[Greens-Media] Baird misleads parliament and community on union support for port sell-off

[John Kaye]

Baird misleads parliament and community on union support for port sell-off

23 November 2013


NSW Treasurer Mike Baird has misled the Hunter community and parliament by
claiming  "even the unions" were "broadly supportive" of the lease of the
Port of Newcastle to the private sector, according to Greens NSW MP John
Kaye.

(Newcastle Herald, 23 November 2013,  p. 13).

In response to a Budget Estimates Question on Notice  (see Appendix 1
below) from Dr Kaye, Mr Baird stated that:

"The Maritime Union of Australia and the Australian Maritime Officers Union
were reported in The Australian newspaper on 20 June 2013 as stating that
Australian super funds should consider buying the Port."

In fact, in 'Unions constrain their rage on privatisation of Newcastle
port' (The Australian , 26 June 2013) both unions stated their opposition
to the long term lease:

"Both the Maritime Union of Australia and the Australian Maritime Officers
Union oppose privatisation in principle, but say that if the port is sold,
Australian super funds should consider buying it."

Mr Baird has misled parliament by suggesting that 'opposition in principle'
is the same as 'broadly supportive'.

Media comments:

Dr Kaye said: "Treasurer Mike Baird has converted 'opposition in principle'
into 'broadly supportive'.

"That's highly deceptive behaviour.

"The unions were only saying that if the port were to be privatised then
the best deal for their members would be a superannuation fund, rather than
a multinational corporation.

"Mike Baird twisted the union official's words to mean the opposite of what
they said. He not only grossly misrepresented the MUA and the Australian
Maritime Officers Union but his answer to my question in budget estimates
is misleading.

"This is low standard politics. Mr Baird should have confessed that the
unions do not support port privatisation. Instead he tried to maintain the
myth that they are in favour of his grab for cash.

"The union movement has been treated with absolute contempt.

"Instead of consulting with the representatives of port employees, Mike
Baird misrepresents what they said in a newspaper article to bolster the
case for his sell-off.

"Port privatisation has been imposed on the Hunter without time or
opportunity for a debate on the future of the region's economy.

"If Mr Baird is confused about what the unions feel about the sell-off,
it's because he reads a Murdoch daily rather than talking directly to the
representatives of the port employees.

"If he had, he would have been in no doubt that they were anything but
'broadly supportive'.

"This is yet more evidence that any claimed consultation on the rushed port
leasing has been nothing but a sham," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455



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Appendix 1:

QUESTION TAKEN ON NOTICE
GENERAL PURPOSE STANDING COMMITTEE NUMBER 1 - LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

TREASURY
15 August 2013

Question Number: 5

Question: The Treasurer is reported as saying “even the unions” had offered
their “broad support” for the Newcastle Ports Transaction.

a)     Can the Treasurer say which unions had offered their “broad support”
and when did they do so?
b)     Was this in writing to the Treasurer, in private discussions or in
the public media?

Answer:
a)    The Maritime Union of Australia and the Australian Maritime Officers
Union were reported in The Australian newspaper on 20 June 2013 as stating
that Australian super funds should consider buying the Port.
b)    As above

-- 
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John Kaye
Greens NSW MP
phone: 0407 195 455
web: www.john.nsw.greens.org.au
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