Policies

Quick rant.

Vic Greens have got their crap together and released policies. Said policies kick several kinds of arse. Planned are the serious fix-up of our shocking public transport system - building the rail lines that both the majors have been pretending to commit some effort towards looking into doing a feasibility study sometime if you vote for them, maybe. Fixing the dangerous pokies problems are also in there - reducing the amount losable - about bloody time too.

Also nice is the IR policies - "reversing the Kennett Government’s referral of the State’s industrial relation powers to the Commonwealth." Something the workers and unions so-called mates, Labors Bracks never quite got around to. Useless bastard. Oh and that common-law negligence right to sue that he also never got around to bringing back when he was standing up for workers rights. Useless bastard.

I find most of the individual clauses fit into two categories - "hey, they stole that idea from me", and "that is the most logical solution to the problem".

Some good ones:
"Providing workplace education in schools and TAFE to inform young people
of their rights as workers, including in relation to OHS and equal opportunity" - we always hear about the young being the most vulnerable to WorkChoices - why not make them the most informed? Cheap. Easy to apply. Effective. Brilliant.

"Supporting fast-track research into, and the introduction of, more motorcyclist friendly
road barriers, and other ways to make fuel-efficient motorcycling a more
viable and safe alternative to driving" - quite an important one. I recall a recent community outrage over a particularly motorcyclist-unfriendly road barrier installed nearby. Nothing was done. A motorcyclist was killed hitting it. Then, and only then.. actually no, nothing was done. They're those chain-link ones - slightly cheaper!

"Implementing pilot projects to improve bicycle-to-public transport connectivity,
including bicycle carrying on public transport" - my ideas! Stolen (from within my own head no less) again! Damn you!

"All native forests in urban and town water catchments will be permanently protected from logging and woodchipping" - beggars belief that this hasn't even been implemented yet.

Lots of much needed public-private partnership transparency reforms too. No free public transport, but services are getting such a whopping improvement I'm not too disappointed.

Still, the balance of power isn't guaranteed, neither is Bracks' willingness to help out. Time will tell.