| Union call to expel minister-turned-lobbyist Martin Ferguson from Labor |
Victoria's union chiefs have unanimously called on Labor to expel Rudd-Gillard frontbencher Martin Ferguson from the party as anger rises over recent comments savaging the ALP and the trade union movement.
Mr Ferguson, a former ACTU president and federal resources minister, describes himself as "Labor to the bootstraps" despite now working as a lobbyist for the oil and gas industry and representing companies including Shell, Exxon Mobil, Woodside and BHP.
But a slew of recent political attacks by Mr Ferguson have sparked frustration and a strong push to turf out the former Labor heavyweight from the party.
Tensions spilled over this week, with Mr Ferguson publicly supporting the reinstatement of the hardline Australian Building and Construction Commission, claiming the militant construction union must be "brought to heel".
He also accused NSW Labor leader Luke Foley of "rank opportunism" and "blatant scaremongering" in the run-up to Saturday's state election. Mr Ferguson became the face of a NSW Liberal Party campaign ad, where he expresses disgust over his party's anti-privatisation campaign.
At a Friday meeting of the Victorian Trades Hall Council executive in Melbourne, maritime union secretary Kevin Bracken moved a motion condemning Mr Ferguson and urging the Labor Party to kick him out. It was unanimously passed by all state leaders of affiliated unions.
An official disciplinary charge being was lodged with the ALP. It will now go to the ALP disputes panel.
Mr Ferguson told Fairfax Media he firmly stood by his public support for the abolition of the ABCC and the privatisation of electricity networks.
He said he had been consistent in his comments as member of parliament and since leaving politics.
"I thought the ALP was a broad party," he said.
"Am I to be attacked for freedom of speech? I will continue to express my views."
Mr Bracken said Mr Ferguson's actions were reprehensible.
"He doesn't represent any union organisation at all now – he's advocating purely for business," he said.
"I believe it's very important the ALP stands firm on what sort of party they are and that they don't support people speaking against the party and against working people. The Labor Party has to stand on principles."
Trades Hall also accused Mr Ferguson of breaching ministerial ethics by joining the advisory board of lobby group Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association within months of retiring from politics.
Mr Ferguson comes from a strong Labor Party family. He is the son of the late Jack Ferguson, who was deputy premier of NSW from 1976-84 and brother to Laurie Ferguson, also a long-serving federal MP.
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