Gladstone Ports engineer suspended for talking to Shorten

Bill Shorten says people should be able to speak freely after worker reportedly had pass suspended.

The Gladstone Ports worker talks to Bill Shorten about tax cuts. Picture: Kym Smith.

Bill Shorten has warned people should be allowed to express their opinions in work sites after a Gladstone Ports subcontractor he met on the campaign hustings reportedly had his pass suspended and desk packed up.

The Opposition Leader, who was questioned by the worker about whether he would give high-income earners at the port a tax cut, said he was unaware of the issue until last night.

“I’ve been around work sites for 30 years, as a politician I’ve been visiting work sites for the last dozen. People are allowed to express their opinions and they should be allowed to do so without fear or favour,” Mr Shorten said.

Mr Shorten was questioned after The Courier-Mail reported today the 49-year-old experienced electrical engineer had been suspended the day after he was filmed questioning the Opposition Leader as he campaigned at the ­Queensland government-owned Gladstone Ports on April 23.

He had his pass suspended and, last week, his desk was packed up and its contents ­delivered to his house, reportedly for speaking to the media.

Gladstone Ports said yesterday it was not responsible for suspending the worker, who was a sub-contractor.

The GPC had told The Courier-Mail: “The individual, a subcontractor not a Gladstone Ports Corporation employee, was not in a position to speak with any knowledge or authority on behalf of the organisation.”

GLADSTONE PORTS STATEMENT: Mobile users, click here to read the PDF.

However the GPC said today it did not suspend the worker.

“The port worker, a subcontractor, is still employed by the contractor and carrying out work for their employer,” it said.

“The worker is a subcontractor, and as such GPC cannot comment on any decisions made by their employers.”

It said it did not instruct any GPC employees or subcontractors to attend Mr Shorten’s visit.

Bill Shorten talking to workers at GPC at Gladstone Port. Picture: Kym Smith.

The father of three, who earned about $250,000 last financial year, had forgotten his lunch the day of Mr Shorten’s visit and became caught up in the media scrum ­during a free barbecue.

“It would be good to see higher-wage earners given a tax break,’’ the engineer told the Labor leader.

Mr Shorten replied, “We’re going to look at that”, sparking a political bunfight, with the ­Coal­it­ion accusing the Opposition Lead­er of deliberately misleading the man, given that Labor is targeting higher-income earners.

The @couriermail is reporting that the worker who put @billshortenmp on the spot over high income earners has been suspended. @CampbellNewman: This bloke was fired because he spoke to the media. He needs to be reinstated.

MORE: https://t.co/bZO9mASfZp #Frontpage pic.twitter.com/cCtfmLcyR5

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 12, 2019

The Gladstone resident said he was unwilling to comment over fears about finding­ full-time work.

After The Courier-Mail began asking questions about the issue last Friday, it is understood the man was contacted by electrical contracting firm Welcon Technol­ogies informing him his suspension had been lifted. However, he had already taken on a short-term job elsewhere. Welcon failed to ­return calls yesterday.

There’s no suggestion that Mr Shorten had anything to do with the suspension. His office would also not comment yesterday.

Gladstone Ports Corporation has not explained why the worker’s pass stopped working on April 24 or why his desk had been packed up.