Muted response to union allegiance
PICTURE this: a large corporation pours resources into seven candidates for the LNP.
After the election, the corporation’s chief executive refers to them as “our MPs” and calls on them to live up to their commitments to the company.
If this occurred, there would rightly be calls for the new MPs to disassociate themselves from the company and reaffirm their commitment to their electorates and their party.
This is exactly what Left- wing union United Voice did when its state secretary Gary Bullock referred to seven Labor MPs – including Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper and Mundingburra MP Coralee O’Rourke – as “United Voice MPs”.
To be clear, unions such as United Voice play a vital role in standing up for workers in our society. But they are an interest group like any other, and they should not be so close to the levers of power.
Moreover, there is nothing overly controversial in United Voice’s policy platform and it doesn’t differ markedly from Labor’s own election promises.
But when an organisation claims a Member of Parliament as one of its own, I believe it is incumbent on that MP to distance themselves from that organisation in the strongest manner possible.
Instead, this week the Bulletin received rather anodyne responses from both Mr Harper and Ms O’Rourke in relation to Mr Bullock’s remarks, with Ms O’Rourke declining to say how much support she received from the union during the election campaign.
Mr Harper and Ms O’Rourke need to be more transparent with their electorates and face the facts:
Fact 1: Thanks to a factional deal set up by United Voice, Labor’s Right did not run a candidate against either of them in preselections for their seats.
Fact 2: A United Voice organiser was flown up from Brisbane to assist with their campaigns.
Fact 3: United Voice state secretary Gary Bullock was chief negotiator for Labor’s Left faction when the new government was choosing its ministry, which ended up including Ms O’Rourke.
Fact 4: United Voice hand- picked many ministerial staff, including for Ms O’Rourke.
Fact 5: United Voice is now helping with Cathy O’Toole’s campaign for the Herbert preselection, including sending one of its organisers from Brisbane and telling local members to vote for Ms O’Toole.