General

	Simon Crean addressing delegates

National Conference addressed by Simon Crean

When Federal Opposition Leader Simon Crean addressed the ASU's peak body, National Conference, he recognised that the ASU is involved in the strongest growing sector of the workforce. Whilst the workplace is changing, he encouraged the Union to embrace the change while holding on to core labour values.

The last few months have been tough, Crean reflected, in the atmosphere of national security fears, making it difficult for the ALP to press the many domestic issues that will actually impact on people's lives far more.

The people who are hurting, he contended, are the middle and low income earners and that is where tax relief needs to focus - this is the position the Opposition is maintaining, despite Howard's attempts to divert attention from it. The increasing costs of health care, maternity leave provisions, public education availability also figured in Crean's explanation of the ALP's core labour values.

In terms of his industrial relations policies, he stressed that, in particular, 100% cover for workers' entitlements is another key plank in the ALP policies, cover that will protect all workers, not just those who work for John Howard's brother.

Crean recounted his experience of campaigning as a trade unionist, reflecting on the ASU's Conference theme "campaigning for a better workplace". Mirroring the comments of Sharan Burrow who opened Conference, Crean explained how a good workplace campaign has real resonance with workers. He is still approached by workers involved in Storemen and Packers Union (now NUW) campaigns he led in the 1970s.

His speech ranged over many current political issues extending beyond the industrial relations realm.

Of the ALP party reform agenda, Crean explained that although there are many achievements we are all very proud of, "We can't live in the past, we must modernise!" Part of the ALP renewal was the appearance of many new shadow ministers on the front bench, a younger group to take the party forward.

Crean referred to the draconian industrial relations agenda of the Howard Government, embodied in 17 pieces of legislation brought forward in Parliament in recent times - all opposed by the ALP.

Finally, he challenged the labour movement to work with him and the ALP to develop the policies that are relevant to ordinary people, and to take the fight up to the Howard Government, as that is the only way to defeat the regressive agenda of the conservatives.