Court will find the truth on Minister’s involvement in AWU raids

The ACTU welcomes the subpoena issued to Minister Cash and calls on the Minister to abandon her attempts to have it set aside.

The Australian people have a right to know about the involvement of Minister Cash’s office in the raids, and the Minister has to date not being forthcoming with this information.

It is unfortunate that a Minister needs to be dragged before the court to give an account of her involvement in the public televising of a police raid, but extraordinary measures are called for when a Minister evades public scrutiny as diligently as Minster Cash has on this issue.

Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary Sally McManus:

• “The Minister’s continuing efforts to avoid answering questions in relation to this matter are deeply regrettable, but the court system should be able to find a way to compel her to answer questions.
• “Minister Cash must tell the truth to the Australian people about what she knew and to what extent she was in control of her office when it informed the media of a police raid on the offices of the elected representatives of working people.
• “It is extraordinary that a Minister would have to be subpoenaed to speak about a vital matter of national importance and even more extraordinary that she would try and avoid the actions of a court trying to get to the bottom of the matter.
• “We, like the rest of Australia, look forward to finally hearing the truth on this matter.”