AFL Players Union vs Liberal Party

The papers are leading with news that senior AFL players such as James Hird and Brendan Gale have “hit back” against the Federal Government’s attack on the AFL’s drugs policy. This drugs policy, which will allow players who have taken drugs on more than one occasion to continue playing (three strikes and you’re out), has come under attack from the Federal Government, who believe that the policy is too soft on illegal drugs. So Hird and Co. have come out and attacked the Federal Government.

Weirdly, no paper has recalled that James Hird is a hardcore Liberal hater. You see, JAMES HIRD IS AGAINST THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S STANCE ON ANYTHING, BECAUSE HE’S A BLOODY WHITLAMITE!

James Hird was raised by Whitlamites in Canberra; James’ own mother dragged the little two year old to the steps of Parliament to protest Whitlam’s sacking, a story recounted by Greg Baum in this piece from The Age.

So what a surprise! Brendan Gale, the potential ALP preselection candidate and James Hird (Whitlamite) come out bagging the Liberal Government!

But let’s not stop there – not only are these two ALP to the core, so is much of the AFL board:

Bill Kelty
The man the ACTU calls “A key figure in the Union Movement for over 30 Years”

Mike Fitzpatrick
Millionaire, would be ALP Senator for Victoria, private advisor to ALP politicians and Labor Party figures.

Sam Mostyn
Former staffer to Paul Keating, she replaced Anne Keating (Keating’s sister) on the board of the NRMA. Her involvement in the Labor Party takeover of the AFL is best articulated in this piece.

And let’s not forget Andrew Demetriou of course. He is besties with the powerbrokers of the ALP, has been touted as a future ALP candidate, and furthermore, suggested that Sir Rod Eddington become Chairman of the AFL when Ron Evans died. Sir Rod is of course the ALP’s “Business Adviser”, the guy whose job it is to sell the ALP’s business credibility.

As a former union boss, Demetriou has the perfect pedigree to become an ALP Member of Parliament.

Typical ALP, typical unionists.  Solidarity without transparency.