Belly,

Having introduced the subject of the chasm of difference between Little Billie Shorten and AWU boss Paul Howes who is one of the king-makers influencing the choice of Labor leadership, you can't just do the sand bucket and ostrich trick when it is obvious that Bill Shorten's frivolous negativity in rejecting all proposed by the government is rebounding on him.

Paul Howes knows that the excesses of the victim industries and of big unions, have bled the Aussies taxpayer white. They have never cared about the 'traditional' (Left slur word) vulnerable either, such as age pensioners and the working poor.

More importantly to Howes, it is not a public secret any more (though some OLO posters would prefer it was never mentioned!) that the closures of big businesses are following the trend of closures of small businesses.

Speaking of small businesses, everyone here would know of multiple small business closures in their local suburb alone over the six dark, regressive years of Gillard and Rudd. Not forgetting Greens leaders Bob Brown and Milne and the Greens Watermelons, who worked hard at creating both political and social divisions at the same time.

What odds are the Bookies giving on Paul Howes dislodging Little Billie Shorten?

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/paul-howes-takes-position-that-should-have-been-bill-shortens/story-fni0fha6-1226821046741
A well put together and balanced story that seems to end this thread nicely.
And too to show my thoughts expressed here are far from unshared.
To win elections and to gain public trust, you must take the test of honesty as it comes .
For that reason if no other Abbott,s 12 month showcase will strengthen the trade union movement.
By forcing it to confront the need for long neglected change.

It returns the thread to the unlikelihood of Little Billie Shorten surviving when AWU boss Paul Howes, who was a Gillard supporter - as in 'we've got your back Julia' - is making the announcements that Shorten didn't have the wit nor the bottle to make. Previously, mother-in-law Quentin Bryce the Governor-General, also stepped in to give L'il Billie Shorten the heads-up and a few lines to follow.

Even Labor sympathiser Laurie Oakes can see that Shorten is damp squib. It is his article leader after all,

"Paul Howes takes position that should have been Bill Shorten's"

and later,

<And the way Howes chimed in at the National Press Club on Wednesday with an attack on union corruption and a call for the labour movement to "cut that cancer out" helped with one of Abbott's key aims: to wedge Opposition Leader Bill Shorten on the issue. There was nothing wrong with what Howes said. The problem was that Shorten had not said it - or rather, had not said it nearly as well.

Even some of Shorten's senior colleagues admitted privately they wished their leader had spoken out as strongly. Shorten has said "there should be zero tolerance for any criminal activity, be it in trade unions or corporate Australia".

But there was no passion in his statements, no urgency, no suggestion the labour movement and its leaders should be proactive.>

tbc

continued...

<..Yet Howes pulled out all stops.

"There are things that need to be said and said in the strongest possible terms," he told the Press Club. Any union official proved to be engaged in corrupt or criminal behaviour was "a traitor". The labour movement itself must lead the way in identifying dishonesty and taking action.

Howes spoke of the need to "crack down hard", adding that those who act dishonestly from within the union movement were "worse than any crook boss".

Howes also said: "The eternal truism of leadership is that you define the environment lest it define you." It was a telling line.

The criticism of Shorten is that, by not going in hard, he is allowing the labour movement - and, by extension, the Labor Party - to be defined by crooks and spivs in the unions and the Coalition's response to them.>
[taken from Belly's link above]

Howes is a dead man, make that dead metrosexual fish, walking.

Belly, although he's got the right name PAUL Howes is not my favourite Labor person. I see him as a sell out and a bit of an Uncle Tom, full of self interest. What is his game? Running his own agenda, not so much to call for reform, as rightly he should do so, but rather launch an indirect attack on Shorten with his statements. Indeed Abbott should "hardly believe his luck". There is no need for Howes to put the boot in, there are plenty on the other side ready, willing and able to do just that. Then again I must question, besides on hie own side, on what side does Howes sit.
On thing we must not lose sight of is, you can't have union corruption in this game, without corporate corruption as well. All needs investigation not just a politically motivated witch hunt of unions.

Paul you will know others may not.
AWU Australian Workers Union in the post war years and before, stood firmly against Communism.
It was well placed to become this country,s biggest right [within the party and union] union.
The left of reality named us Australia,s Worst Union,while their members sickened by leftist propaganda fled to join us.
In those industry's we could by law serve them, some are isolated and captive to silly law covering who may recruit who.
A Truth in politics and unionism, leftist workers/unionists/voters are a rare commodity.
At a mid work choices meeting in this states home of coal and such.
*Members in numbers over 100 threatened to leave unions, FOREVER,* if ever called comrades again.
Paul this too is truth we are of the past the future is with men like Howes, and if he finds his lost mojo Shorten.
I remain convinced workers in rural areas of this state have been priced out of jobs by a union without the understanding of the AWU
A boss must first be able to eat or workers too starve.
Look to the future not a fantasy past.