Kennett's party votes him 'innocent'
By Karl Miller
Melbourne — Eighteen months ago, Victorians voted the Liberal Party, led by Jeff Kennett, into state government. Labor's disastrous record allowed the Liberals to win merely by claiming to provide better economic management.
Once in power, the Liberals unveiled a program of massive attacks on unions, health, education, public transport and anything else they could think of, including the attorney-general's office and the Equal Opportunity Tribunal.
Grassroots opposition was strong, measured by such actions as the 250,000 strong marches of November 10, 1992, and the 1993 Richmond school defence campaign. But the ALP and its supporters in Trades Hall always said, "Save your anger for the elections".
On March 4 the ALP finally announced its response to the Liberals' attacks: a Supreme Court action against Jeff Kennett.
Last October it was revealed that Kennett's family company KNF had won a $180,000 contract to publicise a housing development. $50,000 of the contract money came from the Urban Land Authority, a government agency.
The ALP argues that the premier has benefited from commercial dealings with his own government, and should lose his seat.
The Liberals responded by passing a motion in parliament absolving Kennett of all possible wrongdoing in the case. The ALP is now threatening a legal challenge to that motion.
The Liberals are clearly hoping to sidestep the issue. The arrogance of their cynical parliamentary absolution is a result of the ALP's weak and ineffective response to the attacks on Victorian workers' living standards. The Liberals know that, even if Kennett is sacked, the ALP is unlikely to win the next elections on its current lacklustre record.
The Liberals' will continue to "rationalise" the Victorian economy for the benefit of big business. Labor's response to the Liberals' program is so weak because ALP policy goals are also profit oriented.