Why Victoria dumped the Coalition

Nick Fredman explains Why Victoria dumped the Coalition.

The Napthine government had lost support due to brutal public sector cuts, vindictive attacks on nurses, paramedics and teachers, the unpopular East West Link project, and corruption scandals that led to the removal of Ted Baillieu as premier last year and the sacking of several Liberal candidates before the poll.

Meanwhile in NSW, the Liberals are so scared that today, (a Saturday), there are Liberal canvassners infesting the neighbourhood. And the same things that the Liberals did in Victoria, they have done in NSW.

Labor had made a tack to the left, with slogans of “with the Liberals, you’re on your own”, and “Labor: Putting people first”, presenting at least a rhetorical alternative to the rampant neoliberalism of the Coalition. Labor also promised to increase spending on health, education and public transport although the amounts pledged do not replace the recent cuts. In the case of TAFE, the ALP promised to replace only $320 million out of $1.2 billion taken from the gutted public vocational education system.

Emphasis Mine

However the political vacuity of the Labour Party can be seen with its preference deals with the right-wing parties.

This is a minor setback to the neo-liberal agenda in general. Let's not forget that it was a Labour government back in the 1980's that started deregulation that led to the excesses of Alan Bond, Christopher Skase, etc.

The workers should never forget that Capitalism is all about the rich getting richer at the expense of the poor. This is a very hard thing for workers to understand when they are continually told that they are just one magic break away from being rich by winning Lotto, getting a brilliant idea, getting chosen by nice rich person to advance up the corporate ladder.

This is a sensible thing to do. Why risk this one chance by promoting Communism? Especially when one is unlikely to see it in one's lifetime.

My answer is that a just and equitable society is more than worth the risk.