Wednesday 21 October 2009

Stu Traill faces expulsion from Labor party

Electrical Trades Union Far North organiser Stuart Traill, is facing a walk on the plank following his campaign to reverse the Government's decision to sell off a number of assets.

The expulsion request appears to be orchestrated directly from the Premier's office, to have him removed from the Australian Labor Party.

Following the election, many ALP faithful have been enraged at the State Labor Government's plans to sell off substantial assets. The Government coffers are almost bare, bordering on bankruptcy, and close to $80 billion in debt.

The four local Labor politicians are upset that the argument has become so public. At last weekend's ALP regional conference at Woree, 70% voted to call off plans to privatise ports, rail, along with a number of other assets that the Anna Bligh sees as a cash cow for her debt-ridden State Government.

Unionist Stuart Traill and local ALP member, has been at the forefront for months campaigning against asset sell-offs The strong vote shows that the Party is very angry about the hasty decision to sell off assets. The issue is dividing the party.

Traill told CairnsBlog that he was instructed to not expose the issue publicly and "embarrass" Bligh's Government over the asset issue.

"This matter is way too important," Traill says. "The story needs to be told as affects so many jobs."

It is now likely that the Labor party will expel Traill and rescind membership for his actions. The ALP has cited he did not not get sign off before speaking with the media over the asset sale issue.

"Whenever I make public comment, I'm smart enough to get the tick off by my State secretary," Stu Traill said. However, he admits to being "first and foremost a unionist.

"When they [ALP] make decisions like this, and not only the way in which they have done this, but the deceitful way in which they have done it, we'll stand up."


A large mobile billboard stating "Anna Bligh sold us out," endorsed and paid for by unions that Stu Traill represents and advocates for, has also come under attack from the Labor Party.

It is understood that the Party has encouraged the Cairns Regional Council to threaten prosecution if the sign is not removed. The Union was last week told that the sign is not authorised to be on a Council or State-owned road.

"We were told that no permit has been issued for the sign and if it was not removed, we could face a fine up to $5,000," a source told CairnsBlog.

"Anna Bligh voted to sell off Queensland's profitable public assets. Queensland working families will remember at the next election Anna," the massive billboard states that features local Queensland Rail workers, angry at the sell off.

If the Party votes to suspend Stu Traill's membership, it will be one asset that they will not want on the outside.

15 comments:

colin riddell said...

Go on labor throw stu out then see what happens to you , we disgruntled ex laborites will not give you a seconds peace, then again we are not going to anyway , you sell out stooges !

Smithfield Sam said...

Stu Traill and his signs. He's a serial vandal of the community. Not just his overblown roadside sign (illegal, btw) but he's slapped up stickers all over town on streelights and power boxes and private businesses all criticising Anna Bligh. The stickers are yellow and red and almost impossible to remove.

This is community vandalism, not honest political discourse.

Bryan Law said...

Smithfield Sam is right. Whenever government lies, treats the voters with contempt, sells off public assets and screws the worker - then workers everywhere ought band together and sweep the footpaths in the name of neatness! How dare they publicly express their point of view!

Stu Traill has credibility among the unionised workers of Cairns because his advocacy has been consistant and strong.

That the ALP is even THINKING about expelling him ought tell us all that Anna Bligh, Desley Boyle, and their cronies have turned into just another bunch of greed-head bureaucrats who just want to boss us around. They certainly don't deserve our support come election time.

Tania Major in Cook. Stu Traill in Cairns. A couple of cane-toads would be an improvement in Barron River and Mulgrave.

Onya Stu!

Bryan Outlaw said...

SmithySam is right. Government here, both federal and state, have been selling off banks, airlines, utilities, and other things that have no business being run by the government. These are some of the last assets to go - the time to fight was long ago. This continued activism by the unions is a bid for union survival, for they have little to do in a modern, streamlined economy.

The unions are corrupt and self-serving organisations . The fact they think defacing the community is going to stop a progression that's almost 100% complete is just sad, really.

KitchenSlut said...

Stuey is three quarters full of shit as always!

What he is promoting as 'unionism' is in fact a religion which displays no differences from any other fundamentalism?!

Some of us remember when the ALP had some guts and people like Peter Walsh and Keating drove the transformation of the Australian economy! Apparently no more?

Stuey is as mindless as a nodding monk to my thinking. I can oppose the privatisations but Stueys reasing on Jobs is obtuse and returns us to the pre- Keating arguments of the 70's which sounds likewhere Stuey is coming from!

There are grounds for anti-privatisation but simply preserving union jobs is not one of them and returns us to the blind cultural failures of the past.

Don't have a direct link but prominent left academic John Quiggan who has previously opposed most privatisation was at least sensible, rather than religious, in proposing that each privatisation needs to be approachd on it's merits! He opposes most but not all.

Personally I think power generation suppliers should be privatised as there is no rationale for Govt ownership and such ownership merely introduces conflicts of interest especially with an ETS and Govt policy.

There is no rationale for privatisation of some functions of Ergon whichis a natural monopoly.

The arguments based on jobs are delusional rubbish which return us to a past age to do with Union fees and nothing to do with the best interests of society.

Bryan Law said...

In fact, one of the most offensive things about this sell-off is that the coal-carrying railways were built and paid for by taxpayers under Beattie and Be.Ligher, instead of, say, public transport in Cairns. The rationale was that long-term freight charges would make income for the state into the future. Now we're flogging them off cheap instead. If bribes don't work, flattery seems cheaper and more effective for mining corporations in this state.

nocturnal congress said...

