Electoral Finance Bill and Labour – just how corrupt are they?
Many of us here have other sites. We have already seen a couple of sites shut down for speaking anti Labour that were threatened with punishment.
But let’s look how Labour is getting around all this deviously.
I picked up a free Union magazine from a shop 3 days ago. Front cover has Helen Clarke on it and page 9 states, “Our Union will be working hard to make sure National is defeated and a worker-friendly, Labour-led government is re-elected for an historic fourth term. Such an outcome could see National out in the cold for many years to come”, says SFWU National President Barbara Wyeth.
So who are these unions.
Two private-sector unions are poised to join forces, potentially creating a major new force in industrial relations.
Sources say that the Service and Food Workers’ Union (SFWU) and the National Distribution Union (NDU) reached a heads-of-agreement last week over an amalgamation proposal, and are even considering inviting Matt McCarten’s Unite to be part of the new super-union.
A merger has logic, bringing together workers across the service and manufacturing sectors into a union of around 35,000 members, with all the associated benefits of scale and pooled resources.
One of the things the left will need to consider seriously is what this means for the SFWU’s affiliation to the Labour Party. The SFWU is currently the Labour Party’s second largest affiliate.
The Standard, September 26 2007
Comment left on site of PRESS RELEASE FROM WAITEMATA BRANCH OF UNITE! UNION that explained the merger took place.
The SFWU are affiliated to labour. The NDU is not. Unite/Matt has said that the new union should be able to affiliate to any party. The last Anonymous poster is wrong about the NDU however.
NDU *DID* give money to the labour party at the last elections. It also gave money to the Green party. The NDU won’t be directly giving money to any political party this time. Of course this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t support Labour.
So what about other Unions?
The PSA Union
The PSA is the union for people working in the public sector and delivering public services. This includes:
- public service departments and ministeries
- local government authorities
- district health boards — mental health services, allied and public health professionals, technical staff, and clerical and administration staff.
- organisations providing disability and aged support services
- crown research institutes
- cstate-owned enterprises
- tertiary institutions
- community organisations.
The Electoral Finance Act — why we’ve registeredPSA president Keith Gutsell explains why the Executive Board has registered as a third party under the Electoral Finance Act …..
You may have heard that the PSA has applied for registration as a third party to avoid breaking the Electoral Finance Act. Some members have asked whether this means we are becoming a political party.
It does not. Nor does it mean we’ll be campaigning on behalf of a political party.
In previous elections, the PSA has taken part in the political debate about public services, unions and employment rights. It is our intention to do so again this year. Because the Electoral Finance Act is now in force, we believe we are obliged to register as a third party in order to comply with the law. The Engineers Union (EPMU) has also applied for registration and other unions are considering doing the same.
National knew this was a deceitful move from Labour.
So what is the PSA doing that is not politically choosing to support one side and not the other?
National wrong about the growth of the public service
“The PSA has major concerns about National’s public services policy,” says Brenda Pilott, National Secretary of the PSA which has 55,000 members working in the state sector.
This article pulls National down from 1990s and states:
Mr Key also demonstrates a lack of experience and understanding of how the public services and government works when he tries to draw a line between between front line public servants and support staff he labels as ‘bureaucrats.’
PSA Calls On Cullen To Deliver Budget About More Than Tax Cuts
As the country waits for Finance Minister Michael Cullen to deliver The Budget on Thursday (May 22) the PSA is calling on the Government to deliver a Budget that is about more than just tax cuts.
Dr Cullen has made the PSA happy.
“This is why the PSA is calling on Dr Cullen to reject tax cuts that will require cuts in our public services,’’ says Brenda Pilott. “The fact is large tax cuts come from one of two places–more borrowing, or large cuts to public services. New Zealand can afford neither.”
Here is Branda again pulling down National and saying labour is doing a great job.
NZHerald.
So who is the National Secretary of PSA? …. None other than Brenda Pilott.
$320,000 to help ‘Reduce Women’s Reliance on Hetero-Sexual Relationships’
They explained that the intention of the study is to find out how leaving relationships can be made easier for women. The project was initiated by Brenda Pilott from Woman’s Refuge when she worked in Social Welfare. She has now lost this job and moved elsewhere.
Dear Brenda has also very recently joined Victoria University in Wellington as a Council member.
Term of Office: May 2008 – April 2012
Brenda Pilott is national secretary of the Public Service Association, New Zealand’s largest trade union. Prior to joining the PSA in 2004, she was a public servant for 11 years, working mainly in social policy, including 5 years as General Manager Policy at the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. She was Women’s Refuge national coordinator for four years. A qualified librarian, Brenda Pilott worked in libraries in local government in New Zealand and the UK and at the Parliamentary Library.
She has a range of governance experience, including being a current member of the management board of the Institute of Public Administration New Zealand; and was a Board member of the Local Government Industry Training Organisation, 2005-7. Brenda Pilott was born and educated in England and emigrated to New Zealand in 1980.
Gosh, we seem to have a few radical feminists coming from England in 1980 and there of. I guess we will have to wait and see how much feminist, left-wing Brenda Pilott can get away with.
Anyhow, back to the issue at hand. How much more will the Unions advertise for Labour while “not taking sides“?
Calling all Kiwis – AWU backs NZ unions general election campaign
27 May 2008In October or November 2008 New Zealand will have a General Election. Your Rights At Work NZ Campaign has been established in Australia to get eligible New Zealand voters based in Australia enrolled to vote.
What’s at stake?
This election is an important one for all Kiwi workers living in both New Zealand and Australia.The polls currently show a significant lead for the conservative opposition NZ National Party (like Australia’s Liberal Party).
Similar to John Howard’s Work Choices laws, the National opposition are on record as wanting to do away with many rights and protections Kiwi workers currently have, including removing work rights in the first 90 days of employment, putting workers’ fourth week of annual leave up for sale and giving employers the right to force workers on to individual agreements (just like AWAs).
Just as it was important to get rid of John Howard’s Work Choices laws, Kiwi workers and their families will be exposed to cuts in their working conditions under the Nationals.
Kiwis living in Australia need to play their part in stopping this from happening!
I still don’t get it??? How can the Australian Unions be pushing for Labour to win and say they are supporting NZ Unions if NZ unions are not pushing for Labour to win?
Unless of course NZ Unions are supporting Labour and the Electoral Finance Bill is just one big scam to shut free speech against Labour and their Allies?
“I have been struck by the messages from individuals with no special political axe to grind who genuinely fear that this bill will limit their rights to freedom of speech and expression,” Mr Dunne told parliament.
Law Society Opposes Electoral Finance Bill.
