Treasurer Peter Costello's threat to call a double dissolution election over the Senate's rejection of some of the Coalition's vicious anti-immigrant, cost-slashing measures is nothing to be feared. Those who oppose Canberra's reactionary policies would welcome the opportunity to campaign to repair the damage that successive governments — Labor and Liberal — have wreaked on the environment and the social security, health and education systems; and to reverse the mounting attacks on Aborigines, women, youth and migrants.
Genuine opponents of the Coalition must be prepared to oppose — without compromise and regardless of the consequences to themselves — every measure that reduces working people's quality of life, undermines democratic and union rights or discriminates against people for whatever reason. Genuine opponents of the Coalition must forgo the opportunistic parliamentary wheeling and dealing that trades principles and pledges for parliamentary seats, salaries and privileges.
Unfortunately, uncompromising opponents of the Coalition are few and far between in federal parliament. None of the opposition parties pledged to block the bulk of the $7 billion in cutbacks contained in the government's first budget. Their commitment to "stable" government outweighed their opposition to Howard's social vandalism.
These parties did promise to block parts of the budget legislation, including the privatisation of Telstra, increases in the Higher Education Contribution Scheme and full fees for tertiary students, but their opposition was confined to the parliamentary benches. Such tinkering around the edges amounts to acceptance of Howard's fake "mandate" to inflict massive cuts on Australia's public services.
Both Labor and the Democrats in recent months have proven themselves to be pale imitations of their Tory cohorts. In October, the Democrats stabbed both the workers' and environment movements in the back by doing a dirty deal with Peter Reith to assure passage of the draconian Industrial Relations Bill. Soon after, Labor voted with the Coalition to deny skill-based migrants access to unemployment benefits, sickness allowance and the Youth Training Allowance for two years after arrival.
During the election campaign, Howard concealed his reactionary agenda with promises that "no Australian will be worse off". The draconian policies being implemented today were not put to the vote on March 2. The Coalition won the election (with only 46.8% of the primary vote) because people, fed up with the Labor's 13 years of lies and attacks on living standards, saw no other way to express their dissatisfaction.
A double dissolution would give people another chance to vote, having seen the real policies of the Coalition. It would give progressive activists an opportunity to campaign around better ways forward at a time when people are open to discussion and debate. A double dissolution would help those seeking to build a real alternative to the parliamentary games of "Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition" — the ALP and the Democrats.
But the vacillating antics of fair-weather friends in the ALP and the Democrats, and the opportunism of self-servers like "independents" Mal Colston and Brian Harradine (whose support for the Telstra sale was bought cheap), again underscore the essential fact that we cannot rely on parliamentarians to defend our interests.
Only mobilised, independent, mass movements can defend, fight for and win gains. And those gains can only be won if the movement is prepared to fight both the Coalition government's attacks and the compromises of the professional parliamentary opposition. Without such movements applying pressure on the opposition parties and independents, a double dissolution is very unlikely. Without such movements, Howard and Co's attacks will not only continue, but will escalate.