Published: 16 Apr 2013
The preselection of Adrian Evans as Labor’s candidate in the Federal electorate of Hasluck in Western Australia has been welcomed by the Maritime Union of Australia, with the union describing him as “a people’s champion of fairness and safety at work.”
“Adrian has been at the forefront of fighting for issues such as fair pay, indigenous equality and safety in the workplace, making him a perfect choice to fight for the working men and women in the Hasluck community,” Mr Crumlin said.
“The Federal Labor Government has stood up for working Australians and their families, restoring rights at work by abolishing the Coalition’s WorkChoices laws that attacked hard-working Australians.
“I congratulate Adrian for taking up the fight to Tony Abbott and his Coalition colleagues because they represent the biggest threat to workers this country has seen since WorkChoices.
“Throughout their period in office, the Coalition policies sought to take away workers' rights, including in relation to job security, weekend penalty rates, family-friendly policies particularly for single parents and women in the workplace. They sought to introduce a workplace system where all the power and influence was held by the employer and it was on this basis that the Coalition was ejected from office nationally in 2007.
"There is no doubt that the Coalition will come after these same workers again if they are elected in September because because one thing that remains consistent in their policy is their disdain for and rejection ofthe rights of workers and fairness in the workplace.
“Abbott and his Coalition party have never accepted the legitimate and positive role that unions play in protecting people’s rights and conditions at work. We strongly believe that the community of Hasluck understands that important role.
“Already the Coalition has been caught out secretly consulting with their big business mates on the IR changes they want to impose on Australians.
"There is no doubt that the election of a Coalition Government would undermine job security once again.
“Adrian is a young working man who has been dedicated achieving safety and decent conditions of employment in his workplace as a sound basis to secure his young family's needs both now and into the future. He has earned the trust the respect of his colleagues both as a worker on the job and an officer of the union.
"In the event that Adrian is successful in the election, the MUA is reconciled to our loss being to the benefit both of the community of Hasluck and working men and women more generally."
Join Adrian's campaign facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/LaborAdrian
