Poem about Joe Hockey from 2006 during the workchoices debate

Joe Hockey shrugs his shoulders mostly

We went to Joe Hockey

Representing the down-trodden teachers

He was looking smug and well fed

And why not?  I am a father to be!

He giggled, laughed and shrugged his shoulders

Schools can’t run the way you mob plan it?

For heavens sake why not?

Competition’s the name of game

You teachers should compete more

Then you’d be better paid!

He giggled, laughed and shrugged his shoulders

I know where you’re coming from

And we aren’t from there

We’re from the land of individual competition.

We’re from the great liberal party.

We compete

He giggled laughed and shrugged

In fact I should be paid more than my colleagues

I work harder than they do.

Why can’t I get paid like they do in the private sector?

You mean like cleaners?

No the directors on millions!

He giggled laughed and shrugged

The church is not happy

I know

The Parish Priest has had a ‘go’ at me.

He giggled laughed and shrugged

I’ve seen fear in the eyes of the teachers

They know when I say ‘let go’

I mean sacked!

I’d like to do something about it

Take heart individual competition

And let the kids go to hell.

He giggled laughed and shrugged

You can sack us at the end of our term

We are really going through with this IR stuff

The population and the nation will thank us in the long run

We were voted in after Tampa because the world loved us and loves us still

He giggled, laughed and shrugged

I’m off to paternity leave for some time

That was won by unions!

Oh that is so 20^th Century!

It is a new century now

And I’m off to enjoy it

So I bid you a cheery farewell

He said with a giggle laugh and shrug.

By Denis Doherty

August 29, 2005