According to most pundits, the seat of La Trobe is one of those marginals that might decide the outcome of the federal election. In Melbourne’s outer east, it takes in Boronia, Belgrave, Upper Pakenham and the surrounding suburbs. In the 2007 election the Liberal’s Jason Woods polled 46.5 per cent of the primary vote, with the ALP’s Rodney Cocks on 40.4 and the Greens on 8.8. The anti-union Family First received 2.8 per cent, which assisted the Liberals in winning the seat.

There was some controversy prior to the election when Labor's first preselected candidate, Firefighters Union official Greg Pargeter, was dumped by the party’s national executive. It is regarded as a seat to watch.

Organiser Azza Harris has lived in the area for 16 years with his wife Michelle and children Shaelyn and Kayne. The ETU News asked him what he thought about the election and a few related political questions.

ETU News: I see that the Liberals lost 4.7 per cent of their primary vote at the last election. How did you read that?

Azza Harris: I believe there was a huge concern in La Trobe with the arrogance of the Liberal Party and Jason Wood. The fact is they went too far with industrial relations and the introduction of WorkChoices. The huge swing to the ALP was driven by the Your Rights at Work campaign which was very successful.

ETU News: How did you react to the news that Julia Gillard had replaced Kevin Rudd?

 Azza: I think it was good. Rudd has always attacked the ETU and Dean Mighell from day one before he was even elected as PM. He drew a line in the sand from then on. I don’t believe that things will change much with Julia on the ABCC as she is on record as saying the construction industry needs a tough copy on the beat. So wrong she is!

 ETU News: You were in Adelaide supporting Ark Tribe in his blue with the ABCC a few weeks back. Will the ALP’s position on the ABCC influence how you vote?

 Azza: Definitely, the ALP position is a disgrace. We are the only workers in the country that have such different and draconian laws. They even breach the ILO standards but the ALP keep increasing their budget while the ABCC continue to intimidate our members.

 ETU News: You’ve spent a bit of time in hospital looking after Kayne, so is the health system a major election issue for you?

 Azza: This is a huge concern for Michelle and I. The Royal Children’s Hospital is a great hospital and is a credit to all Victorians. So many Victorians get behind the hospital which is great and that is what makes the it among the best in the world. Going to a National Health System scares us as we don’t want to see standards of service drop which would affect so many people like us who rely on the system. The government bungled the roof installation scheme and we don’t want the same to happen to the health system.

 ETU News: You’ve already said you’ll be voting Green in the Senate. Why is that?

 Azza: The Greens have come out with some good policies on industrial relations and are the only party that have said they will abolish the ABCC, which is needed if all workers in this country are to have the same laws and rights. Also the other parties like Family First are a joke and have no idea what they represent.

 ETU News: Given the ALP candidate will have to toe the party line on IR and the taskforce, would you consider voting Green or for a progressive candidate who opposed the ABCC in the House of Reps?

 Azza: Definitely. The ALP has alienated working families and thrown dirt in the face of all construction workers. I would definitely have a look at a pro-worker independent or Green if the candidate was fair dinkum. 

ETU News: Why do you think that the ALP lost so much support among construction workers?

Azza: The ALP has lost touch with workers in the construction industry. They are constantly intimidated by the ABCC and threatened with fines. The only reason our members have been targeted is that they are in an industry that has been successful in wage increases and high union membership.

 All our members want is one law for all, which is not a lot to ask.