tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/hsu-2755/articlesHSU – The Conversation2012-05-21T05:52:13Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/71502012-05-21T05:52:13Z2012-05-21T05:52:13ZCraig Thomson shoots from the hip in speech to parliament<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/10874/original/tv9bmvkp-1337577946.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Thomson became emotional as he described the toll media scrutiny had taken on his family.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Alan Porritt</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Craig Thomson’s address to parliament today promised to either clear the air or dig a deeper hole for the embattled MP.</p>
<p>It would be an understatement to say that the Craig Thomson affair has been an unwelcome distraction for the Gillard government. Fair Work Australia (FWA) took more than three years to finish a report that examined Thomson’s time in the Health Services Union. During this period, the Labor government has had to endure accusations that it was harbouring a corrupt former union official as well as interfering in the authority’s processes.</p>
<p>The government, and the prime minister, often struggled to shift the attention back to the political debate as the FWA took place. And Gillard has been heavily criticised for not dealing with Thomson quickly enough. Indeed, Gillard moved to suspend Thomson just days before the FWA report was released, sparking debate about her political judgement.</p>
<h2>The uncomfortable minority</h2>
<p>While allegations of misusing union money were levelled at Thomson for more than three years, it has been the closeness of the numbers in parliament that has really put the spotlight on the member for Dobell.</p>
<p>Indeed, Tony Abbott and the opposition’s attacks on Thomson would not be as potent had the government won a comfortable majority at the 2010 election. </p>
<p>Labor could have cut him adrift if they had five, ten or 15 seats to play with. But the minority government situation has meant that every seat is crucial to ensuring Labor remains in power.</p>
<h2>The blame game</h2>
<p>Thomson has been on the front foot since the FWA report was released. In a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Bp0wbOm-etk">recent interview</a> with Laurie Oakes on Channel 9 (which Thomson today revealed was “very hard”), he argued that he was set up by unscrupulous individuals who were intent on destabilising his political career.</p>
<p>As expected, he used his speech to name names. He accused Michael Lawler, the partner of HSU national secretary Kathy Jackson, of interfering in the long running investigation in his capacity as “the second in charge” of FWA. He also accused former deputy secretary of the HSU, Marco Bolano, as the individual who allegedly threatened to derail his political ambitions by setting him up with prostitutes. He then alleged that the stood-aside HSU president Michael Williamson had threatened to besmirch his reputation.</p>
<p>The media did not escape blame in Thomson’s speech. He argued that some in the press gallery were running a campaign which complimented the opposition’s attacks on his integrity. He said the media and opposition had “unleashed the lynch mob” and became emotional when he recounted a time when Channel 7 reporters “hovered beneath the bathroom window” while his “pregnant wife took a shower”. Channel 7 has since <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/94258223/7-Statement-on-Craig-Thomson">denied</a> this claim.</p>
<h2>The seat of power</h2>
<p>It was fitting for Thomson to counter the allegations he has faced in parliament, where the nation’s political gaze was fixed during his lengthy speech. By speaking in parliament today, Thomson was also protected under parliamentary privilege which gives MPs immunity from defamation and libel laws.</p>
<p>An important point to remember is that Thomson’s alleged activities occurred while he was in the Health Services Union before he entered parliament. There are no allegations that he misappropriated parliamentary resources, a point Mr Thomson made early in his speech.</p>
<p>Calls from some to somehow <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/fair-work-to-rule-on-thomsons-fate/story-fn7x8me2-1226348449567">suspend</a> Thomson, or <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-09/dobell-anger/4000846">throw him out</a> of parliament for alleged misconduct while he was not an MP are somewhat premature. Being a foreign citizen or being sentenced to prison for a year or more are some of the reasons why an MP may be disqualified by the Australian Constitution. The allegations against Thomson do not compare with this.</p>
<p>Furthermore, Mr Thomson was elected by the citizens of Dobell in 2007 and again in 2010. They are best placed to pass judgement on his performance as an MP at the next election.</p>
<h2>The struggling party</h2>
<p>Mr Thomson maintained his innocence by reiterating points he had previously made through public statements. In a sometimes impassioned speech, Thomson attacked the nature of the allegations and painted himself as an individual who sought to enhance the operation of the Health Services Union. The implication was that those who opposed his quest for greater transparency in the union sought to undermine his political career.</p>
