Fed: Reith laments Democrats lack of support for IR bills

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2000
Fed: Reith laments Democrats lack of support for IR bills

Workplace Relations Minister PETER REITH has attacked the Australian Democrats for
criticising Labor's listening to union spin doctors and then accepting lobbying campaigns
from the same union officials.

Democrats leader MEG LEES has criticised the closed shop nature of the ALP national
conference in Hobart, saying 80 per cent of delegates are Labor parliamentary insiders,
unions, staffers and spin doctors.

Mr REITH agrees, saying the number of actual lay members of the ALP at the convention
was less than five per cent.

But he says it is strange for MEG LEES to criticise the ALP.

He says in recent times the decision-making process of the Democrats' party room and
in the Senate has been to accept every lobbying campaign by the same union officials to
block the coalition's workplace relations policy.

AAP RTV dep/mfh/wz/jn

KEYWORD: ALP LEES (CANBERRA)

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