CFMEU boss accuses Labor of walking away from its working class roots
CFMEU boss Michael Ravbar has accused Labor of abandoning its working class roots in an extraordinary press conference where he also announced the union would pull all financial support in a major re-election blow to the Palaszczuk Government.
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The CFMEU will pull financial support and won’t campaign for Labor during the upcoming election, in what’s set to be a major blow to the Palaszczuk Government’s chances of re-election.
During an extraordinary press conference, union boss Michael Ravbar blasted Labor, claiming they’d been walking away from its working class roots.
Mr Ravbar, who rarely speaks publicly, conceded pulling support would hamper the party’s chances of re-election but said “so be it”.
‘Creche for party hacks’: CFMEU quits Labor Left
“We’ve made it clear, there will be no finances, there’ll be no resources, there’ll be no people on the ground,” he said.
“At the end of the day, they rely on organisations such as us for our support, whatever it might be, financially or on the ground, so yes it will hurt.”
And while he doesn’t want the LNP to win, Mr Ravbar didn’t rule out campaigning for minority parties, including the Katter’s Australian Party, which the CFMMEU has donated money to in the past.
Mr Ravbar said the union - across local, state and federal - donated millions of dollars to the Labor Party.
He said Left members in the party were focused on getting themselves re-elected, and claimed it was “all about trying to promote and keep Jackie Trad alive”.
“To me she’s on life support, to me she’s a political liability,” he said.
He also took aim at the Government’s handling of the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming there was a lot of “spin” and “bright ads” on tv.
“At the end of the day, we’re not convinced about her (Premier) plan, her vision and her leadership in regards for jobs, jobs security, stimulating the economy,” he said.
The union boss said he hoped MPs in the Left took notice, when asked whether the union would be pressuring Bancroft MP Chris Whiting to also quit.
He also claimed Labor was making the same mistakes which led to Federal Labor’s annihilation at the 2019 Election across regional Queensland.
“It’s not just about the CFMEU ... we’d love to see them get re-elected, but when you go off track and you’re not actually looking after the interests of all and when you’re a bit anti-coal, I would have thought that the Labor Government would have learnt from the last Federal Election last year,” he said.
“It seems to be that they’re actually making the same mistakes that they did.”
Slamming the Government’s handling of Cross River Rail and the New Acland coal mine, Mr Ravbar said he wanted to see prescribed clauses that would ensure local jobs.
He also wants requirements put in place to guarantee more apprenticeships, traineeships and indigenous employment.
“At the moment they’re just giving the projects out to the corporate sector,” he said.
He said he was also disappointed in union boss and factional heavyweight Gary Bullock, claiming, “He hasn’t been listening to some of our concerns.”
He also took aim at Labor’s State Secretary Julie-Ann Campbell, saying there was an “inward looking” within the Left.
He can’t see the union rejoining the Left in the short term.