Friday 18 March 2011

Union organiser Stuey Traill booted out of Labor

Outspoken Cairns Electrical Trades Union organiser, Stuey Traill, has been booted out of the Labor Party.

The decision was handed down at a meeting of the Party's administration committee at 7pm this evening in Brisbane.

Stuey Traill has been prominent speaking up against privatisation as Labor commenced the sell off of State assets to boost the Queensland government's coffers that is nursing an $80 billion debt.

ETU's State union secretary Peter Simpson, who was also removed from the party, is saying that the fight is not over.

"This evening I was advised that a majority at today’s ALP Queensland Branch Administrative Committee meeting has voted to expel me and the ETU’s Far North Queensland organiser, Stuart Traill, from the Australian Labor Party," Peter Simpson, ETU Queensland secretary said.

"I am deeply disappointed in this decision, as I have placed great value on my membership of the ALP," Simpson said. "I am also informed that legal proceedings are set to commence, which would, in effect, make today’s decision invalid, therefore I will make no further public comment on these matters at this stage."

Simpson said that both he and Stuey Traill have both been contacted by many "loyal and hard working ALP members" who expressed their deep concerns.

"I thank them very much for their support and suggest to those people that now is a time to be calm," Peter Simpson said. "It is a time that we need to stick together and maintain our membership of the ALP."

"With their help and the help of many others, we will continue the fight to overturn this injustice and the fight to make this a real labour party; one that we can all be proud of."

Stuey Traill told CairnsBlog he would not make any comment about the decision, but his anger was evident in this evening's decision.

31 comments:

KitchenSlut said...

Myabe a bit late but perhaps there is something of an overlooked flaw here. The ALP platform as quoted elsewhere on Cairnsblog said:

"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."

So what did the ALP membership, now outraged, do on the bit about "improved management" particularly prior to the last election? It's pretty well acknowledhed that QR and it's deficient capital program was a debacle for the Qld economy with huge opportunnity costs! Cairns Airport?

So what responsibility is taken for failure by the membership to insist their political representatives delivered on this aspect before privatisation?

Janine Aitken said...

What a dissapointing decision.

Unknown said...

The ALP is bigger than rats like Traill and Simpson. Let's be clear about why they were kicked out. It wasn't because of their views about QR privatization as they and their supporters claim. It was because they publicly declared they would run candidates against the ALP and encouraged people to vote against Labor MPs which is a breach of party rules. Farewell the RATS! The ALP is better without you!

Unknown said...

Yes of course John and Labor members here in Cairns shall always follow orders and directives from Brisbane, rather than representing the locals.

That's why the Labor party is so irrelevant up here and that's why we are stuck with 4 ineffective, useless State representatives . Labor has become a party of mouthpieces and spin doctors.

I'd vote for "rats" like Traill and Simpson anytime, rather than for the useless, timid puppets that have been parachuted in from Brisbane.

Looks like you are just as out of touch as the ALP itself, which might well be a sinking ship.

Charlie said...

There is no doubt thatSimpson and Traill are Rats. They broke Party Rules. Thats what they got expelled for. The Labor Party is better off without them. They are RATS. They RATTED on their mates in the Party. Goodbye RATS.

Tropical Truths said...

Great to see Stabber Traill get the boot from the ALP.

Big shame about his whining, though. How unfair it all is. How unjust. How unfair.

What a crap artist he is.

This Labor scab and his thug mates punted state MPs from the party for doing their job in one of the great Star Chambers of recent history.

Trumped-up “charges”. “Evidence” made up over a beer or 300. “Witnesses” dragged out from under an ETU rock and told what to say.

One of those expelled was a member of almost 40 years standing who did more for the ETU than Stabber Traill could even imagine.

But that MP didn’t complain. He didn’t run round like a spoiled brat moaning and whining about it. he copped the decision of the ETU Judge Jury and Executioner like a man.

Stabber Traill has got what was coming to him after almost two years of stabbing and betrayal.

