Malcolm Turnbull to wedge Bill Shorten over Victoria’s firefighter union dispute
OPINION: By rights, it’s an issue that should be seen as nothing more than a state dispute. But Malcolm Turnbull has jumped on it with glee, and Bill Shorten is about to feel the pain.
Analysis
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WHEN Labor Parties are caught in the trade union spotlights as election campaigns swirl in nasty and unforgiving ways, the options are few.
From the almost impossible — condemn and disown the union, which usually has a financial, factional and symbiotic relationship to Labor — to the “not my problems dude, check out the Fair Work Commission”, these reactions are thin and uneasily soluble.
The other reactions are to go on the attack and blame your political enemies for running some kind of agenda to wedge you into attacking your allies.
History tells us this is the most successful stratagem to deploy.
The one tactic favoured by old union hands such as Bill Shorten is to cut a deal.
The dispute we’re talking about here is the blue between the Country Firefighters Service in Victoria and the United Firefighters Unions.
By any measure this is a state dispute. Both the employers — or more correctly the volunteer service — is a proud and effective outfit that drops everything when blazes erupt and literally put their lives on the line.
The UFU, led by firefighter union boss Peter Marshall, appears to hold sway over Victorian
Premier and Left Wing factional titular head Daniel Andrews.
Just what that connection is goes unanswered but Victorians are left wondering, especially in a state where union leaders appear to have privileges not afforded to workers and bosses.
Malcolm Turnbull who has been desperate to nationalise a union fight involving a political leader close to Bill Shorten has jumped on this with glee.
He plans legislation giving emergency services personnel federal protection.
Look out Shorten, you’re about to get wedged in a very unpleasant way.
Originally published as Malcolm Turnbull to wedge Bill Shorten over Victoria’s firefighter union dispute
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