Issue No 76 | 03 November 2000 | |
NewsSay Sorry, MinistersBy Andrew Casey
Senior Howard Cabinet Ministers want to blame hotel workers and cleaners - members of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union - for their own political woes.
" First we had Peter Reith making unsubstantiated allegations that a Hotel receptionist had 'stolen' his Telecard pin number and caused his political and financial woes," Tim Ferrari, the Assistant National Secretary of the LHMU, said today. " Now another Victorian Cabinet Minister - Senator Alston - has hinted that Government office cleaners might have something to do with the nearly $5 million loss of Commonwealth laptop computers. " It really was a silly throwaway line by Senator Alston in Senate question time on Thursday that: ' the cleaners might have had a few spare minutes'. " Hard-working cleaners, contracted to work in Government office buildings, don't have ' a few spare minutes' Senator Alston. They don't have the time to also do your job of finding the missing laptops," Mr Ferrari said. " Senator Alston's comments, and before him Peter Reith's comments, fit into a pattern from Howard Government Ministers; blame the workers. " Alston and Reith should learn: ' if you take care of the pennies the pounds will take care of themselves'," Tim Ferrari said. " That way taxpayers money won't continue to get lost, via missing Telecards, or missing laptop computers. " Cleaners and hotel receptionists have reputations for honesty and decency - unlike some Howard Cabinet Ministers, who are very well-paid, but have an off-handed approach to the misuse of public monies. " Early on during Mr Reith's self-created Telecard fiasco we asked him to say SORRY, for the insult to hotel receptionists. " I guess if Peter Reith can't say SORRY it is too much to expect Senator Alston to say SORRY for his ill-thought out aside about cleaners," Tim Ferrari said.
|
Interview: Withering On The Vine Cooking shows and 'Bugs fucking to Mozart' may become the staple diet on our ABC as news and current affairs face a war of attrition. Quentin Dempster gives Workers Online an insider's view of our endangered national broadcaster . US Election: Sugar Candy Politics Like in everything else, Americans like their politics sugar coated. A Nation in denial, they are happier maintaining the fantasy that the world is a fine and dandy place says Michael Gadiel. US Election: George W. Bushwhacked by Texas Truth Squad The Texas Truth Squad are a group of Texan union members travelling the US on a crusade to expose the Republican presidential nominee as a corporate rogue who in his time as Governer proved himself as an enemy of the worker. History: Federation and the Labour Movement National celebrations will mark the Centenary of Federation next year. The labour movement's opposition to Federation at the referenda held around the Australian colonies in 1899 will attract less commemoration, although the republicans of 1999 might have benefited from reflection on the causes of working class discontent one hundred years earlier says Stuart Macintyre. International: Unions Mac Their Day McDonald's - the biggest employer of young people around the world - is increasingly becoming the target of union recognition campaigns, backed by human rights groups concerned about the fast food chains practices in countries such as Indonesia, China, Russia, Canada and Germany. Satire: Wiranto�s charity album inspires genocidal maniacs everywhere Indonesia�s favourite former strongman, General Wiranto, has recently decided to record an album of love songs. Entitled To You My Indonesia, Wiranto�s album has already sold 8,000 copies and is raising money for refugees. Review: What About the Workers? A big, gruff bloke in a blue singlet, on strike or just not working, and generally being difficult. That's the trade unionist for you. Barry Cohen's new book What About the Workers? shows this image may have a bit of truth about it, but he would be telling a few good yarns while he was standing about.
Notice Board View entire latest issue
|
© 1999-2000 Labor Council of NSW LaborNET is a resource for the labour movement provided by the Labor Council of NSW URL: http://workers.labor.net.au/76/news7_sorry.htmlLast Modified: 15 Nov 2005 [ Privacy Statement | Disclaimer | Credits ] LaborNET is proudly created, designed and programmed by Social Change Online for the Labor Council of NSW |