I have no doubt that once these changes go through, then the experience will fall well short of the catastrophe being predicted by our opponents, and the public will, in my judgement, make appropriate assessments.
This is John Howard convincing himself that life will go on as normal after the IR changes are passed into law next week. It shows a lack of understanding of the reasons why so many people are concerned.
Howard thinks that people are opposed to the changes purely out of self interest. He can't understand why unaffected people could be worried about the bottom 30% of the population who will bear the brunt of these changes.
He hopes that this majority will be lulled when the predicted economic boost occurs at the expense of the minority who can least afford it. It shows how conservatives of his ilk are motivated only out of self interest. They can't imagine that many people could be concerned for others for solely altruistic reasons.
He thinks this indifference will get him over the line at the next election. I think he's mistaken. Many of the unaffected will know someone who is disadvantaged by the changes, be it a relative or friend, and will vote accordingly.
He disregards the votes of those who will be most effected by these changes, many who live on the city fringes where the government has won seats at the expense of Labor. Unlike in the US, from where this attempt at creating a class of working poor is modelled, the poor in Australia do vote.
