Minister for Employment, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash said it was time for the sections of the union movement to stop their dishonest and desperate campaign against the China Australia Free Trade Agreement.

Revelations today about the ACTU setting up fake ‘debates’ in Coalition electorates whereby they misrepresent a Member of Parliament’s attendance at a union organised town hall meeting are disgraceful.

The ACTU is spending significant resources on ‘robocalls’ in these electorates bemoaning the fact that Coalition members did not attend these staged debates, despite knowing that they at no stage indicated they intended to appear.

“This hoodwinking of the electorate has not occurred by accident – this is a concerted, juvenile tactic being employed by the ACTU and they should be condemned for stooping this low,” Minister Cash said.

“Evidence that this is nothing more and nothing less than a cheap political campaign is found in the fact that Labor Members of Parliament are not attending these ‘debates’ and are not condemned via automatic telephone canvassing for not attending.”

Just this week, ABS data revealed union membership numbers continue to decline at a rapid rate.

“When we see these underhanded, childish strategies it is little wonder why Australians are leaving unions in droves,” Minister Cash said.

“Ugly campaigns we have seen from unions in recent months demonstrate there are very powerful influences within the union movement that are disinterested in job creating opportunities and increasingly out of touch with the desires and aspirations of the Australian people.”

“Honest union members expect their money to be spent on honest representation from their unions, not wasted on desperate partisan campaigns on behalf of the Labor Party.”