An extraordinary level of coordination between Julia Gillard and Bruce Wilson's visits to Western Australia - for two people who never discussed the AWU WRA Inc
Wednesday, 16 December 2015
We know a little about Bruce Wilson's time running the WA Branch.
On 2 May 1991 Wilson chaired his first WA Branch Executive meeting - he was formally appointed Secretary on that day.
We have no record of any meeting for the remainder of 1991 (if you do I'd be obliged).
On 30 March 1992 the Executive met (however we don't have a copy of the minutes), this reference is from the July 92 meeting.
On 2 July 1992 the Executive met for Wilson's last meeting as resident WA Branch Secretary.
First things first - it's all about priorities. Any self respecting AWU friend of the workers must have his own bathroom facilities, it's the first item on the agenda:
The cover for Julia Gillard to be in WA during the AWU WRA Inc battles was minuted - i.e. the Kalgoorlie presentation.
The minutes contain an insight into how the AWU WA Branch minuted the establishment of a subsidiary operation (unlike the way it established the AWU WRA Inc upon receipt of legal advice from the expert Ms Gillard).
Then the important stuff - Bruce's approval to act as Victorian branch secretary for 3 months, with appropriate financial support, of course!
We know that Ms Gillard claims she met Wilson in April, 1991 - that is just prior to the May 1991 Exec meeting.
The next executive meeting we know of was 30 March, 1992 - Bruce Wilson told the TURC:
At some stage in March 1992 I recall that Julia Gillard was in Perth and we had a discussion about the application for incorporation of the WRA.
In March 1992 Blewitt and I attended a meeting with Jukes and Joe Trio. I informed them the legal entity was to be called the Australian Workers Union Workplace Reform Association. I said that Blewitt was to be the secretary and correspondence should go to him. I said they would be dealing with us in our WRA capacities.
I can recall sitting with Gillard in my office and she told me which sections of the legislation were relevant for the incorporation of the association. I drafted the objects myself. Gillard made a few notations on the Application form (the name and Section 4 (1) (e) of the Act.
Blewitt lodged the Application on 23 April 2014
The next Exec Meeting was 2 July 1992 - we know Gillard was in WA in May, 1992:
16 May, 1992 (Saturday) Gillard in Boulder WA with Bruce Wilson to argue case for Wilson taking on Fatal Accident and Death Fund - one of the arguments was to safeguard it from fraud!
Then the Hammersley Iron dispute took centre stage with the Minister Yvonne Henderson - thanks to readers Seeker of Truth and Anna for this:
On 23 June 1992, Yvonne Henderson convened a meeting between representatives of the government, the company and the union to find a solution to the Hamersley dispute:
http://newsstore.fairfax.com.
On 27 and 28 June 1992 the unions met:
http://newsstore.fairfax.com.
On 29 June 1992 the company and four unions met in the WAIRC:
http://newsstore.fairfax.com.
(The AWU-WRA was incorporated on 24 June 1992 apparently with Ministerial involvement).
Given Ms Gillard's subsequent carriage of the Hammersley matter in the WAIRC it seems reasonable to infer that she would have been present in WA during those late June meetings and thus for the formal incorporation of the AWU WRA Inc.
And voila, the next Executive Meeting - 2 July 1992.
Next WA AWU Branch Executive Meeting - Bruce came back from Melbourne especially:
That was a Thursday - who else came over from Victoria - you guessed it!
Next AWU WA branch Exec meeting?
And where do you think Ms Gillard might have been?
For two people who never discussed the AWU WRA Inc, formed to raise funds for the election of Bruce and his team in Western Australia, they sure travelled over there together a lot.