Shorten advocates ethnic quotas

Labor is still in the throws of a leadership election. Under the rules brought on by Kevin Rudd in order to ensure he became the first Labor leader since Keating in 1996, to last a full term of government were he successful in the last election, the membership has the vote on the issue.

As result the two contenders are frantically attempting to come up with feel good ideas to distinguish each from the other. In order to get the drop on Antony Albanese, Bill Shorten (Left) has come up with a call to introduce ethnic quotas on Labor MPs, something like the ‘women quotas’ they currently have:

 Labor leadership aspirant Bill Shorten has flagged changing the party's rules to set a quota for indigenous candidates. The ALP has a 40 per cent quota for female candidates, but has no such aim in terms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders.  

Mr Shorten told a Per Capita forum in Melbourne the party should think "freely and openly" as it considers new ideas to revitalise after the September 7 election loss. "(We should) consider quotas for sections of the community that are under represented in our state and federal parliaments," Mr Shorten said.  

"And I especially think here of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait islanders." Mr Shorten said the party also needed to boost its effort to ensure women make up 40 per cent of all candidates, through the involvement of women on selection panels, and better mentoring. 

"A rule is not a rule unless the spirit is supported," he said. 

Something like:

 
 It is going to be interesting though, to see how these quotas will play out with other minorities such as various immigrant minorities, gay and lesbians (will there be a quota for each or can they share?), and of course, religious groups. And, oh hell, I forgot transgender people, and the list is endless.
What will be even more interesting is to see how this is going to play out along with his other big idea of local branches selecting their candidates themselves:

He recommended more community-based preselections for candidates, a dropping of the two-year membership requirement to vote in internal elections and the use of technology such as Skype to allow people to attend branch meetings. 

So, local branches will be allowed to pick their own candidate, but to ensure that the correct diversity is attained, some will be told that it can only be a woman, Aboriginal, Torres Straight Islander, gay, lesbian, Catholic, C of E etc, Buddhist, Muslim, or Kiwi.

 The good news is that the transgender issue can be solved by allowing some branches to pick either a man or woman provided they have been the other previously.

NJ Governor praises Obama; big union keeps volunteers out

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is under fire for being ‘too effusive’ in thanking President Obama for the disaster response in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.  The closeness of the election seems to be making everybody twitchy about partisanship at present. Rupert Murdoch has even criticized him for calling Bloomberg’s decision to cancel the NY marathon a good decision.

In any disaster, it is a leadership function of a President to visit the areas involved and show concern or the appearance of it for the victims, thank those who are actually doing something to help, and to offer support.  It is standard for the Governor involved to show him around and a courtesy to thank him.  It is a bit over the top to criticise this.

Meanwhile Newsbusters is reporting that even some of the left wing media are mentioning angry residents criticising the responses as sluggish.  More disturbing though, are reports of unions in parts of New Jersey refusing to allow non-union volunteers from other states assist in repairing the electrical system: 

… Utility crews from several states East of the Mississippi River hit the road this week to volunteer their time and talents in Northeastern states hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. But crews from Alabama got the shock of their lives when other workers in a coastal New Jersey town told them they couldn’t lend a hand without a union card. 

Derrick Moore, who works for Decatur Utilities in Decatur, Ala., told WAFF-TV in Huntsville that crews in Seaside Heights, N.J. turned him and his crewmates away, saying they couldn’t do any work there because they’re not union employees.  As a result, crews from Decatur and Huntsville left the Jersey shore and headed to Long Island to pitch in. … 

… Electric repair work for public utilities in New Jersey is dominated by the International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers, a unit of the politically powerful AFL-CIO.  Many parts of coastal New Jersey are projected to be without electric power for at least seven to 10 more days.

Unlike here where power supply is heavily controlled or owned by government, The US has numerous suppliers and these appear to have reciprocal arrangements for assisting each other in these events.  This makes sense and demonstrates the way mutual cooperation works within the free enterprise system.

Big union though, is demonstrating the opposite.  Rather than working together with interstate counterparts to restore services as quickly as possible, these outfits are claiming some sort of ownership rights over residents and the grid, insisting it be a case of union, or no power.  This is where collectivism leads.