Published: 17 Dec 2010
MUA wins round 2 of offshore dispute.
Paddy Crumlin, MUA national secretary took out the best quote award at the annual industrial relations reporters dinner held at the Spencer Hotel, in Melbourne on Thursday, evening, December 17.
The quote, inspired by the ugly war of words between the Australian Mining and Metals Association and the Maritime Union over the offshore enterprise agreement early this year won the inaugral Golden Grove Quote of the Year.
And the award, was provided, engraved and presented by none other than Steve Knott, CEO, AMMA.
It was a tightly fought contest with Paul Howes, (The Faceless Man), special guest speaker, running a strong second with not one, but two quotes nominated.
The winning quote from Media Storm Troopers article retaliating against union bashing by Senator Abetz and the Murdoch press, follows:
"And as for Senator Abetz, great-nephew of SS-Brigadeführer Otto Abetz, Nazi German ambassador to Vichy France from 1940 to 1944, according to Wikipedia, misleading is the name of the game.
In mid 2009 Abetz was a central figure in the OzCar affair, Ute Gate affair, alleging the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Treasurer Wayne Swan had improperly given favourable treatment to a car dealer, mate John Grant.
It was the erstwhile senator who on 19 June, asked a series of questions of a treasury official, Godwin Grech. Abetz read out the text of what he said was an email, which purported to ask for preferential treatment for Grant. Grech later admitted that he had forged the email.
As it turned out the allegation was a complete fabrication.
So too allegations that Australian seafarers are under skilled and over paid."
Other nominations were:
''It is about time Sharan Burrow stopped breathing in the rarefied air and came down from the ivory tower that is the presidential ACTU offices to take a walk in Main Street Australia with me and see how much small business is struggling. Ms Burrow can't be serious in....calling for amarked increase in wages. This out of touch view is a comet from a faroff planet in which Ms Burrow inhabits.'' by Scott Driscoll National Retailers
''Employers want Australian workers to have conditions that arecomparable to totalitarian regimes in China, or in occupied Europe inthe Second World War," by Tony Sheldon, Transport Workers' Union
"I yell at the screen, hoping that some magical force will alert thefederal police officers guarding the PM to my screams of 'take himout,take him out!'. I would have given good money to see Mark Lathamtasered," by Paul Howes, Australian Workers' Union.
Howes was also nominated for a second quote: ''But it is impossible to like Rudd once you really get to know him.''Ewin Hannan, IR editor for the Australian, took out the top Golden Gollywog award for best reports, Mark Skully, AFR won the Eggbeater for best beat up and Andrew Casey, AWU, won the Golden Thong for worst dressed.
Also attending the dinner were Adam Bandt, Greens MP, Jacinta Collins, Felicity de Frombelles (adviser) Jeff Lawrence, Ged Kearney, Tim Lyons, Andrew Casey, Dave Oliver, Tim Chapman, Dave Noonan, Heather Ridout, Tony Melville, Innes Willox (AIG),David Gregory, Brett Hogan (ACCI), Steve Knott, Minna Knight (AMMA), Louise Tarrant, Adam Clatho (LHMU), Leon Carter, Leanne Shingles (FSU), Daniel Mookhey, Seth Tenkate (TWU), Lee Thomas, Sue Bellino, Eleni Hale, (ANF), Kathy Jackson (HSU), Lawler (FWA), Brian Boyd, David Cragg, (VTHC), Cesar Melhem, Mary McNamara (AWU), Dean Mighell, Alex Marriot, Chris James (VECCI), Craig Bildstein (FWO), Paul Robinson, Ben Schneiders, Mark Skulley, Rajiv Maharaj (Workforce), Patricia Karvelas, John Ryan, Joel Fetter, Ian Wilson, Mark Phillips, Alice Vickerman, Michelle Reynolds and Amanda Nguyen.
