A leaked Federal Cabinet document tabled in parliament by the Labor Party shows the role and intent of the Government in the conspiracy against the Maritime Union of Australia. The document, dated 7 July 1997, was signed by the then Minister of Transport, John Sharp, and the Minister for Workplace Relations, Peter Reith. 

It recommended that the Government take an activist role in assisting stevedores who wanted to use an industrial dispute to dismiss their union workforce. "The Government's role will be to "set the scene', to facilitate changes that the stevedore(s) and others wish to make and to give them the political and regulatory tools to get their businesses working again as quickly as possible in the event of industrial action."

It also proposed setting up a task force with the aim of assisting the employers and to identify how the Government could help on matters such as "legal assistance, physical security, access pilots to tugs, visas, etc". Public and business opinion on waterfront reform would be managed by the government.

In Federal Parliament on Thursday Peter Reith repeatedly refused to answer a question in regards to his lies and deceptions to parliament. 

A month ago Peter Reith replied to a question about his knowledge of Patrick's plans, "We were not aware of any decision taken by Mr Corrigan to replace his workforce and in respect of the overseas training in Dubai; the fact of that was simply news to us until it was publicly exposed."

A defiant Prime Minister said in question time: "I make no apology at all for the activist strategy we followed because that strategy was designed to boost the productivity of the Australian waterfront."  

The Prime Minister obviously has had a major role in the Government strategy and with his ministers should also be held responsible for the breaking of its own Workplace Relations Act. 

The governments waterfront strategy makes a mockery of the new Liberal election slogan which John Howard has been articulating - "safety, security and stability". 

Safety is a legal system weighted against workers and unions and collective bargaining. Security is sending black clad security forces to invade workplaces with attack dogs and mace. 

And stability is knowing that your employer can get rid of you through a corporate scam, while robbing you of wages due, termination payments, medical fund deductions, superannuation, and even taxation payments (which you are still liable for).

This leaked report follows hard on the heels of a memo from the Government's senior waterfront consultant, Dr Stephen Webster, dated September 21, 1997, to Mr Sharp, headed "Timing of reform". This document was tabled at a Senate Estimates committee over the objections of the Liberal Party members. 

In the document Webster advises Sharp that "I had further discussions with Corrigan on Friday. It appears that the training times can be advanced and a late January implementation would be possible. Corrigan is heading to Europe on 1st October. He would need to have an indication by then so he can reactivate the training bookings."

It is further confirmation of the plan by Patrick Stevedores' to train a non-union workforce as part of a strategy to help break the Maritime Union's grip on the waterfront. Again it implicates a relevant Minister and senior advisor.

Sydney Morning Herald 4Jun98 - 5Jun98