Brendan O’Connor hits out at Ewen Jones’ ‘pathetic’ tears for sacked workers

Labor’s Brendan O’Connor has attacked Townsville-based Ewen Jones, who wept on TV over sacked refinery workers.

Labor’s Brendan O’Connor has attacked Townsville-based MP Ewen Jones as “pathetic” after the Liberal politician wept on live television over the plight of sacked Queensland Nickel workers.

Mr Jones, whose marginal electorate of Herbert faces the brunt of job losses at the refinery, struggled to maintain composure as Employment Minister Michaelia Cash today announced the government would cover unpaid entitlements and seek a special-purpose liquidator to recover the company’s outstanding debts.

Choking back tears, Mr Jones told his home town media: “This is a tough day in Townsville because this says this is the end of the line for a lot of these people.

“Every director of Queensland Nickel has been part of this. It’s not just Clive Palmer. Our city is better than Clive Palmer, it’s bigger than Clive Palmer and we’ll get over it.”

Labor’s employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor trained his attack on Mr Jones, accusing him of trying to “rip off” refinery workers by supporting an Abbott-era bill to pare back the taxpayer-funded safety net for the sacked workers.

“I have to say it was quite pathetic to see the Member for Herbert, Ewen Jones, cry crocodile tears today because Ewen Jones, along with Malcolm Turnbull and Senator Cash, voted to cut the Fair Entitlements Guarantee down to 16 weeks … so they were seeking to rip off QNI workers,” he said in Melbourne.

“Ewen Jones hasn’t been speaking to these workers. Instead, he voted to cut their entitlements under law … I think he has concern for one job, and that’s his own job.”

Malcolm Turnbull defended Mr Jones as having advocated “valiantly” for his constituents.

“Brendan O’Connor’s comments are very unworthy and show that frankly he lacks the heart and lacks the compassion that all of us should have for people who have lost their jobs like this,” the Prime Minister said in Beijing.

“All of our hearts go out to the workers in Townsville. Ewen has wept for them today, but he’s worked hard for them.”

Sorry for getting teary. It is really the end of the line for a lot of people. The FEG is good for the people but bad for Townsville city

— Ewen Jones MP (@EwenJonesMP) April 15, 2016

Senator Cash, consoling Mr Jones, told reporters in Townsville: “Ladies and gentlemen, I think you can see that Ewen Jones is a real man of the people.”

The Employment Minister stressed the government was not pursuing Mr Palmer as a political opponent.

“We’re not pursuing a parliamentarian. We are pursuing the management of Queensland Nickel. They are fundamentally different. They just happen to be the same person,” she said.

“We should all be very clear on where responsibility lies for this mess. It lies fairly and squarely with Clive Palmer.

“If money has been improperly taken out of the company, then it will be pursued. If individuals have broken the law, then they will be pursued.

“It is unconscionable that anybody would rip money out of a company to avoid paying employee entitlements. It is equally unconscionable that the Australian taxpayer is then left to foot the bill.”