Given that Julia Gillard expressed full confidence in Craig Thomson and Williamson in Parliament, perhaps she should apologise to the Australian public for deliberately misleading them.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/michael-williamson-arrested-and-charged-over-hindering-hsu-probe/story-e6frg6n6-1226487850458

And the beat goes on.....

SOG,

Great concept. The ALP is a conga line of corruption.

One two three Crook, one two three Crook,

The beat goes on.

I have waited for this, even knew the author.
Yesterday I thought I would post two threads.
Trying to open the forum to new things.
Most know I am ALP, ex union official, intense disliker of Gillard, those who put her there and keep her there.
I put the first two threads about the HSU, its blight on the Union movement.
I nearly put the same thoughts in a thread about the ONE MILLION ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS!
Spent on a mansion for? a working class electrical trades union head!
Scum, both lots.
Do readers know how ever? Craig Thomson was in Parliament, long before Williamson's crimes?
OH he may be guilty, may yet be imprisoned, but no charges are yet laid.
This week, a Liberal senator, faced her second case of shop lifting, SM ignores such.
Convincing the welded on anti Labor voters, Alan Jones style screaming, is counter productive.
The Boy who cried wolf, Abbott and his crew, has lost those who wish to hear from outside the carnival tent.
Conservative politics has become.

Belly,

OK, Comparisons of the litany of crooked Labor MPs with MJF is asking for a hiding.

MJF was first charged and found not guilty of shop lifting, when she was charged again, she was forced to resign. In this time she received no protection from the liberal party, and at best a no comment.

In the last few years we have on the Labor side:
One NSW jailed for paedophilia,
Two NSW MPs referred to ASIC for fraud
Wollongong Labor council disbanded and some jailed for rampant corruption,
SA MP charged for child porn,
ALP president charged for massive fraud and hindering the police investigation.
Thomson's litany of crimes laid bare in the FWA report.
Labor's Speaker implicated in sexual harassment and fraud.

The Labor party response is not to let the law take its course, but in almost every case to attack whistle blowers, to support the defendant to the hilt, to provide money to the offender etc.

SM depending on the time frame you missed a couple in Qld but to be fair its my impression that a most of the allegations around Slipper relate to a period when he was a lib.

R0bert

Shadow, all enterprises have a business model, churches, governments, commercial businesses and guess what? Trade Unions.

I think the most interesing "blinding glimpse of the obvious" that is being missed by Union/ALP cheer squads is the fact that once this HSU issue goes to court, that business model for trade unions nationally will be fully exposed.

The trade union membership and the public will see this business model for what it is (a charter to cheat) and will be able to tie together the ACTU, trade unions in general, HSU variants, the key players, the political career pathing, the power bases and the financial cheating mechanisims of membership fees and industry super.

It will never again be possible to claim "this is just an isolated incident". We will see clearly that this is part of the national business model for all trade unions and the ALP.

It will be interesting to see the jaws dropping as this issue continues to rip away the last vestages of ALP/Union credibitiy. All we can hope for is that the memberships get their hard earned money back and that they will eventually get some honest representation.

Robert,

Slipper had been disciplined by the Libs, and after further abuse of privileges it had been made clear that he was not going to get pre selection.

In spite of this Juliar welcomed him to the ALP and appointed him to one of the most respected positions in parliament. It was here that he hired Ashby, harassed him, fiddled the cabcharges, continues to live it up at taxpayer's expense at Labor's behest.

The unions with the FWA have in reality no oversight, and are free to pilfer from their members. This has to change.

Shadow Minister.
SIR, you once told me a lied!
I have not forgiven you.
But be a far better found and balanced person than your self would, IF YOU WITH DREW.
However, you, surely by mistake?
Used a Terminological Inexactitude.
In claiming Labor took Slipper.
He as we both know, is not an ALP member.
And we both understand, he is not much of a fellow, and was that way for generations in YOUR PARTY.
HIDDEN AS IS THE HABIT OF YOUR TEAM.

Belly,

I never claimed he was an ALP member, however, his occupation of the speaker's chair robs the coalition of one vote and frees up one for Labor in return for his 30 pieces of silver. He might as well be sitting on the labor benches. Craig Thomson in return for financial support is an "independent" that votes Labor on every important issue.

I want no mistakes about my thoughts here.
HSU and SOME OTHER UNIONS are disgusting.
Only the death of those Unions and, yes UNCOVERING OF THEIR CRIMES will do.
Remember, the faceless men of the 1950, to 1970,s are Unions.
Those who deposed Rudd are too.
I broke no power brokers that lead not follow my party's rank and file, those who acted without consolation are? GRUBS.
You will never see such damning by SM of his party machinery.
IF Thomson proves to be guilty? 10 years!
He has not yet been charged, the whole wish is an election now, before ABBOTT IS DUMPED.

