David French | 6/07/2009 11:10:27 AM

This article was originally published in The Morning Bulletin as "Bligh's state asset sell-off the right move for everyone" dated 04 July 2009

I am sitting on a plane. It’s early and the flight to Townville from Brisbane is full. Standing, waiting for the toilet is a tall man. On his shirt are the words “dare to struggle, dare to win”. It is the slogan of militant unionism and his face shows the purposeful frown that is its calling card.

In my seat, flicking through the pages of the Australian Financial Review, I reflect on the ongoing struggle of the managing classes. How to improve service to clients in the face of a rampant bear market, how to protect the jobs of loyal staff, how to keep shareholders (which through superannuation, includes most everyone) happy, and how to manage debt levels against falling profits. What is the struggle of the man waiting for the toilet at 30,000 feet? Immediately, perhaps precipitated by a dodgy vindaloo, but that will pass. Earning $130,000 a year, fly-in fly-out at company expense, safety supervisors and air-conditioned crib rooms, does this man know the debt he owes to the people honoured by Barcaldine’s monument to the labour movement? Where is his struggle now? Is it to keep others out of the industry, in order to protect employment conditions in a sick commodity market? Does he understand that if revenues do not exceed costs, there will be pain? Does he support sharing the pain, or is his attitude that of Stalin? Does protecting his own lot involve others losing their homes?

Now some unions are making trouble for the Bligh Government’s proposed sale of some ports, toll road concessions and parts of Queensland Rail. It is normal to draw down on savings in tough times, and many Government assets earn way less than their potential, due to bloated cost structures, abysmal customer service and politically compromised business plans. Is the struggle of the 157 delegates who opposed the sale, one of protecting jobs? If so, how do we explain the massive employment growth in the airlines, telecommunications and pharmaceutical industries, already privatised. These Labor initiatives created jobs, new cultures, and investment opportunities. The cost was the relocation of unaccountable, protected employees, who had enjoyed decades of public largesse. Even they got significant redundancy payments. Others rose to the occasion to contribute to world-class publically owned organisations like Qantas, Telstra, The Commonwealth Bank and CSL.

This time, Bligh is right. Make the investment opportunities available to everyone through the stock market, and dismiss the rantings of the protected minority on $100,000, 4 day weeks, and informal sickie rosters.

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