I’ve often bemoaned the lack of leadership in the business and mining community.
The general fear of “rocking the boat” or offending the anti-business and anti-mining groups, keeps most business people in a constant state of retreat.
But leadership did emerge recently in Perth, Western Australia, from an unexpected quarter.
The Perth Anglican Dean, John Shepherd, lampooned the “thuggery and bullying” by the CFMEU (Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union) and its State Secretary, Joe McDonald.
Old McDonald had a Union
Old McDonald had a Union,
C-F-M-E-U
And in this Union he had some thugs,
C-F-M-E-U
With a biff-biff here, and a biff-biff there,
Here a biff, there a biff, everywhere a biff-biff,
Old McDonald had a Union,
C-F-M-E-U
Subsequent verses include:
With a walk-out here,
And a walk-out there.
With a bully-bully here,
And a bully-bully there.
With a right-of-entry here,
And a right-of-entry there.
With a stop-work here,
And a stop-work there.
The Rev. Dean John Shepherd “hit the spot” with the majority of Perth’s population, who for so long have wondered why the Unions run right over our property rights without even a whimper from subservient community leaders.
Following the Dean’s courageous stand, even the State’s normally timid newspaper “The West” gave tacit support: “And he can’t be faulted on the issue of truth, for the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union is notorious for the bullying and thuggish tactics which he satirises.” Well done, the Rev. Dean Shepherd.