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  Issue No 104 Official Organ of LaborNet 27 July 2001  

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News

Labor Vows to Widen Royal Commission


A Beazley Government would widen the terms of reference of the Cole Royal Commission into the building industry to cover involvement of the Howard Government in the 1997 War on the Wharves.

With unanswered allegations of government involvement in a conspiracy to sack members of the Maritime Union of Australia, Labor's IR spokesman Arch Bevis says a genuine inquiry would go beyond allegations of corruption in the building industry.

Bevis says the commission - the first to be held since the days of the Fraser Government - should be a comprehensive review of intimidation in the workplace.

While the terms of Reference have yet to be finalised, Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott has signalled they will be confined to the construction industry - but take in allegations of corruption as well as the operation of industry superannuation.

"It is clear that the terms of reference have been deliberately tailored so that the Government can continue the obsession with the construction unions it has had since it was elected," Bevis says.

"If the government is concerned about the 'culture of intimidation' in the workplace the terms of reference must be able to deal with allegations such as those of coercion and intimidation by the Howard Government and its friends during the Patrick's waterfront dispute.

"It should also thoroughly investigate allegations of professional thugs being used against union members at the G&K O'Connor meatworks in Pakenham in Victoria.

History Suggests Roller-Coaster

Retired Judge Terry Cole's inquiry could end up finding more crooked behaviour amongst employers than trade unions if history is any gauge, NSW Labor Council secretary John Robertson has cautioned.

Robertson says the two previous Royal Commissions designed to uncover trade union corruption had failed to lead to any convictions of trade union officials.

"The Costigan Royal Commission exposed the bottom of the harbour tax schemes, while the Gyles Royal Commission in NSW found collusive tendering amongst building companies," Robertson says.

The Labor Council and its affiliates have vowed to stand beside the CFMEU as through the Royal Commission.


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*    Visit the CFMEU

*   View entire issue - print all of the articles!

*   Issue 104 contents

In this issue
Features
*  Interview: A Super Agenda
Labor's federal spokesman on superannuation Kelvin Thompson outlines the challenges a Beazley Government will face in managing the nation's savings.
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*  E-Change: 1.4 The Shifting Sands of Ideology
Peter Lewis and Michael Gadiel conclude the first part of their study of new politics by looking for core Labor values in a post-Cold War environment.
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*  Corporate: Locking Horns
The same names keep cropping up in the business pages as the web of corporate control stays tied to a few big players. Georgina Murray has been looking at the extent and depth of the connections.
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*  Unions: The Workers Bank
With banks on the nose, David Whiteley looks at how unions and super funds have got together to create the real deal � the workers bank.
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*  International: Phil Davey's Amazon Postcard
The CFMEU's Boy Wonder has downed the megaphone for three months in South America. Here's what he's been up to.
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*  History: Faded Vision of The American Bounder
King O'Malley was an American ex-pat who dreamed of a people's bank. Neale Towart looks at what happened to his vision.
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*  Activists: The Big Gee-Up
With the big guns of the anti-corporate movement in town, Mark Hebblewhite goes looking for a definition of globalisation.
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*  Indonesia: Where to the Workers After Gus Dur?
At the end of a turbulent week, Jasper Goss looks at the impact of the overthrow of Wahid on Indonesian workers.
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*  Review: Mixing Pop and Politics
'The Bank' is a new Australian film that takes a contemporary political issue and transforms it into a piece of compelling popular culture.
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*  Satire: Milosevic's Defence: "I Was Just Issuing Orders"
Disgraced former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic has brushed off against charges for war crimes against humanity and mass genocide.
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News
»  Community Banks Are No Collectivists
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»  Labor Vows to Widen Royal Commission
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»  WorkCover Finally Fesses Up � Premiums the Problem
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»  Unions Launch 56 Hour Watch
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»  Call Centre Campaign Bares First Fruit
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»  Justice at Last for One.Tel Workers
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»  Entitlements Push Gathers Momentum
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»  Employer Dirty on Leave Win
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»  Rights Put In Too Hard Basket
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»  AMA Move on Doctors� Hours Welcome
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»  Aussie Post Workers Rally
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»  Strike by Airport Guards Lawful
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»  Workers Rejects Brough Deal
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»  Unions Will March at CHOGM
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»  Average Response to Robberies
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»  Coca-Cola Sued for Using Paramilitary Force
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»  Activists Notebook
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Columns
»  The Soapbox
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»  The Locker Room
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»  Trades Hall
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»  Tool Shed
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Letters to the editor
»  Botsman Bites Back
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»  How to Bash the Bank
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»  Dreams Do Come True
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»  Howard's Job Creation Policy
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