Caleb Bond: Morrison’s forklift plan scuttled by left for sake of ideological pointscoring

The hatred of Scott Morrison has become so ridiculous that even sensible ideas, such as teenagers getting forklift licences, are being shot down.

Who ever thought forklifts could be so controversial?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison made an entirely sensible suggestion on Thursday that teenagers should be able to get a forklift licence, and then there was some sort of bizarre unhinging on social media.

As a consequence, the states – which have ultimate control over workplace safety matters – refused to back the plan and Morrison was hung out to dry.

The great controversy was cleverly whipped up by the left-leaning Guardian, which presented it as “children” being allowed to drive forklifts.

While technically true, when was the last time you heard someone complain that we let “children” drive cars?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was hung out to dry by the states after leftist outrage. Picture: Martin Ollman

A 16-year-old is deemed perfectly capable of driving a big hunk of steel, at speed, on roads where they could hit other big hunks of steel travelling at speed. But they are apparently not capable of operating a forklift.

Germany grants forklift licences at 16. New Zealand hands them out at 15.

Teenagers all over the country are driving tractors and quad bikes across farms.

If you can think of just one genuine argument that a 16-year-old should be allowed to drive a car but not a forklift, you’re doing well.

The real issue was that Morrison dared to make a sensible suggestion out of left field.

The PM has become such an object of ridicule on the Left that many will now decry objectively sensible ideas for the sake of scoring ideological points – which is why they had to present it as children driving forklifts, rather than teenagers who already have a car licence.

Would it have been a silver bullet to fix current worker shortages? Probably not.

But it could have encouraged more teenagers into work.

A plan to let under-18s get a forklift licence was scrapped. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Why should retail or hospitality be the only employment options available to 16-year-olds?

They can undertake apprenticeships in whichever trade they like, learning about and using all manner of dangerous tools, yet they are not allowed to operate a forklift.

Victorian Transport Association chief executive Peter Anderson told 3AW he saw no issue with the idea.

“If you just took it at face value, I can understand why people would want to criticise it, but if you actually work your way into the depth of it in terms of ensuring individuals are trained, ensuring they’ve got the attitude correct in the application of our skills, then they are welcome in our workforce,” Mr Anderson said.

Everyone should have as many opportunities for employment as possible.

Morrison is not without his faults. But mindlessly attacking him for everything he suggests, simply because it came out of his mouth, is stupid.

Originally published as Caleb Bond: Morrison’s forklift plan scuttled by left for sake of ideological pointscoring