Labour parties were founded by supporters of the ideas of Henry George and were initially totally supported by the union movement.

Unions fell out with Henry George over the need for genuinely free trade; they wanted protectionism; especially during hard times.

Thereby, they started losing interest in the need for a land tax if wages earners were to retain their wages and to secure their rightful return on their efforts. George had shown that wages and profits would rise naturally without inflation if land values were taxed. However, unions left the ground of education on this point, leaving themselves the secondary option of coercive action only.

Much later, Paul Keating was to intervene in Australia’s economic affairs to suggest that we may not be able to afford pensions for our citizens in the future: We needed a compulsory superannuation system.

The union movement now provides a better superannuation system than its retail competitors.

The circle is now complete. The union movement has joined the rent seekers. It wants more of workers’ wages.

The union movement is now sorely compromised. It cannot press for a tax on land values nor a universal income.