The resignation of the secretary of the ACTU, Bill Kelty, reveals a 1950s class-war, tribal mentality. His statement that “”I believe that my continued membership of the board may be inconsistent with my union responsibilities” is a curious one. Why is it inconsistent? Surely, both should serve the welfare of the Australian people, albeit in slightly different way. No, Mr Kelty believes that it is impossible for him, an ACTU official, to serve on a government economic body while the Coalition is in government because he thinks the union movement is at war with the Coalition and therefore at war with its economic instrument.
It seems that Mr Kelty has resigned from the Reserve Bank to free himself from economic responsibility so he can pursue any agenda he likes; so that he can put factional selfish aims of union power ahead of the general good.
Mr Kelty said his resignation had been prompted by the Coalition’s refusal to have an accord under which there were wage and social protections in return the Reserve Bank’s two to three per cent inflation target. But accord or not, that is a worthwhile economic and social target.
Mr Kelty is sating he is only willing to contribute to it if members of the union hierarchy get a special position which entrenches their livelihoods and power (and we have seen how costly that has been to national well-being), otherwise they will get their power another way … through the barrel of large wage claims. Perhaps the bank is well rid of him.