CATHY McGowan has been accused of hypocrisy over her stance on penalty rates.
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The member for Indi has backed the Fair Work Commission’s decision to reduce penalty rates on the grounds it is an independent umpire.
But North East Border Trades and Labour Council secretary Chip Eling said Ms McGowan gladly agreed with axing the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal last year.
“Cathy McGowan has made a point about backing the independent umpire, well why did she vote to get rid of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal,” Mr Eling said.
“If she adopted the same principle she applied in the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal she would be happy to vote against lowering penalty rates of people in her electorate.”
Mr Eling collected signatures, along with two Victorian Trades Hall organisers, at Ms McGowan’s Wodonga office on Wednesday.
He plans to present the petitions, calling for the MP to support penalty rates, to Ms McGowan’s Wangaratta office on Thursday.
Mr Eling estimates they will contain 500 signatures and he believes Ms McGowan has lost support of those who voted for her.
“In her two campaigns she had an enormous number of young people, university students and high school students, who mobilised to help her with how-to-vote cards and a lot of those feel as though they got her elected and now they feel she’s turned on them,” Mr Eling said.
“I’ve had a few conversations with young people who say they will never vote for her again.
“I know a lot of union members and Labor Party members supported Cathy McGowan, I doubt if that will happen again.
“What it comes down to is that people don’t like hypocrisy.”
Ms McGowan declined to respond to the claim she had been hypocritical.
She said referred to a statement she made on Tuesday.
Ms McGowan said then she understood arguments against changing penalty rates, but believed strongly in an independent umpire.
“This conviction comes from extensive consultation with unions, employers and community members,” Ms McGowan said.
“Where there is concern about the fairness of the system for setting wages and conditions I am happy to continue to work with all parties on solutions to those issues.”
