Reading The West Australian this morning, I was struck by this image of two high profile Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) members who are no longer part of the state Labor party (the drongo on the left was expelled last month following remarks he made about then Prime Minister John Howard, while the drongo on the right resigned following his wife’s resignation after revelations she lied to a parliamentary inquiry).
It wasn’t their beer bellies that attracted my attention but rather the Che shirt on drongo #2 (named Kevin Reynolds, for those who are interested).
Granted it’s been a while since I lived in Australia, and my knowledge of Australian politics is not what it used to be, but given the unions’ power in the Australian Labor Party, with people like this calling the shots, there is cause for concern.
Note: Australia’s new Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, is a former trade union lawyer.
