Federal Government
LEFT ON LEFT VIOLENCE: Labor Lefty joins ABCC crusade against CFMEU thugs
The outlaw Construction division of the CFMEU in Victoria continues to make headlines through its antics, today gaining mainly sympathetic coverage from The Age newspaper which claims the rich and powerful union will be imperilled by fines that could be levied for its crimes and misdemeanours.
Sources within the labour movement say that the Victorian branch of that union has at least $35 million in net assets and would easily endure the maximum possible fine of $7 million as a result of its bandit behaviour at the West Gate Freeway picket.
The union faces gravely serious allegations that it threatened the lives of workers who weren’t members of the CFMEU at that picket. VEXNEWS has previously reported on the paid presence of Geelong bikies and convicted criminals at the West Gate picket.
VEXNEWS can also report that former faction friends of the CFMEU Construction crew are abandoning them at great pace. Not only is the most prominent member of the Labor Left, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard making it clear that she will not tolerate their antics, others are joining in the fun.
Former anti-Danby warrior of the Left and associated running dogs in Melbourne Ports, Leigh Johns has emerged [pdf] as the Deputy Commissioner of the Australian Building and Construction Commission, the Commonwealth agency established to maintain law and order on construction sites in this country. The Commission’s website reveals that the lefty lawyer will be in charge of roughing up the CFMEU in the courts:
“As Deputy Commissioner Operations, Mr Johns will lead the ABCC Operations Group in its functions of advising on and enforcing workplace laws in the building and construction industry and monitoring compliance with the National Code of Practice for the Construction Industry.”
The agency spends tens of millions of dollars a year in its effort to do this, such is the lawlessness of the CFMEU Construction brigade.
We understand that Johns was not a member of the Left or their then allies in the NUW Network group, for a time he was a leader in the forces opposed to Michael Danby, the Labor moderate member for Melbourne Ports, even going so far as to challenge him for preselection after one term in Parliament. Johns – a former President of the popular Midsumma Festival – was supported by extremist anti-Danby elements of the Left, receiving no more than 25% of the vote.
While Johns flitted around from Socialist Left to anti-Danby Independents in terms of his allegiance, his pious lefty sanctimony and humbug probably exceeded all but the most raving and lunatic of anti-moderates in Melbourne Ports branches. One, later institutionalised, was convicted of throwing a shopping trolley over the side of the top floor of the South Melbourne housing commission towers, narrowly missing a Police vehicle.
Johns regularly and falsely accused Danby of “branch-stacking” during his reign as the Left supported President of the ALP Melbourne Ports FEA although suspended his verbal hostilities on the issue when it was revealed that he was guilty of branch-stacking himself by living outside of the electorate despite holding high office within it.
In recent times, Johns -who left the delightful world of the Labor law firm to work in the more refined surrounds of Mallesons – had seemed to gradually moderate his mullah-style opposition to Danby and we believe has continued his ALP membership to this day.
Discussion
10 comments for “LEFT ON LEFT VIOLENCE: Labor Lefty joins ABCC crusade against CFMEU thugs”
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Beware of ex lefties. They are the most extreme in the persecution of the workers. Reminds one of the Japanese puppet regime in China during World War 2. It was led by ex-lefties like Wang Ching-wei. Reminds one also of the old working class slogan – “I’ve got the foreman’s job at last. The working class can lick my arse.”
Give me gentlemen old money conservatives any time. They always treat workers with dignity.
Another Lefty rat.
With the likes of Brian Boyd in their pocket the CFMEU has not much going for them.
Labor and the unions are full to the brim with these maggots.
Yuppy tossers who suckole til they get their bog money, seat in parliament or both.
A fairly mild touch-up all in all Andrew – Johns may have actually enjoyed it!
How pathetic that some embittered people think Johns is a maggot because he left an infinitely more yuppy private sector law firm and instead went to be legal counsel at an agency punishing employers for exploiting workers.
Now he is going up against the likes of Kevin Reynolds who equates a demarcation dispute between the CFMEU and the AWU with rape. And yet Johns is the maggot! These people are beneath contempt.
I know Leigh quite well – and have a little bit of time for him. However he has been shopping around for a faction for a few years now and if it wasn’t for Danby he would be in the right.
Leigh is about as far right in ALP as you can get. Oh except for Danby.
In order it goes.
Genghis, Bush, Danby, Johns, day-light, shorten.
What’s depressing about this story is that the former government allowed this bloke to be appointed as legal counsel for the then Office of Workplace Services. Howard and his dopey mates made some truly terrible appointments.
Danby isn’t the cause of Johns not being in the right (or any faction) … it’s because he’s a Tory.
Look at the evidence: worked at Mallesons, was a partner at Australian Business Lawyers (acting for an employer association), accepted a position with the Howard Government and then, under Rudd, accepts a position charged with busting up the only union still worthy of the title.
His appointment is further evidence of Labor/Gillard’s un-Fair Work agenda.
Never forget that, much to their shame, last Thursday, every Labor member of Parliament voted to “retain and re-name the ABCC” and to keep its unfair coercive powers.
Gillard herself said “… any nonsense and spin from the Liberal Party that somehow these safeguards prevent ABCC inspectors from doing their work and will create hurdles in all investigations clearly falls away.” And so it does.
Shame, Labor, Shame.
Didn’t you forget Attila?
Leigh Johns is an excellent lawyer and a very nice guy, a view I retained even when he was running against Danby for Ports preselection in 2001, when duty required us to crush him like a bug, which we did. It’s good to see that, like many former lefties, he has seen the light and joined the ALP mainstream. Gillard has been quite correct to hold the line against the stalinoid thugs of the CFMEU and Leigh will be an excellent watchdog. The Australian labour movement can do without these corrupt goons and the sooner they are driven out the better.