$1m threat: ETU backs Setka, threatens to withdraw $1m ALP support

As Albo says John Setka is bad for the ALP the ETU has joined the union boss in a threat to stop donations.

ETU Victorian secretary Troy Gray blasted Mr Albanese’s handling of the issue and accused him of acting for political gain. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

Labor leader Anthony Albanese says his decision to have John Setka expelled from the ALP was based on ‘his long history of bringing the Labor Party into disrepute”.

Asked by ABC television if he was worried about the ALP losing donations from the Victorian CFMEU, Mr Albanese said: “No, I’m worried about just doing the right thing, as simple as that. The decision which individual unions make is one for them — whether they want to support Labor being in government or not.”

It came as the Electrical Trades Union backed Mr Setka, echoing his threats to halt all donations to the Opposition from his rogue branch of the construction union with a $1 million threat of their own.

As Mr Setka’s left-wing union allies amounted a rearguard action today, ETU Victorian secretary Troy Gray blasted Mr Albanese’s handling of the issue and accused him of acting for political gain.

But Mr Albanese told ABC’s Patricia Karvelas that any time Mr Setka has got “has publicity, it has not been such that it’s brought credit on either the trade union movement or on him as a member of the Australian Labor Party”.

Responding to Mr Setka’s promise to legally challenge any expulsion, he said “political parties have a right to determine who’s a member of them or not, and it’s not unusual for people to be excluded from political parties”.

He said Mr Setka had indicated he would plead guilty to “quite serious charges” at a court hearing on June 26 and the proceedings would occur before the ALP national executive met to consider expelling him from the ALP.

Asked why he didn’t speak directly to Mr Setka about his alleged comments about Ms Batty, he said he did not know him and had spoken to other people at the national executive where the comments were made. Mr Albanese said Mr Setka had acknowledged he had mentioned Rosie Batty and the family violence royal commission in the context of his court case relating to harassment charges.

Mr Albanese said it was not just about the comments relating to Ms Batty but the fact that neither he nor the union movement could get “clean air” over several days because of the focus on Mr Setka.

‘Construction unions easy marks” ETU

As the ETU made its $1 million threat, told The Australian: “we are getting a bit sick of Opposition Labor leaders getting into power and within weeks having a crack at the construction unions because we are easy marks because we look big, bad and rough”.

“It happened under Kevin Rudd. It happened under Julia Gillard. I am not saying that John is without fault but we are getting tired of this sport of kicking the construction unions to strengthen their profile.”

He said Mr Albanese should have spoken to directly to Mr Setka about his reported comments about Rosie Batty.

Mr Setka had blamed his enemies for misrepresenting his comments and ACTU secretary Sally McManus has said she accepts he did not denigrate Ms Batty.

Mr Gray called on Mr Albanese him to name the people he had consulted at the meeting, saying he himself had spoken to half those present including national leaders, and all denied Mr Setka attacked Ms Batty.

He said the alleged comments about Ms Batty and text messages in relation to court proceedings had been leaked by Mr Setka’s enemies to damage him.

“It’s nothing more than political stitch up,’’ Mr Gray said. “The fire gets ignited. It’s got nothing to do with domestic violence. It’s about getting John Setka.

“If the ALP leadership want to head in that direction, then many of our members and our (state) councillors would question the relationship.

“That debate needs to take place but it’s fair to say the question has been asked about the relationship moving forward with the ALP.”

He said the state Victorian branch, which only re-affiliated to the ALP a few years ago, gave $1 million to Labor for the recent Victorian and federal election campaign.

“It’s not just financial. We mobilised tens of thousands of people at the last state and federal election. We put hundreds of people at polling booths and our social media campaigns got out to tens of thousands of people,’’ he said.

‘I’ve more chance of being next Pope than Setka has of resigning’

Ms McManus has called on Mr Setka to resign and received the backing of 12 unions.

But while Mr Gray said he was a great supporter of Ms McManus “I think she could quite possibly have put herself in a position where she cannot move”.

“Sally, like myself, and like every other union secretary, are all employed under the same rules of the game,’’ he said. “That is, the members put us in, the members vote you out.’

“I have more chance of being the next Pope than John Setka has of resigning. He has the overwhelming support of his executive, his delegates and his membership. I think Sally, if she had her time again, could have chosen her words differently.”

He said the unions calling for Mr Setka’s sacking were largely from the ALP Right.

“If we are going to be a union movement that eats our own every time we come under pressure, then what sort of a movement are we going to be?

“If we lose the likes of the John Setkas and the Christy Cains, we will become a movement of office bound suit wearing union officials that specialise in f***ing paper macramé and that will be it.”