http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/06/24/faris-v-barns-neal-the-afp-and-the-night-of-the-iguanas/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:36:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/06/24/faris-v-barns-neal-the-afp-and-the-night-of-the-iguanas/#comment-20777 Cathy Morris Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-20777 Neither Faris nor Hunt appear to grasp that electorate staff such as Batten are drawn from close communities and have no idea the job at the local MP’s office is fully controlled by the Party. Usually this ‘bonus’ position comes via the community or Party grapevine with no full brief of it's full servitude role - all rights to the MP and none to the staff. It’s a highly misleading appointment with state and federal parliaments bank-rolling the positions to on-hire staff to MP’s like Neal. When and if these positions are advertised they appear under the Parliamentary insignia – again the impression of an apolitical workplace. So when MPs like Neal morally or illegally beleaguer staff, the choice is comply or move on. These are anything but career positions. And in too many cases, the likes of Ms Batten have more than a personal struggle on ethics and job security when uncontrolled MP’s like Neal now in anger-management rehab sheet home the old tag of ‘loyalty’ if you look like you’ll spill the beans on their quirky bunker activities. You’re made to feel like an ungrateful infidel who can't appreciate the dream roll of working for a parliament and your local constituents - your family and friends! They’re toxic workplaces and well outside modern workplace principles. Yet they exist in every MP’s back yard. Why Mr Faris feels more inclined to prop-up Neal and dispute Batten, I'm lost. Perhaps it's to draw comments like mine - another click for profit. Neither Faris nor Hunt appear to grasp that electorate staff such as Batten are drawn from close communities and have no idea the job at the local MP’s office is fully controlled by the Party. Usually this ‘bonus’ position comes via the community or Party grapevine with no full brief of it’s full servitude role - all rights to the MP and none to the staff. It’s a highly misleading appointment with state and federal parliaments bank-rolling the positions to on-hire staff to MP’s like Neal. When and if these positions are advertised they appear under the Parliamentary insignia – again the impression of an apolitical workplace. So when MPs like Neal morally or illegally beleaguer staff, the choice is comply or move on. These are anything but career positions. And in too many cases, the likes of Ms Batten have more than a personal struggle on ethics and job security when uncontrolled MP’s like Neal now in anger-management rehab sheet home the old tag of ‘loyalty’ if you look like you’ll spill the beans on their quirky bunker activities. You’re made to feel like an ungrateful infidel who can’t appreciate the dream roll of working for a parliament and your local constituents - your family and friends! They’re toxic workplaces and well outside modern workplace principles. Yet they exist in every MP’s back yard. Why Mr Faris feels more inclined to prop-up Neal and dispute Batten, I’m lost. Perhaps it’s to draw comments like mine - another click for profit.

]]> http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/06/24/faris-v-barns-neal-the-afp-and-the-night-of-the-iguanas/#comment-20778 Cathy Morris Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-20778 Mr Faris if a federal MP uses their position as an employer to 'stand-over' - possibly bribe a staff member - to pervert information relied on in a court of law, isn't that 1: wrong and 2: a case for the AFP? Why the support for Belinda Neal?<br />Greg Barns: You say Batten took a risk in telling all. Without good legal counsel people like Batten follow instincts - such as get rid of the stench and tell the truth. How many 'ordinary workers' walk into places of employment such as an MPs office with a bank account assigned to costly litigation? These days electorate staff do. <br />And until both of you look at the workplace arrangements of electorate staff who are a vastly different species to those in ministerial, you should refrain from making comment, Mr Faris if a federal MP uses their position as an employer to ‘stand-over’ - possibly bribe a staff member - to pervert information relied on in a court of law, isn’t that 1: wrong and 2: a case for the AFP? Why the support for Belinda Neal?
Greg Barns: You say Batten took a risk in telling all. Without good legal counsel people like Batten follow instincts - such as get rid of the stench and tell the truth. How many ‘ordinary workers’ walk into places of employment such as an MPs office with a bank account assigned to costly litigation? These days electorate staff do.
And until both of you look at the workplace arrangements of electorate staff who are a vastly different species to those in ministerial, you should refrain from making comment,

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