Federal election 2016: Opinion - Bill Shorten should think twice before messing with the MUA
A UNION member has been dumped as a Labor candidate in the west - and Bill Shorten may yet regret it.
Analysis
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THE Maritime Union of Australia is, by its own admission, no Salvation Army choir.
They fight hard, win more often than not and take full credit for the victories.
On the big offshore rigs on and around the North West Shelf off the Kimberley Coast, the MUA won union movement respect for getting what was an effective “appearance” allowance, giving their members a shift bonus for just showing up, on top of the variety of other bonuses like “dirty work” and “outside duties” (on an outside, dirty gas rig).
The message here is people should think twice before messing with the MUA, especially those who want to sing in choirs.
This week a MUA member, Chris Brown, was dumped as the endorsed Labor candidate for the WA seat of Fremantle because he’d failed to disclose a 30 year-old conviction for assaulting a police officer – an incident which occurred in a fit of exuberance in his late teens.
Brown wanted to use his circumstances – he had turned his life around and had the conviction “spent” by a court five years ago – as an example to young people who got into trouble.
Bill Shorten, who said in his book of speeches and ruminations For the Common Good he wanted to govern like a trade unionist, used Brown’s situation to take a trade unionist out and cut him down politically.
Brown has been replaced by Fremantle deputy mayor Josh Wilson to contest a seat which has become increasingly “inner suburban Greens” territory in recent years.
The last two Labor members – Carmen Lawrence and Melissa Parke – were staunch left wingers and the Greens polled a hefty 18 per cent just six years ago.
If the MUA decides to sit on their hands on July 2, Labor could be left looking for people to hand out election material on polling day.
One local union source said about two thirds of the “foot soldiers” manning the booths were MUA members and they might find something better to do.
Today was Bill Shorten’s 49th birthday and his wife Chloe sent out a message asking Labor supporters to send him many happy returns.
He’s not likely to get any from the MUA in Perth.
Originally published as Federal election 2016: Opinion - Bill Shorten should think twice before messing with the MUA
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