WA branch of the CFMEU appears to have succeeded in its botched bid to re-affiliate with Labor, after an emergency meeting of the ALP’s administrative committee referred the decision to state conference.
CFMEU
$80k pay day for Labor as CFMEU rejoins WA fold
The West Australian branch of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union is poised to re-affiliate with the Labor Party in that state, injecting up to $80,000 a year into ALP coffers and burying once and for all a bitter 2007 spat with foreign minister Kevin Rudd.
CFMEU boss reads The RiotAct and then sues over news story
CFMEU ACT Branch Secretary Dean Hall is suing independent website The RiotAct in the ACT Supreme Court over a news story he says falsely accused him of assault.
Xstrata, competition and a new form of xenophobia
Mining multinational Xstrata refused to cooperate with Treasury over complaints that it engaged in anti-competitive behaviour. The reason? “Xenophobia”.
McGuire Supreme Court challenge could expose Broady branch stacks
This morning’s backing by CFMEU overlord Bill Oliver of a Supreme Court challenge to block the ALP National Executive’s parachuting of Frank McGuire into John Brumby’s seat of Broadmeadows is almost certain to founder and will instead shine a light on the electorate’s notorious history of branch stacking, party insiders say.
The BER outcome: time to correct the record
The latest report on the BER program again demolishes the campaign waged against it by the media.
Socialist sets up Vic election battle for Richmond
Left-wing Victorian trade unions have rallied behind veteran socialist campaigner Stephen Jolly’s bid for the state seat of Richmond, setting up a battle with the Greens and potentially shoring up the reign of teetering Brumby government minister Richard Wynne.
Tribe trial may prompt new debate on erosion of union power
With Ark Tribe’s trial imminent, CFMEU national president Dave Noonan has warned that “if Ark goes in, we go out”, writes Ava Hubble.
Construction industry case driving a wedge between the ALP and unions
A SA construction industry court case exposes controversial legislation that has driven a wedge between the ALP and its union supporters. Ava Hubble reports.
When is a car bomb not worthy of condemnation? When the target is the CFMEU
The reason a terrorist-style attack on its NSW headquarters can be ignored is because the union represents a danger to the political and media elites, writes a former CFMEU insider.
When dead workers weren’t quite so important
Thank goodness the press gallery is now focused on ministerial responsibility for workplace safety. It wasn’t always that way.
Political snippets: Southern hemisphere: so hot right now
Figures just released show that 2009 was the warmest year on record for the southern hemisphere, troubles at the Canberra branch of the CFMEU and other politics tidbits.
Fake contractors gouging our tax base: unions
Australia is facing an ongoing drain on tax revenue as a result of the failure of the Howard Government’s attempts to prevent “bogus contracting” from undermining the tax base.
ACTU bites its tongue, retreats to attic
What trade-off has the ACTU received for biting its tongue about the building industry? So far, just some half hearted words of encouragement about ‘buying Australian’.
Why the building industry needs a history lesson
It’s hard to think of a major figure from Australian trade union history who wouldn’t fall foul of the current building industry code, writes Jeff Sparrow.
Gillard’s ACTU spray a centrist triumph
Julia Gillard’s speech at the ACTU Congress yesterday a display of raw executive power, writes Bernard Keane.
Cut out and keep map to 26,000 clean energy jobs nationwide
The coal mining sector will grow strongly with or without an emissions trading scheme in place, writes John Connor.
Tips and rumours: Rudd Government buying laptops from Aldi?
The screws must be really tightening in Canberra, if one tipster is to be believed, while another overhears whispers of redundancies at the Courier Mail.
From internet to lunch: CFMEU bikie rumour takes wing
A minor kerfuffle has erupted over bikie gang comments apparently made by Victoria Police Chief Comissioner Simon Overland.
Unions trade member interests for seats and influence
The revelations over the ABCC do little to explain the broader labour movement’s continuing counter-productive closeness to its lackeys in the ALP.
Rio’s looming union nightmare
Rio Tinto is refusing to enter into wage negotiations with the union that represents some of the train drivers at its rich iron ore operations in the Pilbara, writes Nicholas Way.
Richard Flanagan: why we must stop this dark, satanic, mill
If you care about the heart of this great country on election day do not vote for any candidate of any party that supports the pulp mill, says Richard Flanagan.
Kilgour: Garrett a vote winner for the ALP
The Howard Government is desperate. Fancy running yet another attack ad off the back of Peter Garrett’s throwaway line to Steve Price last week. It will not change a vote, writes Adam Kilgour.
Is Rudd’s plan really a slap in the coal face?
Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday claimed that Labor’s MRET target of 20% by 2020 was like “slapping the coal industry in the face.” Undeterred by the uncomfortable conflict between juggling the Environment portfolio and also leaping to the defence of the coal industry, Turnbull said Mr Rudd had “slammed the door in the face of the coal industry”, by not including clean coal technology in the ALP’s policy.
Kilgour: Howard and Costello don’t really like workers
The Crosby Textor obsession with union leaders in the front row of a future Rudd Cabinet is a joke. It’s desperate. It will barely pull a vote back. I hope Textor is not charging for that advice, writes Adam Kilgour.