This is all emotional hype and bullshit. I doubt Stuey Traill will be expelled from the ALP. Local ALP branches are already expressing support for Traill and his actions. Word is, only a couple of people want Traill expelled.

Unknown said...

Harro

Keep smashing em Stuey. We need someone who is really concerned about all workers, not just union workers as some of these other idiots have stated. You idiots who wrote it need to get out more and actually get your facts right before you sectetly punck in words on your keyboards. Cowards, just like half the State MP's who voted for privatisation. You need to get to local meetings and see Stueys dedication to hard working Queensland famalies. Support to you Stu from Townsville.

Stuey Traill said...

Thanks to all the supportes, The Anti Privatisation campaign is not purely about Union members jobs (The ETU has 3 QR members in Cairns), it is more importantly about QLD assets staying QLD hands. Privatisation takes the focus from services to the customers to returning a profit to shareholders.
Privatisation has consistently led to reduction in maintenance standards, loss of jobs, loss of services and an increase in costs to customers(have a look at Telstra). Despite the negative comments from the Rabid right wingers we will not stop this campaign until the Government changes its strategy. 90% of Qlders agree with us.
Stuey Traill,
Proud Anti Privatisation Campaigner
and Proud ETU member

colin riddell said...

If you want to slag stu traill off , have the guts to put your real name gutless wonders.
Keep up the fight stu and the etu.

Thaddeus said...

"Privatisation" really means "a global corporation." And we've all seen how these monsters operate. They only have one bottom line, "Profit" and mega bucks to the fatcat CEO fronting the corporation. Client service deteriorates, machinery breaks down or is left to fall into disrepair, spending on training and welfare of staff is cut away to buggary and finally the corporation runs into big trouble. Then of course the screaming starts for the taxpayer to bail them out...while of course the CEO still receives the same multi-million dollar salary. Go Stuey and the unions!!!

Steven Nowakowski said...

Go hard Stu.. Well Done.!

Factman said...

When the unions succeeded in getting their Labor dogs, (hate that spelling), re-elected in 2009, then they should accept what those dogs do. The unions are getting bitten.

The alternative to all the debt these dogs have accrued is either, higher taxes, or a reduction in services, if that is possible.

What's it to be Union man, taxes or belt tightening?

Or maybe, getting rid of the bloated unionised slack.

Oh for some decent Liberal National management again?

Ross Parisi said...

Stuart, I admire your commitment, your resolve and your resilience. However, I do feel your action/s will amount to nought, not because you are not persuasive, not because you are not forceful enough, but because the Government has no real alternative.

They have no real option. They either go into further debt, increase taxes, reduce service delivery or assets sale. They have chosen the only painless option, assets sales.

The Opposition’s case of whether Bligh was sneaky and did not level with the people has struck a chord with the electors and most likely will amount to her defeat at the next election.

Stuart, I am certain you are highlighting to the Government, arguments that resonate with them but because of the need to act under the guideline of the World Bank, Bligh/Fraser have their hands tied.

The dynamic that drive this scenario applies to both sides of politics. And like a family that goes ‘cap in hand’ to the Bank asking for financial assistance, the moral of the predicament is not to place your family at the mercy of the Bank and in this case the Queensland State in the sights of the World Bank.

The Queensland Government is in debt to the tune of $80 billion. Reputable credit rating institutions have removed Queensland’s “AAA rating’. The ripple effect of which is that Queensland is charged a higher interest rate when it borrows from foreign entities. Surprisingly, the NSW Government still retains its triple A rating. What this shows is the parlous state of Queensland’s finances.

Why is Queensland in debt to such a large extent, notwithstanding the resource sectors boom of the last decade?

One of the reasons why Queensland is in debt is that the Beattie/Bligh Government spent beyond its means, outlays exceeded receipts. This trend unfortunately is continuing unabated and if anything is accelerating.

Under the Goss/Beattie/Bligh Governments the Public service has been politicised to the point that Ministers are not receiving apolitical advice. The heads of Government Departments are under short term employment contract and are therefore, under close ministerial rein.

Instead of given perhaps conflicting advice, they are relaying to the Ministers what they want to hear. Not a healthy situation if you want advice free from fear or favour.

Except for the recent Global recession, where all major Overseas Governments both from the left and the right nationalised Banks and companies like General Motors, the World Bank underlying policy is to privatise Government entities, in our case Airports, Seaports, Railways etc.

Is water infrastructure next? What about schools and hospitals will they be spared? Victoria under Kenneth did just that.

As usually is the case, the money making ones are the ones to be sold off first. What are retained are the ones that are losing money.

The amalgamation, against popular protest, of Local Government Authorities 2 years ago, the user pays principles that applies to most service deliveries charges, the 2010/11 State Budget removal of subsidies to Local Government for water and sewerage infrastructure are all consistent with the National Competition Policy as per the Hilmer Report of the 1990’s under the Keating Government and reinforced with renewed vigour by Howard.

For all intents and purposes Government is there to legitimise and facilitate the activities of multi nationals. The lateral and vertical integration of Coles and Woolworths are but prime examples.

The time will come to pass when these multi nationals will ultimately fail and be split up but in the meantime he who pays the piper calls the tune.

Rob Williams said...

Sister Anna will privatise everything that's not owned by private enterprise already. Blind Freddy (poor chap) can see nothing will change her mind because the State Government takes no notice of us whatsoever. So all Stu has to do is wait and make an application for his sign to the new owners of the roads or else ask the LNP to place it on some of their land. Privatisation will also have the effect of closing down a lot of works councils undertake at present. I mean why would a CEO want councils doing work on their roads, rails, airports, etc. when they can use cheap imported labour. The follow up is that Councils will become redundant as will the State Government.