Abbott Reshuffle Bad for the Sick

Date: 29 September 2003

The Australian Workers' Union National Secretary Bill Shorten today expressed his sympathy for the sick people of Australia upon the announcement by the Prime Minister that Tony Abbott will be moved to the Health portfolio.

However Mr. Shorten said that he felt encouraged by the Prime Minister's decision to place a near unknown junior minister into the Workplace Relations portfolio, as he saw this as the Government conceding defeat in their attempts to de-unionise the Australian workforce.

"Clearly there are two sets of losers from today's reshuffle, firstly the sick people of Australia who will now bear the brunt of the "mad monk's" aggressive neo-conservative reforms and secondly the "Peter Costello for PM" campaign. Howard is clearly pushing Abbott into the limelight and doing his best to ensure that Costello is no longer viewed by the public as being the 2IC in the cabinet." Mr. Shorten said.

"On the bright side the move of the Workplace Relations portfolio to a junior rookie will be welcomed by the Australian Workers' Union. Clearly Howard has conceded defeat in his attempts to ram through draconian anti-union legislation by placing a junior minister into the formally senior portfolio of Workplace Relations."

Mr. Shorten also said that the retirement of Senator Alston from politics will be a test of Peter Costello's control over the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party. He said that Costello will be pushing for a replacement Senator loyal to himself while the Howard/Abbott forces are likely to push for replacement who would support Abbott when Howard retires.

For further information

Contact:	Paul Howes
Union:	The Australian Workers' Union
Phone:	03 8327 0828
Contact Mobile:	0407 041 933
Email:	paul.howes@awu.net.au
WWW:	http://www.awu.net.au

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