Belly SM is not alone, think of a number between 578 and 580 for a comparable level of one eyed bias.

I know you are deeply upset at those who tossed Rudd out, my impression is that there were reasons and that Gillard did the right thing afterwards, going to the polls soon afterwards to give the voters a say.

Labors vote dropped but I think part of that was to be expected away from the heat of work choices etc.

The telling point will be the next election.

R0bert

This is must see.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBgxVo5gTA&feature=player_embedded

Here you will see and interview by Michael Smith and Bob Kernohan the President of the AWU in 1995.Bob swears that builders turned up to his office and demanded to be paid for works done at Julia Gillard's house at Abbottsford.Bill Shorten was also a witness to this.

According to Bob Kernohan the builders were paid from an AWU account.

RObert yes I understand and agree.
I respect you and while from different sides of the fence that respect is well placed.
I however need to go on record again.
My life has been the ALP/UNION.
I think I have the ability to hear even smell the thoughts of workers and ALP voters from my background.
Few understand Rudd, like other past ALP leaders wanted less union power.
It cost him his job, they require more.
Factions, in both party,s, exist to see the schemers and dreamers, extreme left in my case, do not take control and lead down non-electable street.
BUT in both sides, they are forgetting that, serving not the party but them selves.
Rudd never was truly challenged just dumped, for the very woman, from our left,who under mined him daily.
50% Of Labor conference seats are by party law owned by? unions!
Who in turn have? 20% of the workforce in their ranks.
Unions if they re focus on the reason they exist, if they cut fees, not take the raise fees retreat they take every time numbers fall, can again grow to be representative of the great union past.
Our Child the ALP, has long ago grown up, we are the ugly mum and dad who will not let it leave home.
Not set it free to be the party it must be to stay in power.
Confronted with Abbott we feed him, but ignore Turnbull has grown too and will be,without change our nemesis.

Belly,

One of the reasons I left the ALP and joined the Greens was the influence of the 'Sussex Street Mob' on the party here in NSW. Nothing much has changed, we recently fought a by-election with Labor, the gutless Liberal's would not stand a candidate. Nothing has changed Sussex Street ran the show for Labor, no grass roots involvement in candidate selection deals done behind closed doors etc.
Until Labor introduce real reforms within the party scum like Williamson will float to the top.
p/s Met you fearless leader "Robo" recently, seems a nice bloke, not much charisma there, a bit bland. Does not strike me as a "shaker and a mover" you need another 'Nifty Neville' to run the show.
My dig for the day. How are things going at the Long Bay branch I believe they are arranging a big welcome for the newest member Karyn Paluzzano.
The way the ALP is going we Greens are going to have to protest about over crowding in NSW prisons.

Williamson was National ALP president at the time he was stealing from some of the lowest paid workers, as was Craig Thomson before he moved into Federal Labor.

Because the unions are de facto monopolies (they have their own turf legislated) with little to no oversight, they are a breeding ground for corruption. This has lead to the drop to 18% of workers (13% in the private sector) belonging to unions.

The kleptocracies that pass for worker representation are also the single greatest source of Labor MPs.

Paul 1405 I want to thank you for being the back up to Shadow Minister.
And Shadow Minister, thank you too.
First Paul, it was lefty members like you that empowered my faction to act, Center Unity NSW right.
Shame is they have forgotten who they act for.
SM has rightly targeted the scum bag, and assisted me, see I am disgusted that the self interested fleas are passing the benefits around among them selves.
SET MY PARTY FREE!
However as Paul's mob is doomed, SM,s about to replace its leader,I see promise.
Our Julia is at full gallop toward her personal train wreck.
That may be the tool that makes the tools see we must reform.
Paul Robo is not a circus performer, he is a solid bloke.
He took the anti work choices bus around this state.
A brilliant bloke about two years away from his peak.

The biggest crime committed by grubs like Thomson and Williamson and other Labor luminaries is not the stealing from low paid workers, which in itself is bad enough. They are guilty of the 'crime' of selling out the workers they supposedly represent. Take my partner a PSA in a large public hospital and until recently a long time active member of the HSU East. Like 1000's of HSU members my partner had no option but to resign from the union as it was pointless paying every fortnight and receive nothing in return, whilst a pig like Williamson had his snout firmly in the trough. These people have left poorly paid and now unrepresented workers open to attack by the likes of O'Farrell and Abbott, doing the bidding of big business.
SM, rightly points to the sad indictment of the union movement that only 18% of workers see value in joining a union. It's my opinion every worker deserves the right of union coerage. Without decent representation workers are vulnerable to exploration with attacks on their wages and conditions. No one should be fooled into believing that the 'boss' will look after him, not the case, given the opportunity self interest will always come to the fore as far as the 'boss' is concerned.

