Queensland state election: CFMEU quits Labor left faction, calling Jackie Trad a dud

The CFMEU will consider election campaigning against Qld Labor saying it has walked ‘away from its working class roots’.

Former Qld Treasurer Jackie Trad. Picture: David Kapernick

One of Queensland’s biggest blue-collar unions has yanked its financial backing from Labor two months from the state election, accusing the Palaszczuk government of abandoning the working class and protecting “dud” former deputy premier Jackie Trad.

The CFMEU’s construction and mining divisions on Wednesday spectacularly quit Queensland ALP’s dominant left faction, alleging it was a “protection racket” for Ms Trad and pandered to “inner city elites”.

Construction division secretary Michael Ravbar – a member of the federal ALP’s national executive – warned the union was weighing up actively campaigning against the government and backing minority parties ahead of the October 31 poll.

“The Labor government has been walking away from its working class roots, ignoring the issues that affect the mining industry …(and) construction workers and their families,” Mr Ravbar said.

“We’re concerned the Labor party is focused on the inner-city elite, and not actually governing for all of Queensland … we’re not going to be a part of it.”

The CFMEU will withdraw all financial support, resources and on-the-ground volunteers from the Labor campaign, a move that was described as “not ideal” by senior party ranks.

Mr Ravbar’s disaffection has been brewing for months, stoked by an industrial dispute with the government’s lead contractor, CPB, on the $5.4bn Cross River Rail project. The CFMEU has run public campaigns against Ms Trad, when she was minister in charge of the CRR, and is continuing to criticise her successor Kate Jones.

Mining division state president Stephen Smyth told The Australian the CFMEU’s defection would allow it to influence party policy more effectively, and weaken the left’s influence.

Mr Smyth said working class people and families in the regions felt abandoned.

“The left has forgotten blue collar workers in the regions. It has been infiltrated by minority groups, like LEAN (the Labor Environment Action Network) and we have to fight to justify our industry’s existence. This government has been dominated by left faction people who can stop or stall projects in regional Queensland.”

Mr Smyth called for the New Acland mine expansion to be approved by the government, but Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she is waiting for a legal battle over the project to be resolved before the government acts.

Federal Labor Opposition frontbencher Joel Fitzgibbon last week said it was possible the party would split into two if it could not reconcile its working class regional base with its socially progressive supporters. Mr Ravar on Wednesday said a split “could” happen.

Mr Fitzgibbon said on Wednesday: “I’m pleased our trade union leaders are now saying publicly what they’ve been saying privately for some time”.

Ms Palaszczuk declined to comment on Mr Ravbar’s spray, but said the union played a vital role and stood up for workers. Deputy Premier Steven Miles – a senior left faction member – said he would expect the union to “continue to campaign with us” at the election “because they know it’s the Labor party who works with them to support jobs and their industry just as we have demonstrated”.

It is unclear exactly what impact the CFMEU’s defection from the left – but decision to remain affiliated with the QLD ALP – will have on the faction’s dominance in the party.

The union has one Labor MP in parliament: Chris Whiting, in the seat of Bancroft, north of Brisbane. Mr Whiting said he would remain in the CFMEU and in the left, despite the union’s revolt.

However, factional sources said the CFMEU’s defection could weaken the left’s hold on crucial branch delegate elections early next year. That would dilute the left’s influence on the floor of the state Labor conference – cancelled this year due to COVID-19 – the key decision-making forum for party policy.

The latest official figures show the CFMEU has 20,662 members in the state.