You guys obviously haven't read this publication which puts a different slant on the very topic by the resident Dryblower. It actually caused quite a stir by the readership.
From: Mining News:
Dryblower on Rudd and uranium
Monday, October 15, 2007
RUDD will be good for mining. There, it's said, an unpopular forecast from Dryblower who stands ready to repel his critics who will immediately seize on workplace relations as the big issue.
But, when they do that, and point to the potential for an industrial relations nightmare in the iron ore and coal industries, the critics of an Australian Government led by Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd miss the big picture – and a couple of sweet little ones.
At the top end of the debate now that Australia prepares to vote on November 24 should be this often forgotten point – Rudd comes from Queensland, a mining state.
Not far behind is an equally big factor in favour of the unstoppable economic growth and demand for Australia's raw materials – China.
On the first point, it is sometimes forgotten that Queensland owes much of its prosperity to mining. Rudd, despite his image as a classic backroom political power manipulator understands that critical point because of his time served as a senior State Government adviser in Brisbane.
Whatever the conservative parties say in denigrating Rudd, it is the roots of the man which will count.
And, on that score, Rudd has a second deeply-embedded root. He really does understand business.
How does Dryblower know this? Because Rudd is a rich man, and so is his wife.
Consider these points, a mining-state background and personal wealth, and you do not have a potential Prime Minister who is going to damage what's personally good for him, and good for the country.
If there is a weak point in Rudd's run for Prime Minister it is industrial relations. There is no doubt some industries face a tough time, and some companies will be targets. Rio Tinto, the arch-enemy of the union movement will be in the crosshairs of the unions immediately Rudd wins, if he does.
It's the threat of changes to workplace relations, especially the end of individual contracts and Australian Workplace Agreements, which does most to galvanise opposition among miners to the election of Labor.
Dryblower understands, and would prefer the status quo be maintained.
But, having looked at the numbers in opinion polls over the past year and considered what a change of government means, he always comes back to this question – does it really matter who's in charge in Canberra when the global resources boom is so powerful?
The answer is no, it doesn't. China, already impressed by Rudd's show-off antics in speaking Mandarin to the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, might even move closer to Australia as a preferred supplier of raw materials.
Apart from that, Australia is already struggling to meet demand for its exports of minerals, metals, and food.
Last week, Dryblower explored the question of sub-prime meets the boom when considering the problems facing a couple of iron ore hopefuls.
This week, it's really just a variation on a theme – Australian Government meets the boom, and yet again the boom wins because it is global, and several billion people want washing machines and air-conditioners, and that means supplying more metal, and fuel.
And that's one of the sweet points about a possible change of government in Canberra, the chances of a change in uranium mining policy in the anti-uranium states.
Nothing will happen overnight; it never does in politics. But, Labor administrations do, if nothing else, stick to a rigid "top down" formula of ensuring everyone follows the rule book, and that includes forcing state governments to adhere to national policy, and the national Labor Party policy on uranium is to permit mining across the country.
Pro-uranium is also conservative party policy, but unenforceable at a state level. Rudd in Canberra means a national pro-uranium policy can be enforced.
DYL Price at posting:
0.0¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
(20min delay)