Paul I agree!
Like you I see the worth of the Union movement.
I too see the WORTHLESS within it.
I think nothing less than a new start will bring the movement to a level I think it needs to be.
I claim the high ground for my union, but it too must confront in this climate we need to refocus.
I would return to work for half pay, live in my car,to help, but my time has past.
I know this, my members trusted me,are still my friends, and that is not common.
Just a few, known to me, are a blight on a once so very proud a movement.
While the words of such a fixed anti other than right conservative like SM will have no force,I hope yours and mine will.
Halve fees, less for casual workers,show our support for the down trodden.
A visit without request for every member no less than three times a year.
Industry/shop monthly news letters from officials for every member.
Truth behind the HSU lack of service or concern for at least ten years.
They, like others took fee but gave nothing.
And work toward one National union many different arms, less office overheads more service.
And more thoughts?

Personally, I've long been of the opinion that Gillard's biological father could not walk on only two legs. The chances of her apologizing for anything are greatly diminished by the certainty that the concept of apology is quite unknown to her, as to her species.

Belly,

The only way the unions could be made fit to represent anyone would be if they were all dissolved, the regulations that give the unions unfettered protection and monopoly power replaced to make them compete for membership, and have the same reporting requirements as companies.

What we have presently is unions that lie to their members controlling a federal government that lies to its voters.

The kangaroo court is still in session. Thomson has been charged with nothing, slipper is still innocent of everything.
This was supposed to be clean cut, open and shut case, as the FWA report says. So what happened, doesn't the courts agree with that. Not since they found out there was a biased authority in the FWA.

Smythe Gday, afraid you wandered in the wrong door, this is not a kids message board site.
I can see, after reading Shadow Ministers stuff how you thought that.
Had to stop, very nearly scraped the bottom of the barrel like you did, to insult you.
I however fail along side an expert do it your self bloke, like you.
Cheers.

Why should Gillard apologise for Williamson any more than Abbott should apologise for Jones. Both are not responsible for the actions of other individuals even if they share similar opinions about politics.

Unions certainly need to be much more accountable. Dissolving them altogether is not the answer otherwise the employment sector would be completely influenced by business unions (the other unions) who act only for their membership not for the interests of workers. I wonder if business councils and business advocates are totally transparent on their wages and expenses and not just a balance sheet, but details of all expenses. Rules should apply to all membership based organisations.

The recent HSU saga points to a failure in reporting and audit procedures. I can't see why union members should not have complete access to expenditure of their union. It just makes sense.

As for Thomson it still has not been proven that he is guilty of credit card fraud. If he is then of course justice should prevail.

I don't know if the PM knew about her former boyfriend's rorting but in regard to SM's Michael Smith YouTube video link, this is an opposing argument - in the interests of balanced reporting:

http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s3310493.htm

pelican I agree with most of your post.
Remember the thread is from Shadow Minister.
A rusted mind like a very old gate never to open again.
I however see it the duty of every union to look with full vision at the HSU/ETU/CFMEU.
And to never let the infection darken their doors.
I know it has, for some, more pain may come.
But with no doubt too the good within the trade union movement out weights the bad and ugly.

True Belly. One bad union does not indicate a problem with other unions but it does demonstrate that attention is needed in reporting processes otherwise nobody would ever know if there was rorting. Same goes for any organisation, not just unions.

Pelican:

You said "Why should Gillard apologise for Williamson any more than Abbott should apologise for Jones? "

Easy, Williamson was Federal ALP president at the time of his crimes, Jones is not even a party member.

We seem to have a conviction already, charged one day and guilty the next. Why spend time and money on courts. Thomson was guilty from a corrupt document from FWA, so why are the courts taking so long to charge him.
This would be the only place to find someone guilty before they are charged.

Gillard did extremely well in the debate that took the place on question time today.
Abbott did very badly.
It however highlights just how bad the hung nature of this Parliament has let us all down.
Also that, you may disagree, our two unwanted leaders survive ONLY because they are opposed by , one another.
One gos the other must, the election is far from assured.
But I remain with no doubt, Labor lead by Gillard can not win.

the handbag brigade now have to protect Slipper, Thompson, the trade unions etc etc. Oakshott and Windsor have again demonstrated how willing they are to compromise on any issue in order to cling to power. What an emasculated gutless group of men we have in power. Give me good husbands and fathers any day than emasculated whimps in Parliament being henpecked by feminist.

Understand that SM but cannot see why a PM should apologise for the actions of another individual. I would be arguing the same if Liberal President caught rorting, why would Abbott need to apologise.

The only person who should apologise is Williamson to all HSU members for rorting their membership fees so he and his family could live the high life on the backs of some of poorest paid workers.

That poor woman shoplifting in South Australia is obviously mentally ill.happens to some women around the menopause. Can't blame her.