LHMU expels Tassie Labor MP

Date: 09 December 2004

Tasmanian Labor MP, Dick Adams, has had his membership cancelled in Australia's largest service sector union: the 130,000 member Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union.

The LHMU National Secretary, Jeff Lawrence, released this statement in response to media reports about the expulsion of the Tasmanian MP.

" Dick Adams' membership was cancelled because the union believed that his comments during the Federal Election were harmful to the Labor Party, and played a significant role in the ALP's failure to win government," Jeff Lawrence, said today.

" The National Executive of our union believes that the comments made by Dick Adams were inconsistent with the substantial effort that the LHMU put into the election of a Federal Labor Government, including in several marginal seats in Tasmania," Mr Lawrence said.

Dick Adams has been a long-standing LHMU member and a former official of the union.

" The LHMU represents a wide range of low-waged workers with little or no job security," Jeff Lawrence.

" They are the real battlers who come together to overcome the poverty wage crisis created by policy decisions made in Canberra - policy which favours the wealthy and not the battlers.

" We are a union made up of heroes who won't be defeated by the barriers that Canberra politicians place in front of us.

" We expect our allies to work with us, not against our peoples' interests," Jeff Lawrence said.

Among the LHMU's 130,000 members are child care workers, aged care workers, cleaners, security workers, hospital and hospitality workers, as well as education assistants.

" Our members have been severely disadvantaged by Labor's failure to win government and the control the Howard Government will now have of the Senate."

Jeff Lawrence has informed Dick Adams that if the relationship between him and the LHMU Tasmanian branch improves the union will reconsider the membership decision in August 2006.

The LHMU proudly represents around 130,000 hard working women and men throughout Australia

More info:

Jeff Lawrence, LHMU National Secretary, 02 8204 7200 or 0425 242 724

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Casey
Union:	Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union
Phone:	8204 7206
Fax:	92821 4480
Email:	andrewc@lhmu.org.au
WWW:	http://www.lhmu.org.au/

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