<p>Today’s speech would also be welcomed by the Gillard government. It may serve to more clearly define Mr Thomson as a separate entity to Labor.</p>
<p>This speech went well beyond the expected 15 minutes it was reported to take. It appeared to serve as a cathartic exercise for Mr Thomson. His speech, however, has raised further questions that will no doubt be answered by commentators and those involved in the alleged activities, especially concerning how the Health Services Union has operated in the past.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/7150/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Zareh Ghazarian does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Craig Thomson’s address to parliament today promised to either clear the air or dig a deeper hole for the embattled MP. It would be an understatement to say that the Craig Thomson affair has been an unwelcome…Zareh Ghazarian, Lecturer, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/63292012-04-10T02:32:48Z2012-04-10T02:32:48ZThe Health Services Union scandal and Labor’s unhappy political marriage<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9420/original/t9vt5n3g-1334021257.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=433%2C50%2C3669%2C2777&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The union scandal surrounding Labor MP Craig Thompson shows just why the Labor party should re-consider its relationship with the unions.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP Image/Alan Porritt</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Health Services Union’s scandal continues with calls for its national president <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/health-services-unions-michael-williamson-told-to-step-down-from-his-unions-nsw-leadership-positions/story-e6freuy9-1226322559230">to resign</a> and moves <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/now-knives-are-out-for-hsu-whistleblower-20120409-1wl6j.html">to remove</a> Kathy Jackson, the whistleblower who first revealed claims of credit card misuse, from the national executive.</p>
<p>This comes after Fair Work Australia (FWA) <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3471190.htm">referred its investigation</a> into potential fraud and corruption in the HSU to the Commonwealth DPP, and the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-05/actu-suspends-health-services-union/3935476">suspension of the union</a> by the ACTU. </p>
<p>The debacle could have serious negative political consequences for the Gillard government with Labor MP Craig Thomson at the centre of the scandal. </p>
<p>The Labor party is ignoring it for the moment, but the scandal has highlighted the effects of a close relationship between unions and the Labor party. It’s time to acknowledge that this relationship needs some serious re-thinking.</p>
<h2>Political marriages</h2>
<p>For political parties, structure is destiny. The ALP can’t walk away from the fact that it is dominated by unions, especially by blue collar unions and the conservative catholic led Shop, Distributive and Allied union (SDA). And equally, the union movement can’t hide from the fact that it is married to the ALP. </p>
<p>When one side stuffs up, the other side cops the flack too.</p>
<p>Many of today’s union leaders still blame <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prices_and_Incomes_Accord">the Accord</a>, and Keating’s “recession we had to have”, for the collapse in union densities in the 1990s that almost saw the Australian union movement go backwards.</p>
<p>Modern Labor leaders, on the other hand, like to refer to their “partnership” with the great union movement. Talk of partnerships tends to suggest an arms-length, independent relationship.</p>
<p>Such talk is misleading; union officials dominate party conferences and ALP caucuses. If anything, union influence has strengthened with the collapse of the party’s branch structure.</p>
<p>Many in the trade union movement, and in the ALP, would have you believe that the links between some unions and the ALP don’t matter. That they’re just an historical legacy, the voters don’t care how the sausage is made. </p>
<p>That’s called psychological denial.</p>
<h2>Modernise or perish</h2>
<p>The structure of the ALP has changed very little in the past century. The ALP’s structure is a horse and buggy artifact in an internet age.</p>
<p>The Labor party maintains an antiquated federal structure, even though its political leaders have been pushing for national approaches right across the public policy spectrum for generations on everything from transport and trade recognition to health and education.</p>
<p>The ALP was established by blue-collar unions. The blue-collar workforce has been in decline for more than 50 years. The first federal ALP caucus had just one member with a university degree (in theology), now just about the whole caucus and the whole of the ACTU leadership has been to university.</p>
<p>With historically low union density rates (the proportion of employees in unions) today’s big powerful unions represent middle-class, university trained employees in health and education.</p>
<p>These unions are not, for the most part, ever going to affiliate to the ALP. They value their independence and they know that campaigning is the key to recruiting and retaining members.</p>
<h2>The campaign trail</h2>
<p>For more than a decade, the ACTU has been urging its affiliate to transform themselves into campaigning organisations.</p>
