Is this John Howard's Australia?

I'm not normally one for those blogs where you just copy-paste a disturbing news article and then make a pooncy political statement like 'Is this John Howard's Australia?, but...

The family of a dying man refused a redundancy payment by a Sydney car parts manufacturer says if Prime Minister John Howard is so appalled by his treatment he should change the relevant laws.

John Beaven, 61, has worked for Tristar Steering and Suspension in Sydney for more than 40 years.

He is seriously ill in hospital and his family believe Tristar refused to make a voluntary redundancy payment to him because it knew he was about to die.

Mr Howard has told Macquarie Radio the company has been morally insensitive and he will talk to his new Workplace Relations Minister, Joe Hockey, about the matter today.

But Mr Howard says the company has not broken any laws.

"We will endeavour to persuade the company to alter its position, we can't make it," he said.

"It has applied the letter of the law, I think, insensitively and unfairly and wrongly.

From Your ABC.

Thanks, John. After all, it's always been the constitutional role of the Prime Minister to 'endeavour to persuade' companies. Not to like, make and change laws or anything. I'm sure the Beaven family can take your 'endeavour to persuade' down to Woolies and pick up some groceries with it.

I'm sorry ma'am, but we don't accept half-hearted gestures of compassion

And who is the guy next to you, I thought your husband was in hospital?

If you're not going to do anything about it, if you're not at the very least going to call the company and tell them to pay up, don't pretend you're the Beaven's fairy fucking Godmother because you got asked a loaded question on talkback radio. Why am I typing like John Howard is reading this?

If the company has, as you claimed, wrongly interpreted the law, do something about it. Don't just make sympathetic comments on the John Laws show inbetween segments about Muslims and Lebs. Borrow Janette's ballsack, attach it to your dusty downstairs and kick some ass.

We all know you're going to retire before the next election or get crushed by K-Vampire Butters-Rudd. At least go out doing something good for a dying guy and his family.



Your friend,


Tommy