1989 Cabinet documents
 

Just noticed this "Age" article about the recently released 1989 Cabinet documents:

"The Hawke government paid for strike-breakers from the public purse to break the 1989 Australian pilots' strike.

The highly controversial move for a Labor government was revealed in key cabinet records for 1988 and 1989 released by the National Archives of Australia on Thursday.

The Hawke cabinet had not only encouraged airline companies to employ overseas "strike breakers" but went even further, opting to pay "scab" pilots from the public purse.

"The cabinet agreed that the net wage cost incurred by the airlines as a result of their not using their right to seek stand-down of employees who would normally be stood down, who stand ready to continue to carry out their duties as directed, but who cannot be gainfully employed, would be met by the government," a cabinet minute on September 12 said.

A few days earlier, Prime minister Bob Hawke declared a national emergency and allowed RAAF planes and pilots and overseas aircraft and pilots to provide services"

May be of interest to some......

I think a LOT more is about to unfold.

The usual critics with no knowledge of what occurred will come out of the woodwork but at last some FACTS are about to unfold as to what occurred behind the scenes.

I still have a 'date' to pay my respects with the Right Honourable RJLE Hawke (sic) when he eventually leaves this planet.

I'm with you ad-astra. Can you imagine if we employed the services of a Government breaking mafia to put all of these overpaid grubby trough dwellers out of a job and employ the cheapest paid Pollie?
No wonder these vermin keep the documents under lock and key for 3 decades. Crooked swill.

I distinctly recall, as a 6-7 yr old (guess) Hawke on the news with words to the effect "I will bring this country to its knees"…………….

Sadly he did on several occasions much later.

He should be remembered as the worst PM in decades, along with a recently departed.