Calling out bully tactics of unions
I WAS very interested to hear the Member for Townsville Scott Stewart recently vow in the Queensland Parliament to “stand by my unions … which continue to support me in doing my job”.
Somewhat ironically he made these comments the same day he lobbied the Townsville community to “take a united stance against bullying”.
I would ask the Member for Townsville if his leadership on bullying extends to his support of the unions and the tactics used by some of its members during the 2017 state election?
I was targeted by union thugs who approached me in the street yelling obscenities to intimidate me. They were joined by dozens of others who trolled my social media accounts because I came out against allegations that a CFMEU member had threatened to rape the children of a nonunion worker at the Oaky North coal mine.
Then there was the union employee who targeted my signage by illegally trespassing, despite me asking him respectfully many times to opt out of such underhand tactics.
Perhaps not surprisingly, this is the same union employee who told me and several other volunteers that he’d “only just begun the fun with me”.
My tyres were nailed the next day and obscenities written over my car in permanent marker a few weeks after that. And while I remain hopeful that neither of those attacks was politically motivated, it is difficult to know where those who are comfortable acting unlawfully draw the line.
As a former journalist, I have no issue with law- abiding unions and have written many stories over the decades on their particular causes.
I do, however, take issue with those who use threats, intimidation or bullying to stifle freedom of speech or a political opinion which differs to theirs. There is just no excuse for it. I’d ask the Member for Townsville to walk his own talk and join me in condemning such behaviour in the future.
CASIE SCOTT, Former LNP candidate
for Townsville.