VIC: Kennett "up to his neck" in waterfront intrigue ALP

AAP General News (Australia)
12-06-1998
VIC: Kennett "up to his neck" in waterfront intrigue ALP

MELBOURNE, Dec 6 AAP - The Kennett government knew in 1996 that an attempt would be made to
break the waterfront union, the Victorian opposition said today.

Premier Jeff Kennett and Treasurer Alan Stockdale met with Patrick Stevedores chairman
Chris Corrigan and Peter Scanlon, the chair of its main shareholder, Lang Corporation, on July
24, 1996, according to a letter released to the Opposition under Freedom of Information.

Opposition industrial relations spokesman Steve Bracks described the letter as "bold and
revealing", saying the meeting took place at a time when Mr Corrigan was planning ways to
break the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA).

In a letter to Mr Kennett, Mr Scanlon refers to the meeting and a representation made by
him and Mr Corrigan "regarding 'dealing with the waterfront's main issue'."

"If appropriate, it would be extremely helpful to our forward planning for you to receive
us and advise us of your response," Mr Scanlon said in the November 1996 letter.

Mr Bracks said the Victorian government had dishonestly claimed no involvement in the
scheme to try to crush the MUA.

"Clearly this was a planned exercise and the Premier and the Treasurer are up to their
necks in it," Mr Bracks told reporters.

"You would have to be stretching people's belief enormously to think that the waterfront's
main issue was not about waterfront reform, workplace reform and the MUA."

But a spokesman for Mr Stockdale dismissed the claim, saying the meeting was in relation to
"long-term planning for the port and investment".

"It had nothing to do with union breaking, duopoly or the waterfront dispute," he said.

"Mr Bracks should be embarrassed to make these sort of claims with such ridiculous, scant
information."

In April this year, Patrick sacked its unionised workforce of 1,400 and replaced them with
non-union labour, prompting violent clashes and a nationwide docks picket.

The union workers were later reinstated after a High Court ruling.

AAP lmw/ra/kr/br

KEYWORD: WATERFRONT VIC

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