelessly attempted to appeal to a populist theme, campaigning on wholesale tax cuts which were obviously going to benefit the nation's most wealthy. Notably missing from their campaign advertising to the people was their nefarious and sinister Industrial Relations agenda of scrapping four weeks' leave, overtime, Voluntary Student Unionism and reintroduction of individual workplace agreements which the Left-dominated Clark Government repealed when they were elected in 1999. Typical of the deceptive and gutless nature of all Conservative organisations in the multiverse. And in Aotearoa there is no Upper House with which to moderate legislation!
The mostly likely outcome will be a Labour-Progressive minority government relying on the Greens, NZF, UF and the Maori Party on confidence and supply. The new government will be unable to push through socially progressive agendas, such as gay rights and legislation for the betterment of feminist causes, as support from the Greens alone are not sufficient for a minority and the other minor parties all show fairly regressive social manifestos. Economically, the minor parties will push for a fairer agenda, including raising the minimum wage from $9.50 to $12 an hour, better affordability for university education and better income support for the elderly. The Clark Government will need to work very closely with the minor parties to last through this term but their aptitude for economic management and negotiation will put the in good stead to secure a fourth term in 2008.
I would like to thank Denise MacKenzie, the candidate for the seat of Wairarapa and her campaign team, including campaign manager Roger Beson and IR officer Jills Angus Burney for allowing me to participate in the 2005 election campaign. I would also like to thank J.T. Carter, former president of NZ Young Labour who introduced me to NZ politics on the internet and helping me make the appropriate connections. And congratulations to everyone who did the canvassing and the data chumping and all the hard work which secured the land of Hobbits from the Grim Reaper for another three years.
