Wednesday, November 15, 2006

High Court's Decison regarding Work Choices - Storm in a teacup?

Is it just me, or have the newspapers just gone a little overboard regarding this decision.

For those not quite up to date, the State Governments of Australia took the Federal Government of Australia to the High Court to claim that the new industrial relations laws (i.e "Work Choices") were unconstitutional.

From my extremely limited knowledge of the constitution, I always thought the states were in for a hard time. The constitution pretty much gives the Federal Government full sway over regulating corporations (or companies). And in the event of a conflict between state law and federal law, the federal law wins. And all this from a 31 year old I.T guy, let alone the high-price aging lawyers the states no doubt had available...

Makes you wonder what it was all about. From this little black goat, it just strikes me as a political exercise. Labour Party in Power states want to show the little people they can kick the ass of the Liberal overlords. And its paid for by the taxpayer..Nice one.

But then the press has gone in...That the decision is the thin edge of the wedge..that the Federal Government will use the decision to grab control over education or health. Pleasssssssssssse!
The only reason the Feds won this one was that the corporations power is explicitly listed in the Constitution. Otherwise the states would have won. Lets not get too excited about something that will never happen.

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