Tuesday 14 December 2010

Labor set to cancel membership of outspoken Cairns unionist

END OF THE TRAILL: Labor and Stuey Traill - a same-sex marriage that is destined for divorce.

The Labor Party is in process of terminating two members that they are fed up with, following repeated attacks about the Queensland Labor Government's privatisation programme. The Party may also cut all ties with the vocal Electrical Trades Union.


Following last night's administrative committee of the Labor Party’s Queensland branch, Electrical Trade Union secretary Peter Simpson, and Cairns-based ETU organiser Stuey Traill [pictured above], have both been told their membership and possible expulsion, will be discussed at a disputes committee meeting.

It was also decided to "further consider" the ETU’s Labor affiliation at its January meeting.

At least two-thirds of the committee were needed to vote to approve referring the memberships to the disputes meeting, which is expected to be held before Christmas.

Both Traill and Simpson would not discuss the latest development, but the ETU, which has had a long association with Labor, issued a statement.

"In accordance with the ETU’s long standing respect for the ALP’s rules and platform, all officers of the ETU will refrain from any public comment on these issues while they are still going through the ALP’s lawful processes," the statement read.

Stuey Traill has made no secret of his disgust with the Queensland Government's plan to sell off State assets, saying it is in fundamental conflict with the Party platform - Labor guiding principals. He has maintained a very public fight to reverse the Government's decision, and also lobbied at State and Branch meetings, but has continued to be threatened with the termination of his membership.

The Party's decision to hold over the continued affiliation of the Electrical Trades Union, is just a stalling tactic, to further silence members.

Traill was recently quoted saying their is a push to oust local Labor MPs, of Desley Boyle, Cairns; Steve Wettenhall, Barron River, and Jason O'Brien, Cook, due to the strong opposition to privatisation.

"Based on the current margins and the expected swing on the back of privatisation in an electorate, then it'd be smart to run a candidate there," Steuy Traill said a week ago. "There's potential in Cairns, Barron River and Cook. We're not pre-empting any decision, but this is what our members are calling for us to do."

The statement caused the ALP to send a show cause notice.

"I write in relation [to] statements... that there was a 'fair chance' three of the FNQ's four Labor seats would be targeted by independents or an independent Labor Party," the State Secretary, Anthony Chisolm said. "Your statements and actions may constitute 'conduct severely harmful to the best interests of the Party'"

The ALP attests that Traill has "been disloyal to the Party," "infringed the Party's National or State Rules, Party Platform, or "willfully disobeyed a decision of National or State Conference.."

"I am sympathetic to the view that you are obligated to act in the best interests of your organisation and your members [ETU]... Under the Labor Party Rules, no one has the luxury or entitlement to hold membership of our great party on the one hand, and agitate and organise for its demise on the other," Anthony Chisholm said.

This is the third time that the party has raised the possibility of terminating Traill's membership.

Traill cited an email from Barron River MP Steve Wettenhall from May 2009, where he said he was elected as an endorsed ALP candidate and am a member of the ALP. It is in contradiction to the renewed attack on the unionists.

"On fundamental policy issues such as privatisation, I am guided and indeed consider myself bound by the ALP platform," Steve Wettenhall wrote. "I support the party platform."

Here's the relevant section of the current (2008) Labor platform:
  • 5.12
    Labor rejects a program of privatisation of public services, such as public hospitals and schools, public enterprises including subsidiary companies or utilities (in particular Rail, Ports, Public Hospitals, electricity and water) as an economic strategy.

    Privatisation of public enterprises should not be used to solve revenue problems of governments. Labor believes that it is more through improved management of the existing public sector than through privatisation that Government can provide a wide range of benefits to the community.
A local party member said the ongoing attacks against those who are strongly opposed to the government's asset sale programme, shows Labor have lost touch.

"They're going away more and more from their principals, and ignoring the people who are standing up," the member told CairnsBlog last night. "Instead of listening to us, they are taking any opposition and and trying to wipe them out. It's not going to change anything.

In October, Stuey Traill said that the union had stopped making donations to the ALP.

"We need people to know that the ETU/CEPU Queensland has not donated a cent to the ALP since privatisation," Stuey Traill said. "As a Union we are affiliated to the ALP. This decision was taken by rank and file members at our 2009 Branch Conference, prior to the privatisation announcement."

Traill says a decision of the ETU to re-affiliate or not, will be voted on by "rank and file" members representing all industries in May next year.

"The ETU prides itself on rank and file making decisions on the direction of our union."

It is believed a number of members have left the Labor Party across Queensland in the last 18 months, over the privatisation issue.

14 comments:

Hans Van Veluwen said...

the state government is slowly but surely shedding all responsibility for what used to be a lot of Government run utilities and institutions...what are they doing, if anything at all, to justify them being in government? ..time for a democratic referendum system to put issues like privatisation to the people who's assets are being sold off.

Kate said...

Wettenhall is a woose - GO GET HIM STUEY!!!!

By the way urban dictionary's description of a woose is.......