<p>Campaigning generates enthusiasm for unionism. That’s why the union movement’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WorkChoices#Campaigns">campaign against Workchoices</a> gave it a much needed shot in the arm.</p>
<p>But campaigning requires political independence. That’s why the ACTU couldn’t replicate the magic of 2007 in 2010.</p>
<p>The insider politics played by senior union officials during the Rudd and Gillard governments curbed the enthusiasm. Suddenly the t-shirts, rallies and badges seemed less glorious.</p>
<p>So far this has been a destiny postponed.</p>
<p>The Whitlam generation covered over the problem with some middle-class radicalism. The Carr and Beattie generation of state leaders combined severely curtailed policy ambitions with slick media management.</p>
<p>Both these approaches were roundly rejected by the electorate after the gloss wore off. Indeed, the attempt by Rudd and Gillard to import the Carr/Beattie model to Canberra has been the source of much of federal Labor’s recent travails.</p>
<h2>Divided they stand</h2>
<p>The ALP’s date with a modern destiny can’t be postponed any longer.</p>
<p>It is time to end the dominance of union officials, and rebuild a broad-based party with new, modern structures.</p>
<p>Independence, after the initial period of withdrawal pains, will be good for both sides.</p>
<p>Until then, both sides of this old relationship will have to suffer through the ignominy of each other’s poor performances.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/6329/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Trevor Cook does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Health Services Union’s scandal continues with calls for its national president to resign and moves to remove Kathy Jackson, the whistleblower who first revealed claims of credit card misuse, from…Trevor Cook, Recently awarded doctorate, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/62962012-04-06T02:37:57Z2012-04-06T02:37:57ZHealth Services Union: why union members deserve better<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/9411/original/fdpybvxk-1333678511.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Former Health Services Union head Craig Thomson represents a vital vote for the Gillard government.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP Image/Penny Bradfield</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The ACTU yesterday voted to suspend the Health Servives Union from affiliation until they can prove that issues of governance have been dealt with appropriately. </p>
<p>Although it does seem to have been a slow process for the ACTU to get to this point it is the right decision to be taken at this time for reasons which I will outline.</p>
<p>As a union member all of my working life in a variety of unions it has been difficult to hear so publicly that some members of the executive of the Health Services Union (HSU)
have allegedly misused their union credit cards which is after all member’s funds.</p>
<p>It would seem to me to constitute a complete blurring of any boundaries between the personal and the professional made even more incomprehensable alongside basic moral concerns about acceptable behaviour as a trusted public figure. </p>
<p>I am the President of the La Trobe University Branch of the National Tertiary Education Union and as such represent staff who work across a broad range of different areas within my university. </p>
<p>As occurs in all unions I am democratically elected as the President and I can say quite clearly that it is an honour and a privilege to work with and on behalf of members so it seems way off beam for HSU officials to be treating members with such disdain.</p>
<p>Union members need to be confident that dues paid to their respective union are being used in their best interests so that they can be assured that the behaviour of its officials does not bring disrepute to the very organisation that has pledged to represent them in negotiating wages and conditions.</p>
<p>Since this situation has become so public I have been challenged, in the main in a jocular manner, as to what types of purchases I make with my union credit card. Whilst I can take the joke and laugh this off it does bring home the stark reality that as a leader in my union I am responsible not only to our members but also to myself so that when I sign off a communication “In Union” that I am continuing to represent them in ways that makes them proud to be unionists.</p>
<p>If there is anything to be learned from this debacle it is that members are our lifeblood and that without them a union could well pass into irrelevance. For the union movement to continue to be the negotiator of wages and conditions for all workers, leaders need to operate with honesty and integrity so that the long tradition of unionism can continue to be the light by which workers navigate their employment. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/6296/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>I am not aware of any conflicts of interest. </span></em></p>The ACTU yesterday voted to suspend the Health Servives Union from affiliation until they can prove that issues of governance have been dealt with appropriately. Although it does seem to have been a slow…Virginia Mansel Lees, Lecturer, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.