October 28, 2004

GOAT SCAPED

He's already alienated the CFMEU, and now Latham is enraging the AMWU:

One of Australia's largest unions has accused Mark Latham of a "cowardly scapegoating exercise", as the Opposition prepares to consult business about how it should rewrite its industrial relations policy.

The left-wing Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, which has 150,000 members, wrote to Labor leader Mr Latham yesterday saying it was concerned about the plan to begin talks with business about changes to the policy.

"That the party has identified industrial relations as a key weakness, and a reason it lost the election, is, to say the very least, astounding," the union's national secretary, Doug Cameron, said in the letter.

I love that "one of Australia's largest unions" has only 150,000 members. Latham shouldn’t be too worried about this; unlike the forestry union folks, there's no broad sympathy for Cameron and his mates. It might be a clever move for Latham to indicate his support for Cameron's anti-globalism by demanding that Cameron be returned to Scotland.

Posted by Tim Blair at October 28, 2004 04:56 AM
Comments

why are there so many scotish trade unionists in oz, were they all kicked out by maggie and transported to the colonies??

Posted by: vinnyboombutts at October 28, 2004 at 09:58 AM

why are there so many scotish trade unionists in oz, were they all kicked out by maggie and transported to the colonies??

Quite so - they relocated to a more union-friendly environment.

I hear that for many of these dinosaurs, Quebec is the next most favoured potential destination after the result of the Australian election! :-)

JPB

Posted by: JPB at October 28, 2004 at 10:38 AM

At the very least we have the right to demand he undertake a remedial English course.

Australians wanting to work in the UK have to pass the IELTS examination, irregardless of being native speakers. Shouldn't the same apply (with more justification in the case of Scottish migrants)to UK citizens migrating to Oz?

Posted by: mr magoo at October 28, 2004 at 10:38 AM

An interesting piece...... it is going to be really interesting to see how the Left in the ALP frames its position in its war with Latham et al.

Posted by: Shaun Bourke at October 28, 2004 at 10:49 AM

mr magoo,

I propose a simple test whereby UK citizens wishing to emigrate to Australia are asked whether 'irregardless' is a real word.

Posted by: AJN at October 28, 2004 at 12:12 PM

Most of these union guys have names like 'Mick' or 'Norm' and either north England/Ireland accents.

Had a visit once from some goons on a site, looked as if they had slept under a bridge so tossed them out. Next day the state organiser turns up, says I had 2 options, the 'easy' way or the 'hard' way. I gave him 2 options, clear off or I'll call the police as he was trespassing and he went quick smart, never to be heard of again.

Posted by: rog at October 28, 2004 at 02:39 PM

Why are there so many scots etc union activists?
Because aussies are as weak as piss!
If it wasn't for UK and kiwi muscle we would all be working in shit conditions for starvation wages.

Posted by: marklatham at October 28, 2004 at 11:12 PM

well no doubt latham of course is even more dependent on the left than ever since it is even more dominant in the party

michael

Posted by: michael c at October 28, 2004 at 11:28 PM

The ALP/union implosion is underway.

Some of the comments from both the MSM and Internet commenters are beyond parody.
I am gleefully filing away a heap of the petulant diatribes in preparation for the next election.

Gloating is a wonderful thing, revenge is sweet, and schadenfreude, a word I only recently discovered, is bliss.
I should get a life, but I can't help myself.

Posted by: Pedro the Ignorant at October 29, 2004 at 12:32 AM

Hey 'mark latham', now that the election is over, why not just post as 'loser'?

It would save typing and really suits your comments.

Just a suggestion.

Posted by: Iron John Howard at October 29, 2004 at 01:22 AM

I think Latham will have to change his name, take out the 'ham' and you are left with a 'latte'.

He needs something symbolic, like 'Rock' or 'Steele' or 'Bolt'

Too late, already taken.

Posted by: rog at October 29, 2004 at 07:39 AM

How about "The Reincarnation of Doc Evatt/Arthur Calwell".

Posted by: Quentin George at October 29, 2004 at 05:22 PM