
Issue No 52		05 May 2000

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

Tool Shed

A Born-Again Nutter

We love 'brave' politicians at Workers Online, but to bag mateship on ANZAC Day - as Liberal backbencher Ross Cameron did - is the work of a genuine Tool.

Cameron is the accident-prone member for Parramatta, a born-again believer whose tenuous hold on his marginal gets weaker each time he opens his mouth.

Last week he let out a howler with his contention that the ANZAC tradition had become "obsessive" and "in terms of economics the egalitarian tradition has been excessive".

The problem? It encourages the idea that "every man is entitled to the same wage regardless of the productivity of his endeavours."

These words of wisdom come from the same man who contented that the people of rural Australia should stop their whinging and move to the city.

Those comments moved colleague to Winston crane to observe: "It's the sort of stuff that only comes from bigotry or a twisted mind.''

But this rugged individualistic streak has not stopped Roscoe using his position on the public purse to get himself into more tangles than Spiderman.

Here's some more highlights from his CV

� In 1996 as new member of Parliament, as the House of reps debated gun laws, Roscoe hit a hole in one of Hamilton Island - the photo is mounted in the clubhouse.

� During the 1998 election campaign when PM Howard visited his electorate, he was looking around for the local member. Where's Roscoe? In Fiji at the time on a Chrsitian conference and hadn't told the boss.

� Then there's the weekly bible study groups which Roscoe convenes with the help of his brother, Jock, who is known to lead the pollies in prayer. Where these good Christian folk were during the recent debates on mandatory sentencing and reconciliation is one of the more intriguing mysteries they have yet to explore.

� And there's the aspiring Young Liberal leader who uses Roscoe's electoral office as a base to plan his takeover for the Hard Right.

With those credentials we reckon Camo should get used to his new surroundings - he might become a regular visitor.

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Issue 52 contents

Interview: War Stories from the Shakey Isles
After being flat-earthed, New Zealand unions are making a comeback under a new progressive government. Darien Fenton is at the forefront of the resurgence.

Unions: Laying It On the Line
A complex international legal web underpins a long-running South Coast picket.

International: Alive and Kicking
Those representing right wing political forces and strategists for multi-national corporations would be disappointed by the success of the recently concluded Congress of the WFTU in Delhi.

Economics: Fair Trade not Free Trade
The successful MAI and Seattle campaigns have sparked a new debate about the role of the World Trade Organization.

History: The Manchester Movement
Manchester, in Asa Briggs memorable phrase, was the shock city of the early nineteenth century, a small and obscure market town that in a matter of a few years had become a huge city.

Satire: Passing the Buck
Government report tells bosses how to lie and pass the buck: Reith blames Kemp

Review: A Book to Set the Left Right
The Australian Finacial Review's Stephen Long gives his verdict on 'Tales from the new Shop Floor'.

» Conference Showdown Looms Over Stellar

» Olympics Pay Fight Hots Up

» Victims Compo Win for Workers

» Living Wage to Flow Through Fast

» Women Part-Timers Fight ANZ

» Clemo Fights for Wage Justice

» Community Workers Vote to Strike

» New Report: TV Casting Discriminatory

» Call for ACCC Prosecutions Over Japan Coal

» Sydney Support for Korean Workers and Arrested Officials

» Maternity Protection Goes Global

» Ten Years Hard Labor for Shaw

» Sydney CD's Head For Dili

» May One - Ground Zero

» The Soapbox

» The Locker Room

» Trades Hall

» Tool Shed

» Negotiation - Reith Style

» Propaganda or News?

» A Recipe for Modern Unionism

» Disappointed by May Day Coverage

» Politics in the Pub

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