Labor
CANBERRA BOUND: Dargavel to get back to where he once belonged?
The leader of the “In the Red Faction” Steve Dargavel is believed to be planning to visit Parliament House in Canberra today.
The desperate AMWU boss has been keen to use political leverage to financially benefit his union and potentially get himself back to Club Fed on a permanent basis. Dargavel was the MP for the Canberra based seat of Fraser before being rolled in preselection by Bob McMullan, former ALP national secretary, who thought Dargavel to be a few tiles short of a roof.
That tile shortage hasn’t limited Dargavel’s ability to find friends in Melbourne he can travel with, at union members’ expense of course. Accompanying the financially challenged union boss will be Ambition Faction representatives such as the emotional NUW boss Charlie Donnelly, their quiet and wily Antony Thow and the CFMEU Construction Victorian secretary Bill Oliver.
MICKY DEE BUSY KEEPING IT REAL
It is not known whether SDA Secretary Michael Donovan will be accompanying the Ambition Faction delegation. While just as ambitious as the next unionist, he directs his ambitions in the interests of his members, he is busy running his union, which continues to power along from success to success without needing government assistance as one SDA informer reminded VEXNEWS this week.
Their financially robust organisations must look on at the AMWU ceremonial leader Dargavel as their poor cousin and quite possibly have snaffled croissants from the breakfast bar of their hotel to ensure militant Steve had something to snack on before meeting the well-fed pollies on the Hill.
The purpose of the planned visit is to make it known to some Victorian based federal MPs that they ought no longer listen in fear to the orations of Industry Minister and Socialist Left titan Senator Kim Il Carr. Some of the delegation are believed to think it would be more productive if Dargavel stayed at home so there is a chance he might not accompany them, given the contempt in which he is widely held.
Also the delegation is keen to present the union group’s log of claims, a list so long apparently that if printed on one continuous sheet of paper it would reach all the way from state Industry Minister Martin Pakula’s office on the 36th floor of the DIIRD building in the city to Exhibition Street below.
LOG OF CLAIMS
Also the delegation is keen to present the union group’s log of claims, a list so long apparently that if printed on one continuous sheet of paper it would reach all the way from state Industry Minister Martin Pakula’s office on the 36th floor of the DIIRD building in the city to Exhibition Street below. Legend passed along from one hack to another has it that the deal carves out the specifics of the industrial arrangements at the water desal plant, entrusting the construction of the facility to the CFMEU and AMWU (who hope to get 400 members) while the operation of it will go the far less crazy NUW. A deal as pure and fresh as a chilled bottle of Evian.
Senator David Feeney has been offering assistance to the visitors, arranging meetings on their behalf and generally presenting a civilised face for a motley crew.
Requests to meet Senators Carr and Conroy were politely declined, VEXNEWS understands, due to the busy schedules of the two senior ministers.
Parliamentary Secretary Bill Shorten has apparently also agreed to meet with some of the unionists but only to discuss matters of mutual interest, leaving aside ALP internal discussions to another time. It is not known at this time whether he will permit the Israel-hating, 9/11 conspiracy theorising loon Dargavel to darken his door. Certainly, his office staff would be well advised to count the cutlery afterwards given the AMWU financial meltdown that has occurred on Dargavel’s watch.
THE MACHINE ROLLS ON
Meanwhile, back in Melbourne, as rumoured in the weekend’s press, the Admin Committee is believed to be set to open nominations for state and federal preselections on Friday. The move appeared to take some in the Ambition Faction by surprise, even though it had been foreshadowed here and elsewhere.
Labor insiders say that with a federal election able to be called as early as late this year, they are keen to start the preselection process as quickly as possible in the interests of party stability.
“And also to give Dargavel the sh*ts” one SL source explained, their willingness to offer commentary with our august publication reflecting the curious times we find ourselves in.
Discussion
19 comments for “CANBERRA BOUND: Dargavel to get back to where he once belonged?”
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Isn’t it weird that Demi Moore looks like Catherine Devaney when she has teeth missing?
http://images.theage.com.au/2009/05/27/542632/demi_moore_420-420×0.jpg
Watch it Steve……when Charlie is pounding your arse don’t scream too loud…you have to bend over for Thowy too. It’s a daisy chain of Ambition Faction love!
Timmy, I would not have put it in words quite the same as you have, but the meaning of what you are saying is spot on.
Dargavel has sold his soul and ‘left’principals to the nasty NUW ambition faction.
I hope the MPs have enough guts to tell this stinking lefty softcock, to ‘Eff Off’.
He looks like a psychotic choir boy.
“the Hon” Steve Dargavel MP – surely not?
Never an office holder, so no
Andrew, let me get this right, according to your story, the IR minister [NUW] and the water minister [NUW] have done a deal to get POSC votes from the AMWU and CFMEU in return for garanteeing union coverage at the desal plant. That could not be right as it would be exposed the moment the signed agreement became public or if it didn’t it would be exposed when the project goes ahead. Then the ministers would be exposed as acting very improperly indeed so they would not be that stupid. [Would they???]
Dargavel is no hope
“Micheal Donovan working in the interests of his members? The SDA continues to power along from success after success”? Surely you must be a stand up comedian to promote such bullshit! The SDA is so deep “in the bosses pockets” that they even scratch the bosses scrotum’s whilst they’re at it. Without a doubt the worst union (or claiming to be a union) who’s membership numbers are a result of the bosses recruiting on the SDA’s behalf. “We sign them up and you remain invisible and be complacent” is the arrangement that bosses use to shore up the SDA’s numbers. Active on nothing, delivers nothing and an embarrassment to the Union movement.
Reply to Chubby Checker: That must be why in the last SDA elections 94% of the members voted for Michael Donovan’s team.
Q: When is a union not a union
A: When its the SDA
C’mon anon 0.39, 94% voted for the Donovan Ticket. But how many SDA members voted, not many.
Cos lets face it the SDA has done nothing for workers apart from give up their penalty rates, give up higher pay on sundays etc etc, all so that employers will keep direct debitng workers pay on their behalf. SDA a strong union they will hardly bring the nation to its knees by organising a strike of Myer and K Mart sales assistants.
How does Denis Parker get a gig as an organiser with the SDA? Isn’t his personal life considered a sin in that churchy union?
To:Former Retail Employee. Over 15,000 members voted in the union election (voting is not compulsory) – with 94% in support of the union leadership. An emphatic vote of support.
Anon, over 15,000 voted with 94% support you say? I bet the SDA and their Employer buddies celebrated the “win -win”. A few years more of a cosy relationship where workers in the industry are neglected and the complacency from the SDA continues. What a joke!
We in Canberra do not want him back he was foisted on us as an MP when for a brief period of time we had three members elected to the HOR and what a waste of space he was then and now it appears a bigger waste. Please keep him, or better still send him west, they appear to have fallen asleep over their and are in need of a wake up call.
steve were you having those croissants having a meeting with union solidarity in a back street of melbourne during the boeing dispute.hope boeing dont find out.
Steve your always trying to do a deal for yourself just for once put us members first and save members money resign.