Howard made his concession speech, and Rudd has claimed victory.
So what does this mean for us now?
Will the military be pulled out of the Northern Territory? Afghanistan? Iraq?
Is it the world’s first step back from invading Iran?
Will it mean support for renewable energy sources?
A fair immigration and refugee policy?
The scaling back of imperialist intervention in Oceania?
Better working conditions?
A more accessible healthcare system — no more of this two-tier shit?
A fairer welfare system?
Recognition of Aboriginal sovereignty?
Will it mean avoiding nuclear proliferation?
Well, it better be.
Labor hasn’t impressed me. Their policies are deeply conservative and they haven’t distinguished themselves as an opposition at all except on WorkChoices. Most of the campaigning has been negative; and I don’t put much stock by election promises.
What I do care about is how Labor relates to social justice movements. In that respect, Labor works very differently to the Coalition, and I believe they’re more susceptible to pressure from social movements than the Coalition, which takes an oppositional stance to any social justice issue. The ALP is a party whose rank and file have campaigned extensively on various issues, from the war to RU486, and instead of handing down policy from above, its processes are much more convoluted.
So I’m pronouncing a cautious victory for the lesser of two evils. We’ve already prepared for this.
