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Bill Shorten attacked from both sides over deals done while union secretary Bill Shorten attacked from both sides over deals done while union secretary
(about 3 hours later)
Both Liberal and Labor party figures are calling on opposition leader Bill Shorten to answer questions about deals done during his time at the head of the Victorian arm of the Australian Workers Union.Both Liberal and Labor party figures are calling on opposition leader Bill Shorten to answer questions about deals done during his time at the head of the Victorian arm of the Australian Workers Union.
The acting employment minister, Christopher Pyne, says Shorten needs to refute claims of a 2005 deal in which a Melbourne building firm, Winslow Constructors, paid the AWU nearly $40,000 for 105 memberships, while a former NSW Labor minister, Michael Costa, says Shorten has questions to answer.The acting employment minister, Christopher Pyne, says Shorten needs to refute claims of a 2005 deal in which a Melbourne building firm, Winslow Constructors, paid the AWU nearly $40,000 for 105 memberships, while a former NSW Labor minister, Michael Costa, says Shorten has questions to answer.
Shorten has agreed to appear before the royal commission into trade unions and says he will not be addressing any specifics about his time as secretary of the union’s Victorian branch until he appears at the commission – likely to be in August or September. But Shorten on Sunday again refused to answer questions from the media about the allegations, insisting he would provide responses when he appears before the royal commission into trade unions later this year.
“I’m happy to take any questions that the royal commission has when I appear there,” he told reporters in Canberra.
Shorten said he had spent every day of his adult working life doing his best to represent workers. “The record will reflect that,” he said.
Pyne says Shorten needs to explain what Winslow received in return for its payments to the union.Pyne says Shorten needs to explain what Winslow received in return for its payments to the union.
“These are the questions that Bill Shorten needs to answer and just this patter ‘I won’t give a running commentary on the royal commission’ doesn’t cut the mustard,” Pyne told Network Ten’s Bolt Report on Sunday. “These are the questions that Bill Shorten needs to answer and just this patter ‘I won’t give a running commentary on the royal commission’ doesn’t cut the mustard,” Pyne told Network Ten’s Bolt Report.
The former NSW Labor treasurer, Michael Costa, says Shorten has to say whether the employees knew they were union members.The former NSW Labor treasurer, Michael Costa, says Shorten has to say whether the employees knew they were union members.
“What Bill needs to kill this, is to produce the membership forms that were signed by the individuals who were members,” he told the program. “From the reports that I read, they’re campaigning against WorkChoices yet they’re snuggling up to the employers.”“What Bill needs to kill this, is to produce the membership forms that were signed by the individuals who were members,” he told the program. “From the reports that I read, they’re campaigning against WorkChoices yet they’re snuggling up to the employers.”
The opposition immigration spokesman, Richard Marles, says the royal commission is an $80m smear campaign against Labor coming from the author of WorkChoices which will ultimately highlight Mr Shorten’s “great” union career.The opposition immigration spokesman, Richard Marles, says the royal commission is an $80m smear campaign against Labor coming from the author of WorkChoices which will ultimately highlight Mr Shorten’s “great” union career.
“Tony Abbott has made it his life’s work to undermine the conditions of working people,” Marles told ABC TV on Sunday. “If this is going to be about who has done more to improve the lot of workers, this is great ground for us, this is great ground.”“Tony Abbott has made it his life’s work to undermine the conditions of working people,” Marles told ABC TV on Sunday. “If this is going to be about who has done more to improve the lot of workers, this is great ground for us, this is great ground.”
Marles says the deal was voted on and supported by members in the workplace and passed the Industrial Relations Commission’s no-disadvantage test.Marles says the deal was voted on and supported by members in the workplace and passed the Industrial Relations Commission’s no-disadvantage test.