Clarence By-election: Ms Camac show her true colours

The Daily Examiner 31 October 2011 on the subject of the Christian Democratic Party candidate:

SHE represents the Christian Democratic Party in the upcoming Clarence by-election and happens to be the personnel officer who signed a letter to abattoir workers telling them they no longer had jobs in Grafton.

Asked what she could do for displaced meat workers as a Clarence representative, Bethany Camac admitted she wouldn't be able to do much except encourage investment in the area.

"If they don't want to take up the job offer at Casino and sit around and whinge they can sit around and whinge, if they want to get off their bums and get a new job they can do that," she said.

Ms Camac said all workers, including herself, at the South Grafton site had been "offered" jobs at the Northern Co-operative Meat Company in Casino and "there should be enough jobs for everyone".

"Stuart Ramsey has not taken his business outside the electorate of Clarence, he's moved it from Grafton to Casino."

But reports on ABC North Coast yesterday quoted Northern Co-operative Meat Company management as saying there was no transfer of business between Ramsey Food Processing and the Co-operative.

Workers told The Examiner earlier this week they had been informed by Ramsey that they're entitlements would be transferred if they took up jobs at Casino but subsequent inquiries had proven this to be false……

Ms. Camac obviously doesn’t understand the business history of the man who employs her as well as one local writing in the same newspaper issue.

Who else is to blame?

WELL done, Paul McKenzie, for your factual account of what occurred approximately 10 years ago. My husband was also one of the 11 and he still hasn't received his entitlements despite the court ruling. How this man has been able to get away with ignoring the laws and court rulings amazes me.

Regarding the letter from Lyn Ridge, yes he put food on the table - bread and dripping while he dined on caviar. We used up all our savings in the five years my husband worked for Mr Ramsey. You state that it will be a terrible loss for Grafton, but you can't blame one man alone. Pray tell, who else is to blame?

One man has spit the dummy because he can no longer ignore his commitments. Hay for his horses, it seems, is more important than food on the table for employees.

I congratulate The Daily Examiner for the forthright reporting and please continue to do so. There is nothing nice about this man's business practices and the public is entitled to know.

Regarding the letter from Teddy Bowles, I don't recall any negative media reports when the abattoirs reopened, only how good it was for Grafton.

As far as being given financial assistance, $500,000 from public purses isn't bad, then the assistance given by the city council as regards water rates, etc. How much has to be given to one man? He had employees work for less than award wages for three years to help get the place up and running, then wouldn't come to the table to arrange a new agreement up to two years after the expiration of their agreement. In the meantime, the horse stud prospered.

Mr Ramsey is no pauper. Nor would a dinky-di Aussie treat people the way this man does with his "my way or the highway" attitude.

KERRI BROOKS

South Grafton.

Photograph of Ms. Camac from Chrisitian Democratic Party website

UPDATE

The Daily Examiner on 2 November 2011:

Get a job jibe draws angry retort

COMMENTS from the Christian Democratic candidate for Clarence Beth Camac have been described as a disgrace by the president of the union representing displaced South Grafton meatworkers.

Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union president Grant Courtney said Ms Camac's comments, published in Monday's Daily Examiner, had raised "a fair bit of anger from workers at the South Grafton abattoir".

"Ms Camac's comments in relation to pending displaced workers at the abattoir are nothing short of cheap political opportunism and a disgrace," he said. "Any candidate that stands for good Christian values surely would feel for the 200 workers whose futures are now up in the air thanks to a company pulling its operations at Grafton.

"Calling workers whingers is clearly uncalled for and will not assist her in her political aspirations.

"Social justice, support for the community and regional employment should be the principle policy this woman stands for, instead of blurting out misleading statements that reflect mistruths in relation to future employment at Casino.

"Workers at South Grafton do not appreciate commentary from ill-informed industrial relation consultants that have no idea or concern of workers' rights nor their legal entitlements."