He stabbed and betrayed his friends, his colleagues, his party, and his fellow members. While on the campaign trail he even betrayed his family.

He’s stabbed and betrayed everyone who’s ever done anything for him.

And now he’s been found out, he wants to bleat like a little girl.

Bryan Law said...

John, Charlie, and "tropical" combine to show off the current condition of the ALP in Cairns.

They seem to think that by excluding the workers and by abusing the critics, they'll keep winning in Barron River, Cook and Cairns.

Strike a blow for equality and democracy. Just leave Steve, Jason and little Jimmy OFF the ballot at the next election. Simply really, and so richly deserved.

Unknown said...

Sad Sad Day

May God save the left, cause nothing will save the alp right!

Well as I have said before... This is the reason why I left the ALP (and also resigned as the local Rainbow ALP Representitive for FNQ) was becuase of the sheer arogance as shown by the ALP Localy and on a State Level.

The Local Member for Barron River had no spine to answer my questions, but choose to ignore them..

How short are peoples memories? One week Pirate Bligh popularity is at an all time low, but has a tissue momement and she is everyones best mate...

Did anyone see the LNP throughout the floods or cyclone?

Steuy and Peter - shame to see you both railroaded by the righties for standing up for your beliefs and keeping everyone informed on what the sell off was going to mean for everyday australians...

Like to see how wettenballs will go in the next election without the support of the etu and co.

Remeber cairns blogers -
VOTE [1] SexiSam in the next election cause no one up here is worth voting for.

For some light reading - here is a response from Mike in relation to my cancellation of my membership

Your resignation from the party is unfortunate, but as with all members you are free to follow your conscience. Personally, I support the asset sales as the only alternative short of cutting jobs ( if you have an alternative I would like to hear it) as the Liberals did in Western Australia.

Should the Bligh government fall – thanks largely to hatchet job being done by the ETU and indeed my union, the QPSU – from which I will probably resign in protest as you have done with the ALP - then people who are not old enough to remember what it was like under Joh may finally realise that it is only under a Labor government that real social justice can occur.

By the way, as a systems administrator I would have thought you would know how to send a blind copy and not distribute the email address of a lot of members who may not wish to have their involvement know to all and sundry!

Unknown said...

Sounds more like the Australian Fascist Party to me Tropical & Charlie.

Jawohl, ze rules must be obeyed at all times!

And what's the obsession with rats ?

Mrs Bear said...

Let's not forget this decision was based on what the two reportedly said in a newspaper article. Take note ALP mp's by this decision you've made it clear if it was reported it must be true.

Leigh Dall'Osto said...

Rats??? What the? Seriously?

Not sure what the world is coming to when two members of a party say (loudly) that you may as well vote for someone else because the ALP are not standing for what they promised they would.....and somehow it becomes a cause for expulsion as they are accused of trying to start their own party......

knrhill said...

n

Unknown said...

The Stuey Traill i know is a bloke who led and mobilized a force of volunteers in a campaign against some of the worst anti-worker legislation in world.

This local campaign delivered the second largest swing against the Coalition for Labor in the nation.

It was a remarkable feat that came about through a personal sacrifice and dedication that is rarely seen in politics.

Unknown said...

Ritchie (Bates we assume) your mate Stuey was doing what he was paid to do by his employer - the ETU - for the 2007 election. He wasn't working for the Labor Party. We was a paid employee of the ETU. He was just doing his job. I saw him throughout the campaign and on election day and he was always wearing his employers T-shirts. He never worn an ALP shirt once. You seem to have stupidly believed Stuey's own self publicity. Will you be this stupid as the next member for Cairns?

knrhill said...

It really makes you wonder what calibre of person / people resort to public slander of true working class heroes, when they have stated publicly that they will not comment on these matters and therefore are unable to defend themselves.

I personally know Stuart and Peter and for some one to call them a "scab" is deplorable. It shows to me that this / these people have no idea of what a "scab" is and even less idea of what founing principles this once great party is built on.

