Artworks by Executive member Waine Donovan were given as gifts to speakers at Federation's Aboriginal Members Conference.

Voting empowers people, says Kerslake

By Kerri Carr

Encourage people not on the electoral roll to sign up, Unions NSW organising and campaign director Adam Kerslake told the Aboriginal Members Conference on April 1.

Mr Kerslake said exercising the right to vote empowered people.

He said in marginal electorates, in particular, a handful of votes could determine who was elected to parliament.

"The situation for Aboriginal people is despairing," he said.

"As of Monday [March 27] we have the worst industrial relations laws in the developed world, but we aspire for something different."

"How do we make it happen?" he asked.

Mr Kerslake wants people to get organised and mobilise, particularly in marginal seats.

"There's so many blackfellas in those communities you could get organised."

Mr Kerslake warned that if a state Coalition government was elected industrial relations powers would be handed to the federal government, bringing all workers under WorkChoices legislation.

He noted that when similar laws were introduced into New Zealand, Maoris were most affected and suspected Aboriginals would be among the groups most affected by the laws in Australia.

Mr Kerslake expects penalty rates will be abolished as employers take advantage of the WorkChoices legislation.

He suggests communities will "stop functioning", with "social breakdown" a consequence, because parents will need to work two and three jobs to make ends meet.

Federation General Secretary Barry Johnson noted the theme for the conference, "Values, vision and voices."

He said Prime Minister John Howard's values were not the Federation's.

"He has attacked the values of public education," he said.

"His values are values of division," he added.

"Public education has provided a voice for a whole range people and moved us into a modern, egalitarian society," Mr Johnson said.

"Part of that voice is in the materials I will launch today."

He launched a package of material promoting Federation's Aboriginal Education Policy and the Aboriginal Members Roll. The package will be distributed to all workplaces during term 2.

Federation President Maree O'Halloran told delegates they were very important to the union to drive policies.

Ms O'Halloran also said teachers were a "linchpin" in the national industrial relations (IR) campaign.

"[ACTU Secretary] Greg Combet has made it clear teachers are critical to the IR campaign," she said.

"Teachers are in every community, well-educated and well-respected ... [and] because teachers are not immediately affected they can speak out against them for altruistic reasons.

"Go to talk to people about this," she said.

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