Martin Ferguson Resigns From Gillard Ministry; Second Departure Today

Mar 22, 2013 Leave a Comment

Martin Ferguson, the Minister for Resources and Energy, has resigned from the Gillard government.

Following yesterday’s leadership spill debacle, Ferguson said his resignation was “the only honourable thing to do”. He voted for Kevin Rudd in last year’s leadership ballot and would have voted for Rudd yesterday if the former prime minister had contested the ballot.

Ferguson is the second minister to resign today. The Minister for Tertiary Education, Chris Bowen, announced his resignation this morning.

  • Listen to Ferguson’s press conference (27m)

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Ferguson

Ferguson said he doesn’t support the idea of by-elections and would re-contest Batman at this year’s election.

Ferguson is also the Minister for Tourism. He has held both portfolios since the election of the Rudd government in 2007. He has been the member for Batman in Melbourne since 1996. He has been a member of the frontbench in opposition and government continuously since 1996.

Prior to entering parliament, Ferguson was President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) from 1990-96. He succeeded Simon Crean who was ACTU President from 1985-90. Crean was sacked yesterday after calling on Prime Minister Julia Gillard to call a leadership spill.

In his resignation press conference, Ferguson pointedly referred to Labor values. He spoke of his pride in being involved in implementing The Accord during the Hawke government and transcending “class war”. He praised social wage measures such as Medicare and called for more “give and take”.

Ferguson said the debate over media policy over the past two weeks demonstrated the need for the government to improve its cabinet processes.

 

Filed Under: 2013 Federal Election, A.L.P., Audio2013, Cabinet-Ministry, Gillard Tagged With: , , , ,

When Is A Shift Not A Shift?

Jul 19, 2012

A frontpage report in the Financial Review this morning invited readers to believe that union support for Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s leadership was “shifting”.

A closer read showed that a meeting at the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) on Tuesday discussed the Labor leadership but the union leaders remained supportive of Gillard, although conscious that “time is running out”.

Union and political figures have been at pains during the day to dispute the accuracy of the report. They have adamantly denied suggestions of a “shift”.

Perhaps the most reliable take-out from the Financial Review report is the claim that union leaders were concerned about the advent of an Abbott government. Their attitude to the leadership is reflected in their desire to avoid an early election that could result from any attempt to remove Gillard.

Media critics have been quick to jump on the report as further evidence of the media’s preoccupation with leadership at the expense of policy. Others see it as evidence of a shift to the right under the Financial Review’s new editor, Michael Stutchbury.

However, it seems clear that another decision on the Labor leadership is likely over the next few months. What isn’t clear is whether the obstacles to a Rudd revival can be overcome. Moreover, it isn’t clear whether the party has the capacity to change leaders without destroying the government and precipitating an election. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gillard, Opinion Tagged With: , , , ,

ACTU Congress Pays Tribute To Bill Kelty

May 16, 2012

Bill KeltyThe triennial Congress of the Australian Council of Trade Unions has paid tribute to the work of its former Secretary, Bill Kelty.

At a dinner in Sydney, former Prime Minister Paul Keating led the tributes.

Kelty was ACTU Secretary from 1983 until 2000. Throughout the Hawke/Keating governments, he was pivotal to the operation of The Accord with the union movement.

Kelty’s work with the government on superannuation reforms, wage fixing, tariff reductions and other issues was vital to the economic reform and social legislation of the 1980s and 1990s.

  • Listen to ACTU President Ged Kearney introduce Paul Keating (7m)

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    Paul Keating [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audio, Audio2012, Economy, Gillard, Hawke, Keating, Unions, Video Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Gillard Addresses ACTU Congress: “I Fight For Australia”

May 15, 2012

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has addressed the triennial ACTU Congress in Sydney.

  • Listen to Ged Kearney introduce Julia Gillard (5m)

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  • Listen to Gillard’s speech (28m)

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Text of Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s speech to the ACTU Congress.

Thank you so very much, and thank you to Ged for that kind introduction.

I’m so proud to be here today as a Labor Prime Minister, so proud to stand before you, and for me this has a real sense of homecoming.

Not to this place, but to the people who are gathered in it, a real sense of homecoming to the great Australian trade union movement, the trade union movement that gave birth to our political party. It’s good to be home with you.

A sense of homecoming too, because I learnt my trade union values in my family home.

My parents, John and Moira, taught me many things, but of all of them, first and foremost, they taught me to cherish family, they taught me to study and to work hard, they taught me to respect other people and they taught me to always, always, always carry your union membership card.

They taught me the value of trade unionism. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audio, Audio2012, Gillard, Unions, Video Tagged With: , ,

ACTU Distances Itself From Health Services Union

Apr 04, 2012

The Australian Council of Trade Unions is about to suspend the Health Services Union.

Kearney, Lawrence - ACTU

Officials of the Australian Council of Trade Unions officials said today the organisation had “zero tolerance” for corruption or the “misuse of members’ funds”. Ged Kearney and Jeff Lawrence said the ACTU was considering suspension of the Health Services Union.

  • Listen to Kearney and Lawrence:

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