One can only assume that those most damming of Stuart and Peter are from within the party, which is scary. I do not for a second believe that all within share the same views, as the vast majority of the general public (and I am sure therefore the Party itself) support these principled men behaving in the best interests of their members.

kazba said...

Geez they're givin you a bit Stuey. Must have touched a nerve there mate.
Better off out of there anyway.
That ship is sinking fast.

I've manned polling booths for the ALP since i was a kid with my grandad.

Never again!

There is nothing working class about the ALP anymore.

Time to start looking at the decent independents.

Your a champion Stuey. Dont let the bastards get you down.

Unknown said...

Hey Mike,

A couple of things Bro:

1. Can you run a piece on how Labor preselection will unfold here in FNQ? You know, will the rank-and-file get a say, or will the elites in Vegas install someone (do N40s exist in QLD?), or will polling suggest that the only chance of winning is to install (parachute in?) a 'local', or can we have a Carr/Faulkner/Bracks style pleb to install Val?

2. Can you define what you think 'Local' means?

3. Can you explain (in ALP parlance), whether RAT is short for something, you know, an acronym, because many of the articulate here seem to be capitalising it willy-nilly; and

4. Please add a scale to the Alan Blake fighting fund (to the right of the defamometer), so we can see how much money you have raised.

Te Kaha, Te Mana Bro. Be a journalist, write the articles...

Unknown said...

FFS knrhill ya working class heros Stuy and Pete joined an organization and then campaigned against the organization. if they the heros you claim them to be they should have resigned out of princpal

Unknown said...

Spot on Mariana. Wld love to see the a scale on the Blake fund. Mike if anyone else was so misleading and deceptive youd be the first to attack them for spin and dishonesty. surely yr not being deceptive or dishonest. tell us how much have you collected for us?

Bryan Law said...

Sally, I'm giving a fund-raising dinner for Mike just after Labor day, to which all forward thinking residents of Cairns are invited. Come and give us some of your money. In return I promise to disclose everything you need to know - including how to "Leave Labor Off" at the next Queensland ballot.

Michael P Moore said...

For the record blog readers, "John", "Charlie", "Tropical" and "Sally" are all ordinating from the same IP address - i.e. they are most probably the same one person.

Of course, I welcome people with split personalities on CairnsBlog.

Vaughn said...

The Labor Party in this state deserves every criticism levelled at it in recent times. This once great voice for the working class has become so infested with scabby, parasitic lickspittles that it is now totally irrelevant to those it is meant to represent. What the likes of Stuey Traill and Peter Simpson have done is simply to ensure that party principles and platform are upheld. I'm getting sick of having to say it but PRIVATISATION OF STATE OWNED ASSETS IS TOTALLY AGAINST LABOR PARTY PLATFORM. The Goss government received a harsh reminder of this in the mid nineties when they attempted privatisation soon after corporatising QR. Goss, DeLacy and Kaiser should have been booted from the party then but no, they remained to cause further damage. If you Labor suck-ups think that the fight to save the party from the likes of Bligh and Co. is over, then think again.

Unknown said...

There are still people of honour, principle, courage and loyalty in the Queensland Labor Party. Stuey Traill and Peter Simpson are not among them. Not anymore. They have been banished, sacrificed on the altar of Labor's dying values because they would not knuckle under to Anna Bligh's job-destroying program of privatisations. The biggest shame is the treachery of some members of their own Left faction who have swung to the neoconservative right and have viciously attacked those who remain firm in their principles of building a fair economy. The faceless men and women of Labor's Administrative Committee have damaged the party's soul and have brought it into disrepute with their decision to expel Stuey and Simmo.
Just when Bligh is making up ground in the polls, the Blighites (Blights for short) seek to drag the party back into the electoral quagmire they created in the first place. Their arrogance will be their undoing, especially when Campbell Newman or Mal Brough coming riding to the Tories' rescue.
Stuey and Simmo can stand tall. They have paid a high price for effective leadership in support of public assets, for regional communities, for jobs and for a socially just economy.

