Comments on: Constructing Fear: Union doco steps up online campaign

By: Scorpio

Scorpio — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 04:28:08 +0000

At any rate would Ralph Fiennes look good in a Australian Building and Construction Commission uniform.

Darlene, I think he would look much better than I imagine he would have, half dressed in a Qantas Hosties uniform just recently.

By: John Greenfield

John Greenfield — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 04:02:05 +0000

Darlene

I would not hold out any hope for “social justice,” as there is no such thing.

By: Darlene

Darlene — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 03:57:06 +0000

Anna, I do think some Labor hacks expect the party to be this wonderfully progressive agent for change (incidentally I was a member of the ALP from 1998 to 2005). However, unlike the Greens, the ALP must attempt to win government, and thus can’t be all that some members want it be. I don’t think that’s such a big call. Rudd doesn’t particularly impress me, but I’ll be voting ALP in the lower house. I expect a Rudd Government to be more thoughtful and into social justice than the current mob (gee that’d be hard), but I don’t expect them to be incredibly progressive.

And don’t tell me you aren’t aware of disgruntled ALP members who spend a fair amount of time moaning about how the modern ALP is nothing like the old ALP (by which I think they mean the party is nothing like Gough).

By: John Greenfield

John Greenfield — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 03:02:14 +0000

There are very good reasons for avoiding lazy allusions to the nazis and this thread highlights some of them. I am at a loss as to why Socialist and Communist types always feel the need to invoke the Nazis. They have far more numerous and appropriate examples from the Communist twentieth century they could use.

By: Razor

Razor — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 02:35:20 +0000

Rocky O’Rourke – the $60 mill was a good investment. Time lost to work place disputes had fallen to an all time low, in particular within the construction industry. The net benefit to the economy is vast multiples of that spent on the Royal Commission.

When the ABCC starts torturing and executing people, then you can call them Gestapo. Use of Nazi/Gestapo shows a poor understanding of history and a poor grasp of the english language.

By: Bingo Bango Boingo

Bingo Bango Boingo — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 01:04:13 +0000

Amanda,

“I think BBB is saying they shouldn’t be emphasising the dividends angle, but rather the employment angle.”

That’s right. Sorry for the confusion, Mark.

Liam,

“No way. It’s like the line that insidious cult AA take towards drinkers: the sickness is inside you. For the rest of your life you’ll just be taking it one day at a time.”

Damn. Having to repeatedly announce ‘Hi, I’m BBB and I’m a Young Liberal’ is really going to fuxk with my social life.

Cheers
BBB

By: Rocky O'Rourke

Rocky O'Rourke — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 01:02:42 +0000

Question: How many Cfmeu/etu/etc officials faced or was convicted of charges arising ffom the findings of the Royal Commission?

A: None

1 idiot in Sydney, Sammy Manna, did commit perjury and spent 3 months in Silverwater for it as well.

$60 million, dozens of lawyers, phone taps, every disgruntled anti-union grubby subby in the country through the dock and Abbot didn’t get one scalp.

Piss weak, and this has been used as the justification for the new Gestapo.

How have they got away with it? I blame the labor affilated union leaderships with their lie low strategy. Get out your history books. Anti-union laws aren’t defeated in Parliament. What would Monty Miller think?

Their stratgey is largely discredited now as the ex-federal police won’t be going straight to Hungry Jacks.

Lastly, why did Terrence Cole get two massive politically sensitive Royal Commissions in a row? Just after he was named for the Construction Commission I was having a beer with one of Australia’s best loved ex-union officials who told me “don’t worry, they’ve got something on him.”

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:56:01 +0000

Bismarck, I’m not particularly comfortable with those powers in the hands of the CMC either – particularly when many of their investigations are politicised.

By: Anna Winter

Anna Winter — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:51:05 +0000

The trouble with a lot of Labor apparatchik is they expect too much from Labor sometimes.

Hahahahahhahahaha!!

Oh. You’re serious?

By: Katz

Katz — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:49:19 +0000

Yes, the use of the Gestapo parallel provokes misdirection of discussion into unproductive areas.

As Bismarck has suggested, the coercive powers of the Australian Building and Construction Commission are thoroughly integrated into the mainstream of executive practice.

It would be UnAustralian to assert otherwise, and perhaps even tantamount to seditious.

PS, if the executive suspects on any grounds at all that you are seditious, you will become subject to a whole different regime of coercive executive powers.

If you don’t like it, you don’t deserve to leave it.

Instead you’ll be locked up.