UNIONS have been accused of misleading the public over claims Coalition MPs would attend Australian Council of Trade Unions hosted public debates about the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
The union advertised debates last week between the ACTU and Liberal or National MPs in 23 federal electorates across Australia, including Dunkley, without confirmation from MPs they would attend.
After the debates the union made automated phone calls to voters the next day expressing “disappointment” MPs who had never agreed to appear at the debate “decided not to turn up”.
Dunkley Liberal MP Bruce Billson said he was surprised to see the ACTU promoting his attendance at a debate in Frankston last Wednesday (28 October).
In a letter to ACTU secretary Davie Oliver, who authorised the advertising, Mr Billson noted “the union movement has targeted Coalition MPs despite Labor’s support for the China FTA”.
“It is very surprising the ACTU has promoted my attendance at your campaign event through a range of channels including advertising and a letterbox drop despite no indication of my attendance,” Mr Billson said in the letter.
“Our community has been deceived about the event’s nature and arrangements.”
The ACTU is campaigning against the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, dubbed ChAFTA, arguing foreign workers could be hired for some major projects.
“The facts are this deal creates exemptions to labour market testing which means jobs on major projects no longer need to be offered to local workers first,” Mr Oliver said in a media release issued on 21 October.
“This means major projects like the Frankston train line upgrade could be built by overseas workers if these projects are owned or sold to companies with at least 15 per cent Chinese investment.”
Labor agreed to back ChAFTA after amendments were made to migration regulations forcing employers to first seek to hire Australian workers before employing overseas workers on work visas.
ACTU president Ged Kearney had no misgivings about the way the union promoted the debates.
“We make no apology for providing an opportunity for government MPs to discuss the China Free Trade Agreement in front of their electorates,” she said.
“The community campaign opposing the China free trade deal has already meant the government has reversed its position on local labour market testing and tying overseas workers’ rates of pay to enterprise agreements.
“At every single debate on the China Free Trade Agreement, Liberal and National Party MPs have refused to participate. It is not possible that all these MPs were unavailable, which makes it clear there has been a central decision by the Turnbull government to avoid the scrutiny of their electorate on the China deal.”
