2007 brings watershed elections

By Maree O’Halloran

The federal and state elections in 2007 will be watershed ones for public education, industrial rights and the teaching profession.

During 2007 Federation must campaign for the defeat of the Federal Coalition Government. Over the past decade this government has overseen exponential funding increases to private schools, calculated attacks on the value of public education, systematic undermining of the curriculum, a 23 per cent cut in real terms in direct funding to TAFE, and a massive attack on the rights of working people and their unions.

A campaign to shift votes away from the Coalition to the opposition parties requires, of course, that those parties clearly differentiate themselves. For the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to differentiate itself on industrial relations is necessary and welcome, but not on its own sufficient. The ALP has changed its federal leadership team and must now establish its credentials as the alternative government. The Greens have strong policies on industrial relations, TAFE and public schools and may place a crucial role in the Senate.

Federation will be highlighting to Opposition leader Kevin Rudd and Opposition deputy leader Julia Gillard that their credentials will be strengthened by policies that promote public education and increase funding to the sector. The Australian Education Union's claim is for a $2.9 billion immediate increase for public schools across the nation. The nexus between private school funding and public school funding, which ensures that private schools always maintain their relative advantage, must also be broken.

Christian Schools Australia is currently agitating in the "behind closed doors" review of the iniquitous socio economic status federal funding formula. They want the same "deal" as the Catholic schools. Catholic schools are "funding maintained" in the federal system and received $1.6 billion more in the 2005-8 period than even the formula allows (Sydney Morning Herald, November 20). Catholic schools are now seeking even greater increases. And why not? After all, they have a Federal Education Minister who, without even waiting for the results of the review, can have a spokesperson say: "The Coalition does not believe in taking funding away from schools." (Sydney Morning Herald November 20) Any schools except a public schools that is. Public schools have been threatened repeatedly with federal funding cuts if retrograde policies are not followed. This is a government that prides itself on governing for private schools.

Similarly, the Federal Government governs for big business at the expense of working people and their families. Their industrial laws are a gift to employers, designed to keep giving over time. As with the Commonwealth Bank, the collective strength of the workforce is undermined by "take it or leave it" Australian Workplace Agreements (individual contracts) at the point of entry or promotion. This, coupled with the employer's refusal to renew collective agreements, means workers cannot bargain with strength in good economic times. In difficult economic times, conditions can be stripped and real wage increases denied. The most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics figures reveal that private sector full time adult earnings have fallen in real terms over the last 12 months.

If the Howard Government is re-elected, the next round of federal funding for public schools will impose conditions including individual contracts for teachers. This condition is already attached to federal funding for TAFE. The danger of individual contracts in TAFE has only been ameliorated because Federation lobbied and worked with the NSW Government to protect teachers.

Congratulations to all Federation members who supported the November 30 Day of Union and Community Action including by participation or providing minimal supervision. On November 29, Prime Minister John Howard and Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews launched an attack on Federation's information leaflet to parents. The leaflet was powerful and factually accurate which is one of the reasons the Prime Minister is fighting to silence the voice of teachers.

The Prime Minister's true colours emerged when he attempted to damage public education because teachers were involved in the Your Rights at Work campaign. He said, "Let me say that I worry about this kind of behaviour undermining the quality of government education...around Australia" (The Australian, November 29).

First, standing up for the industrial rights in the community is a worthy cause. Secondly, in his enthusiasm to attack public schools the Prime Minister conveniently ignored the thousands of private school teachers involved and the opposition to WorkChoices expressed by prominent religious leaders.

In Sydney, Premier Morris Iemma led the 40,000 strong march down George Street and addressed the crowd. The NSW Government has legislated to protect people from the effects of WorkChoices including:

• legislating that workers under the age of 18 must at least receive state award wages and conditions
• introducing a procurement policy to ensure that companies taking on contract work for the NSW Government provide fair wages and conditions.

The NSW Labor Government, however, must increase in real terms funding to public schools and TAFE colleges. Federation has already begun lobbying for its priority demands for schools and TAFE. Federation thanks independent Northern Tablelands MP Richard Torbay for his support in parliament on this issue.

The State Coalition has announced good policies including additional pre-school places, school counsellors and ESL teachers. These policies, however, must be juxtaposed to the State Coalition's promise to axe public sector jobs.

In Victoria, the re-elected Labor Government will rebuild or refurbish every public school. In NSW the Auditor-General still reports a $114 million school maintenance backlog. Clearly the Iemma Government has a lot of work to do.

On November 28 Federation hosted the Department's Priority Schools Program Conference. This program was conceived of and promoted by Federation. Federation members have also campaigned every year since 2003 to ensure that the program is fully funded and sustainable. These types of campaigns exemplify the union's commitment to equity and social justice.

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December 2006 contents