Ken Phillips describes the continued attack on volunteer & community groups by the GIllard Government:
This headline - “Gillard government hates volunteers, loves unions”, is based on evidence. Last week the Gillard government killed off the Australian Building and Construction Commission. (The Abbott opposition have said that it will restore the ABCC if elected.)
One of the reasons the government cited for removing the ABCC was because it had strong powers to require unions and others in the construction sector to answer questions about corruption, bullying and intimidation. (We say the ABCC protected self-employed construction workers from extreme harassment and intimidation.) The government has now saved unions from tough questioning that might expose bullying and corruption.
But the Gillard government has a proposal to introduce a new regulatory system for the not-for-profit and volunteer sector. The Bill sets up a commission that will have near-identical powers to question volunteers that it’s just removed from unions. The double standard is glaring.
The government is also introducing new tax laws for the not-for-profit sector—but exempting unions from those laws.
This follows the Gillard government’s introducing OHS laws that enable volunteers to be prosecuted. Here’s the evidence from the Scout Association.
What is it with this government? Doesn’t it understand what it takes to make a just and fair society? It favours protecting bully unions in construction and proposes the same in transport. They have a very contorted view of justice!
Ken Phillips is the Executive Director of the Independent Contractors Association.
This government is trying to take us back 40 years in time. What I cannot understand is why they are still in government.
Why, ( and even people from overseas are saying this ) are Australians not standing up and demanding these people be removed immediately????
Are the people with influence so scared of losing what they have by standing up against this mob? They are nothing but thugs. Yet we hear little from those 60000 odd businesses, or anybody else,about the impost these people are on the country.
In any other country there would be people storming the parliament stopping this garbage. Yet in the namby pamby Australia,,, nothing.
The Apathy here is appalling, and the day will come that Australian's will have to fight seriously to get rid of this rubbish.
The sooner we start , the easier it will be.
Posted by: barry | February 21, 2012 at 03:47 AM
And the problem with treating all workplaces the same is? The hypocrisy stinks.
Posted by: SignedIn | February 21, 2012 at 10:02 AM
Is it strange that most of Gillards cabinet consists of former union thugs of the first order?. Bill Shorten made Hitler look like a choir boy, and the rest studied the historical tactics of John Halfpenny [ remember him?].
I'm over 60 and I remember first hand in union meetings with these human garbage bags.
Posted by: john neeting | February 21, 2012 at 12:33 PM
To make matters worse they deliberately use the union as a stepping stone into politics...and while they are in there they rort the system for all it's worth. Craig Thompson would have to be the slimiest critter I have seen in politics for a long while....and Shorten, I often wonder if he married Bryce's daughter for the prestige it would bring. Shorten is a clever strategist - personally I think it will be Shorten who dispatches Julia before the next election. According to the newspapers Rudd as offered Shorten the Treasurer's portfolio if he back him in any coup. Shorten swears black and blue it ain't so. So that tells me Shorten is playing a bigger game.
Posted by: bluebell | February 22, 2012 at 12:41 AM
I'm over 60 too , and like you john, have vivid memories .Which is probably why I'm so tired of watching a country go down for the sake of these bloody parasites.
But sadly it seems ,, they have weaseled their way in once again , and those who know little of the workings of unions unwittingly helped them get their .
As for the academia who support this mob, sadly they are soooo intelligent they haven't a clue what they have done .
The ignorance of too much education.
Posted by: barry | February 22, 2012 at 09:47 AM
The tragedy here is nothing that comes out of any of these parasites mouths has an ounce of credibility.
Work on the theory that the opposite of what they say is far closer to the truth , and one might have a clearer idea as to what they are on about.
Posted by: barry | February 22, 2012 at 09:51 AM