April 15, 2013
Energy Minister Mark McArdle said today the Electrical Trades Union was running “a dishonest campaign” on asset sales “using its members’ hard-earned funds for purely political purposes”.
He said he was disappointed the union would continue using members’ money on such campaigns, while still donating to the Labor Party which had supported electricity asset privatisation at a federal level.
“We have said it time and time again that there will be no government business sales without a mandate,” Mr McArdle said.
“On the other hand, the ETU has hidden its own toxic branding to try to gain credibility for its Not4Sale campaign, while still donating to Labor.
“The ETU is crying crocodile tears while using members’ funds to donate to the Labor Party, which lied to Queenslanders about asset sales in 2009, and then in 2012 submitted its support for asset sales federally.
“The Federal Labor Government is on the record as supporting electricity asset privatisation, as per its submission to the Senate-Select Committee on Electricity Prices on 17 September 2012, in consultation with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.”
Mr McArdle said it was “time the ETU served the interests of its members and not the Labor Party”.
“The union movement has an opportunity to be part of a constructive discussion on government business ownership, but would rather allocate members’ money to furthering Labor’s agenda,” he said.
Mr McArdle re-affirmed that no government businesses would be sold without a mandate.
- Related link: Forum To Fight Asset Sales