Vaughn said...

The ALP right faction may as well defect to the LNP because their policies and principles these days are so closely matched to those of the tories. Traitorous lowlife grubs.

knrhill said...

Sally or John or Tropical or whoever you may be, by attempting to defend the actions of the "organisation" that you obviously are entrenched in, you have actually added strength to the argument that The Labor Party does not allow intelegent, passionate, working class people to have an opinion other then that touted by the party.

Simmo, Stuey and the overwhelming majority of taxpayers did not (and still do not) agree with Privatising Assets. They both were Labor Party members before Anna Bligh and her right wing cronies turned their backs on the Party Platform and working class Queenslanders. Unlike our elected members though they had the guts to stand on their principles and try to convince the Party at all levels that this will be the mistake that will banish the ALP to the political wilderness in Queensland for years.

As you have put it though, there is no room in this once great party for those with enough backbone to disagree or have their own opinions and much less express the views of those they are paid to represent.

Janine Aitken said...

Charlie,
I stood next to Stuey Traill on the side of the Highway many an afternoon with both of us wearing ALP shirts, we also went door knocking in them & in the 2007 election Stuey was still an employee of Ergon not the ETU.

He mobilised not only union members and ALP members but general members of the public. He worked non-stop for the year leading up to the election, not just the 6 week campaign that the ALP party faithful waged once the election was called.

Stuey has consistently backed the ALP and has never run them into the ground, and when they strayed from party policy he simply pointed this out (as he should, given the decision effects his members).

To say he was going to start his own party is absolutely unsubstantiated rubbish.

KitchenSlut said...

Janine, I respect your account of Stueys contribution to the ALP. I am not from the same IP as Charlie et al.

However can you also give examples of Stuey's contribution to "improved management of the existing public sector" in preference to privatisation, as also in the ALP policy platform?

Also Janine, you have stated that Stuey stood by you on highways in an ALP T-shirt while still an Ergon employee? Can you advise if he was paid by Ergon for this time?

knrhill said...

Sally, John, Tropical or whoever you may be, what is the matter,..has a political party got your tongue, or are you just checking with Brisbane that you can respond?

C'mon live dangerously think for yourself and have the conviction to express that view. You are not going to get kicked out for not agreeing. This model is called democracy, and it has been sucsessfull during recent trials. Perhaps your "organisation" could adopt it / return to it.

Surely you could think up a few more alias's if you want to keep playing. Is this the best that the faceless men / women have got?

Unknown said...

Mike, having the same IP address doesn't mean its the same person at all. I've never met Sally or the others you claim are me, but I think they speak a lot of sense. Anyone who knows anything about the internet knows that IP address are not people. There are locations. For example anyone using a MCDonald's WiFi connection will have the same IP address while they are logged in there. JCU's internet connection would probably have one IP address as would most hotels, share accommodation, backpacker hostels and cafes. As well IP addresses are dynamic and change when you lose your connection and can be assigned to the next location that connects to the internet. So my new found friends could have been emailing from, the same location, cafe. McDonalds, shop, uni that I was or once I disconnected they got my IP address. Conspiracy theories can be fun but they are alway just that conspiracy theories!

Vaughn said...

Charlie you are typical of the fucking faceless, spineless, bullshitting grubs who so infest the Labor party these days. Why do you think the party is so unpopular at the moment? What qualifies you to comment on Stuey Traill's membership, and what gives you or anyone else the right to call him a rat? If not for the likes of Stuey and Simmo, the Labor party in Queensland would be dead and buried, and unfortunately it soon may well be.

knrhill said...

Here Here Vaughan. The only "rats" are those faceless men that are ruining the Party from the inside.

Good people like Peter and Stuart and the hardworking, loyal, and passionate Unionist that they represent have made the party great but their reward is to get kicked out for having an opinion.