Eric’s hack attack

Senator the Hon. Eric Abetz
Special Minister of State
Liberal Senator for Tasmania
Union hacks, Labor apparatchiks dominate Labor’s state election candidates

The preselection of the Labor Party candidates for the next State Election is in direct defiance to the Party’s National President plea to stop selecting union hacks and Labor Party advisers as candidates, the Special Minister of State, Senator Eric Abetz, said today.

Senator Abetz said that of the 27 preselected Labor Party candidates, no less than 18 of them had backgrounds as union representatives, Labor Party advisers or failed candidates.

“Paul Lennon and the Labor Party in Tasmania have failed in finding candidates which represent a broad cross section of the community, so they have gone back to the tired, old theme of preselecting union hacks and Labor Party staffers”, Senator Abetz said.

“In October, the ALP’s National President, Mr Barry Jones, called for a shake-up of the Labor Party, including a cease to the practice of constantly pre-selecting candidates who had union or Labor Party backgrounds.

“The announcement by Premier Lennon on Tuesday of the ALP’s State Election candidates appears to be directly contravening this statement from Mr Jones.

“Among the twenty seven ALP candidates, eight are current or former union representatives, nine have been employed in Labor Party offices and one is a failed former State ALP candidate.

“I don’t dispute that some former union and Labor Party staffers may have something to add to public life, but having them make up two thirds of the Labor Party’s election team is simply unrepresentative.

“In contrast to Labor’s unrepresentative group of candidates, the State Liberal Team is made up of a broad cross-section of the community with backgrounds in areas such as small business, farming, forestry, the legal fraternity, teaching, the defence force, criminology, public service and banking among many other areas.

“They understand the needs of the local communities and local residents, many of whom are suffering from the arrogant, misguided approach of the Lennon Labor Government.”

LABOR’S UNION HACKS AND APPARATCHICKS:

BASS
Grant Courtney: Secretary, Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union
Kathryn Hay: Former Adviser to Labor Premier
Michelle O’Byrne: Former MHR, former Union organiser, National
Co-convenor of Labor Party’s Emily’s List, failed Labor candidate

BRADDON
Leonie Batchelor: Staffer to Labor Senator
Brenton Best: Union organiser, Federated Engine Drivers and Fireman’s Association of Australasia
Bryan Green: State Organiser, Australian Manufacturers Workers Union and former staffer to Labor Senator
Peter Hollister: failed Labor Candidate for Braddon

DENISON
David Bartlett: Adviser to Labor Minister
Julie Collins: Adviser to Labor Premier
Joe Ritchie: Brother of Labor Party’s Left faction convenor and ALP Legislative Council member, union official
Lisa Singh: Adviser to disgraced Labor Minister, Ken Bacon, National Labor Women’s Network, former Co-Convenor of Emily’s List in Tasmania and Emily’s List National Committee member
Graeme Sturges: Senior official, Australian Postal and Telecommunications Union

FRANKLIN
Ross Butler: Senior union official and former Ministerial adviser
Lara Giddings: Labor Ministerial adviser
Daniel Hulme: President, Tasmanian Young Labor
Paul Lennon: Senior union official
Paula Wriedt: Labor staffer

LYONS
Malcolm Upston: Official, Australian Education Union