"A lightweight, a coward, a shitbag, a big girl's blouse".

Sums up Wettenhall to a tee!!

Colin Colinwhocares Riddell said...

This is the same useless non caring government that ignores the campaign I am running ,the unions formed this party but if you tell them they are wrong "they eat their own chidren"

ps stuey is a top bloke and a good mate of mine.

portmultimedia said...

Stuey Traill for PM :)

Janine Aitken said...

The sale of public assets is against Labor Party Policy, as correctly pointed out by MP Steve Wettenhall in 2009. The boys from the ETU are just helping the ALP understand their own rules. The Labor party need to take a long hard look at themselves and unblock their ears and listen to the people, Asset sales isn’t wanted, or needed. Keep up the good work Stuey!

Phillip Lesbirel said...

Has Auistralia changed its policy on free speach? I was not aware of any change. Maybe our pollies had better take another look at the Australian Constitution. Free speach is the right of all Australians including Unionists.

Bryan Law said...

The last time I spoke to Stuey traill was after the federal election in which the ALP was nearly wiped out. Jim Turnour lost Leichhardt in large part because unionists didn't turn out during the election - Gillard and Turnour gave them nothing worth supporting. At that time a number of union and Labour activists were meeting to attempt a resuscitation of the ALP, and its reconnection with the labour movement that spawned it. Stuey hadn't given up on the ALP, but he wanted some changes in direction.

Now we have at least two thirds of the state adminstrative committee who think the best way to move forward is to expell labour activists and unions from the Labor Party. I think they're idiots (worse than idiots, they're thugs and thieves).

And still Stuey Traill and the ETU show respect, and engage in dialogue with the mongrel mob in Brisbane.

I won't be voting again for the ALP under its current leadership. I certainly won't be voting for a mongrel like Tim Grau (annointed right-wing successor to Desley Boyle).

But I would vote for Stuey, Richie Bates, Di Forsyth, Terry O'Shane, or a dozen other genuine labour activists. I'd vote for them with enthuiasm. Sadly the Queensland ALP doesn't want members. They only want lickspittles and lackeys (hence Tim Grau, Jason O'Brien and Steve Wett'n No Balls).

Bryan Outlaw said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Stuey Traill said...

Bryan Outlaw,
Be very careful with your BS allegations against me and the ETU.
I personally think your as weak as piss hiding behind a nickname and gobbing off with no fact at all.
I have never met Tom Hedley and have had no personal contact with his company, I didnt visit any of his sites but understand his pay and conditions were and are still rubbish at HPS.
I have never and never will take a bribe, anybody that knows me will confirm that.
The ETU has not and does not gouge anybody. We are a decent Union looking after the interest of our members and the community, simple as that.
I represent sparkies, not builders or plumbers that Hedley employed.
The Hedley empire was crumbling long before I started with the ETU.
Put up or shut up with false and troublemaking comments, if you have any substance, declare your name and produce your evidence.
Just what I thought, your full of it.

Stuey Traill said...

Bryan Law,
Thanks for your words of support, ETU members and myself personally appreciate it.
Cheers,
Stuey Traill.

Unknown said...

Good on ya, Stuey,

I totally support you.

The ALP has become a party of lawyers and career politicians.

And I agree with you about people using pseudonyms, but unless it is across the board, I will not publish my full details here, as there are some very nasty people writing on this blog.

Maybe the time has come to make it mandatory ?

As far as Hedley goes ; funny how these big companies that went bust are still operating here under different names.

At the same time there is no warranty on the shoddy work they have done all over the place, with property owners and BSA insurance left to foot the bill.

The same BSA now allows anyone to do construction work up to $ 3000 without a license (except for plumbing/electrical), severally undermining and undercutting qualified, licensed trade contractors,who pay license fees, insurance, workcover and must provide 7 year warranties.

Letters to local ALP members and the relevant Minister produced the usual piss-weak response. Despite Parachute Pitt publicly expressing concern about this issue, he couldn't be bothered to respond to my e-mails.

Off with their heads, I say !

Stuey Traill said...

To all those supporters,
Thank you all, its been brilliant.
We appreciate it.

Stuey Traill said...

I have referred that comment from Bryan Outlaw to our Lawyers for advice mate.
I can’t allow that sort of rubbish to go unpunished.
I would prefer those sorts of BS allegations be removed unless this clown can provide evidence or facts

Bryan Outlaw said...

Hey Lesbirel, there has been no change in Australian government laws on free speech. WE HAVE NONE. You must be confused with other western democracies that have guaranteed rights, like the USA. And Colin continues his silly campaign to protect dugongs and turtles as part of John MacKenzie's anti-aboriginal campaign. And Bryan Law's analysis of Turnour's loss (he was and is a moron, a cipher, a nothing) is no more interesting than his support of Traill (who's union goons are well known for financially gouging the community)...

[comment removed]

It's silly to replace one bunch of Labor goons, thugs, and psychopaths with a different bunch cut from the same cloth.