Mindless union bashing
YOUR columnist Keith Wheeler indulged in a substantial union bashing exercise today (Daily Advertiser, April 18).
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I noticed that he made little reference to the issue of safety in the workplace, something that many unions have been responsible for implementing.
As regards the current issue re the pay determination and truck rates, I wonder does he and others know that the rate proposed is actually less than state-legislated rates in NSW, Victoria and WA, which are based on distance and hours worked.
It is interesting that Mr Shorten offered to negotiate on this tribunal finding; apparently the government is unwilling to accept his offer. Am I naïve in thinking that the PM will use anything he can to improve his standing rather than being prepared to negotiate sensibly?
His and Senator Cash’s union/Labor bashing is neither constructive or very sensible.
Mary Kidson
Wagga
Heart ‘bleeds’ for MP
MY HEART goes out to our local member, Michael McCormack, who has copped plenty of criticism over paying his wife $273 a night of taxpayers’ money to stay at her Canberra house.
And then I read in the DA where he spent the first couple of years as a politician in Canberra “living in a sparse little one-bed place that didn’t even have a television”.
I was mortified and shocked.
As I have a soft-spot for politicians, this brought me to tears.
I was inconsolable.
His situation reminded me of the thousands of pensioners who are faced with a similar situation on a daily basis.
However, unlike Mr McCormack, a single pensioner received about $400 per week, compared to Mr McCormack’s slightly higher salary of about $5130 per week.
And let’s not forget that his wife would also have a modest income as a full-time manager for Dennis Family Homes.
So what I am really trying to say to his detractors is this - please, give the guy a break. He must be going through hell just to make ends meet.
His personal sacrifice (eg living in a little one-bed room without a TV), is well above and beyond the call of duty.
To think that in this day and age our hardworking and dedicated (and underpaid) politicians are subjected to such shabby treatment, beggars belief.
Mr McCormack theorises that politicians earn far less than their private sector equivalents.
If one considers the present mood of his electorate, then there is every possibility that after the next federal elections Mr McCormack will have every chance to put his theory to the test.
Geoff Field
Gundagai
Merger stand disingenuous
IT’S great news that so many Liberal and National Party MPs (state and federal) are coming out publicly against Premier Mike Baird’s forced council mergers.
Most recently, National MPs Kevin Anderson and Kevin Humphries joined a rally to call for Walcha not to be forcibly merged and denounced forced amalgamations.
The most senior National MP in Australia, Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce, has also called for Walcha to stand alone.
The problem is many Liberal and National MPs say one thing in their local communities and do another in parliament.
They have already voted twice against allowing the issue of forced mergers to be debated in parliament.
They are roosters in their electorates, but feather dusters in Macquarie Street.
If your local MP says they support your local council, get them to act on it.