Weekend Wrap 13 March 2022: Morrison’s defence waste exposed on Insiders, Flood fundraiser highlights Liberal failures, Eureka ban a symbol of skewed priorities

Ben Davison breaks down Labor shadow defence minister, Brendan
O'Connor's, Insiders interview in which he exposes the
wastefulness of the Morrison-Dutton government.  Billions
spent on equipment that doesn't work, given to Liberal donor
companies that have no staff and on contracts that will never be
delivered.  All in pursuit of an arbitrary "Spending as a
percentage of GDP target" while Dutton fails to effectively
deploy the defence forces we have to support covid controls and
flood relief.


The nation dug deep to support a flood relief telethon overnight
but with the insurance bills likely to top $1 BILLION Ben asks
the question; is this the Liberal party just once again trying to
deflect from its failings and push the role of government onto
the people?  


Morrison was on the Today show this morning rejecting that very
claim and calling it a "Labor narrative".  The 865,000+
Australian's having to work two or more jobs, millions who've had
a pay cut, tens of thousands who were abandoned during fires and
floods and thousands who's loved ones have needlessly suffered
and died in aged care might disagree.


Morrison has banned the flying of the Eureka flag on construction
sites.  Despite failing to implement the recommendations of
a review of workplace health and safety laws and standing to one
side while two major construction companies have gone under
Morrison's Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC)
have spent two years getting a ban upheld by the federal
court.  The Eureka flag, flown by our first diggers, remains
a powerful symbol of grass roots democracy and is a part of union
iconography while also being a key part of Ballarat's cultural
identity.


Van and Ben will be proudly marching under the Eureka Flag at the
Ballarat Labour Day march tomorrow.  Don't forget to join
you union and check out our supporter page!