Is Left Faction control of the CFMEU Jim McGinty's "Jewel in the Crown"?

Turf Wars and Hidden Paws.

The Desert Rat smells an odious rodent in the current campaign to remove Kevin Reynolds (the Incumbent) as secretary of the CFMEU.

The Desert Rat is aware of the close personal relationship between Darren Kavenagh (the Pretender) and Dave Kelly the secretary of the Miscellaneous Workers' Union. The "Miscos" are the biggest Left union and the power base of Jim "the Hidden Paw" McGinty in the ALP.

Kevin Reynolds and the CFMEU have been the only union that hasn't disowned Brian Burke during the Smiths Beach Inquiry hysteria which has successfully purged Burke's influence within the ALP. Dave Kelly who is close to Jim McGinty, has been a prominent public critic of Kevin Reynolds and his role and involvement in the ALP. The Desert Rat suspects this is only because of Reynolds links with Burke.

Tim Kucera is McGinty's son-in-law, and was the legal officer for the CFMEU for 5 years. He left some months ago after a disagreement with an organiser. Reynolds always stuck by Tim Kucera despite his father-in-law's distaste for and antipathy towards Reynolds. Tim Kucera then went to work for legal firm Slater and Gordon who were the lawyers retained by the CFMEU.

Recently Slater and Gordon advised their staff (because of the conflict of interest) not to have any brief with Darren Kavenagh. They possibly became aware that Tim Kucera and Darren Kavanagh were close friends and were in regular contact.

Was Tim Kucera suspected of giving free legal advice to Darren Kavenagh?

Slater and Gordon must have become aware of some contact because Tim Kucera gave one them a months notice. The Desert Rat understands that Slater and Gordon then wanted Kucera to cease work immediately and gave him one month's pay in lieu.

Yesterday at the Supreme Court, Tim Kucera appeared, now working for Darren Kavenagh's lawyers. Tim Kucera was the briefing solicitor Phillip Laskaris, a Fremantle lawyers and diving buddy of Jim McGinty.

In case the punters don't know, Phillip Laskarus* was the go-between (le messenger) between Burke and McGinty in the "the good old days".

The spoils here are significant. If Darren Kavenagh were successful, Tim Kucera would be the legal officer of the CFMEU, there would be a purge of organisers and the executive of the CFMEU. The Left would effectively gain control of the CFMEU votes on the State Executive of the ALP strengthening Jim McGinty's vice-like grip over the political apparatus in Western Australia.

The icing on the cake would be that the remaining union support that Burke enjoys would be removed, isolating him further.

It is the view of the Desert Rat that there is no one in the Right or Centre of the ALP that has the ability and skill to take on this Left power block.

Is this just a Desert Rat's conspiracy theory?

* One of Phillip Laskaris's present jobs is a Director of Windimurra Vanadium the company John Bowler and Julian Grill were instrumental in getting reopened after its purchase and immediate shutdown by Swiss mining giant Xstrata. Both were politically castrated for this bit of civic duty. At least the Windimurra employees appreciate the jobs created.

Hegemony is no Joking Matter

The best jokes do not just make us laugh.

The Centre and Right groups within the ALP were decimated by Jim McGinty's Socialist Left Faction and the CCC secret police during 2007 and 2008. Hatred, bitterness, lawlessness and retribution reigned within the ALP.

A Left Faction apparatchik was ringing a faction member and asked for a donation: terrorists associated with Brian Burke's former Right group have kidnapped Jim McGinty, and have vowed to soak him in petrol and set him alight if the ransom is not paid.

“How much are other people giving?” the member asks.

“On average about two or three litres.”

Grill's Treatment: Rough Justice or Corrupt Behaviour

The Silence of the ALP Lambs - Stalinist Rule Changes Set for Nod

The State ALP looks more like Erich Honecker's failed East German Communist Government with its Stasi secret police investigating and purging internal opponents and now the attempt by the hierarchy at this week State Conference to change the rules to give themselves powers to summarily expel ALP members - with no right to put their case and no right of appeal!

It is one years since Julian Grill was expelled from the ALP - for what yesterday's ABC news Bulletin incorrectly described as his donation of $5000 to the National Party of WA.

Under Labor Party rules, any member who campaigns against their own party is automatically struck off the membership list. Showing his support for the purge, Premier Alan Carpenter said he was delighted that the lobbyist Julian Grill has been expelled from the Labor Party.

Grill did forward the donation, but it was made on behalf of a client for whom he was a lobbyist. It certainly wasn't Grill's money and it is doubtful that he recommended such a donation.

Grill was summarily expelled by the ALP, ignoring the clear and comprehensive rules of the ALP. They did not provide Grill with any opportunity to put his case. because that is what the hierarchy wanted.

What is intriguing if you look at the register of donations, Julian Grill is shown as donating $5000 on behalf of Griffin Group and further down the same page Gary Gray MHR the new Member for Brand and Parliamentary Secretary in the Rudd Government, is shown as having donated $5000 on behalf of Woodside to the National Party. Gray of course was a lobbyist working for Woodside at the time (a year ago) - but the ALP conveniently ignored this.

Well any normal person would be embarrassed by these double standards, the failure to extend natural justice to its members and apply the rules fairly - but not Jim McGinty or Alan Carpenter who both want Julian Grill out of the ALP.

This weekends Special State Conference will formalise the Stalinist rule changes.

As Honecker said: "Den Sozialismus in seinem Lauf, halten weder Ochs noch Esel auf".

The Stalinist Left is alive and thriving in the WA Branch of the ALP!