IEU Deputy General Secretary Kylie Busk: Why your vote matters
The IEU Victoria Tasmania exists to unite and support members working in non-government education, to improve pay, conditions, professional respect and workplace rights while advocating for quality education and recognition of the work in schools.
As a non-affiliated union, we have no formal connection with any political party and do not endorse candidates. Instead, we work with all parties to progress members’ interests. At elections, we ask the major parties to respond to questions on issues important to IEU members, including teacher shortages, faith-based discrimination, reportable conduct, teacher registration delays and union representation on key education bodies. We then collate and share their responses to help members make informed decisions.
This time around the political landscape has changed considerably, with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation polling strongly. One Nation’s education policy is scant, with little detail on the major challenges facing schools – particularly around the key issue of attracting, supporting and retaining education staff.
Given One Nation’s anti-worker voting record and Pauline Hanson’s public statements, the Australian union movement has sought to ensure members are aware of those positions. This follows the same approach the IEU adopted in 2022: simply presenting parties’ stated positions and encouraging members to decide for themselves.
In Victoria, hundreds of unionists, including IEU members, are handing out Little Orange Books containing Pauline Hanson quotations at train stations and street stalls. These books contain no voting instructions – they simply present Hanson’s own words.
We also encourage members to read One Nation’s policies for themselves.
We are unapologetic about supporting union values of justice and solidarity against prejudice, discrimination and hatred. We affirm this commitment at the beginning of every official IEU meeting through an Acknowledgement of Country and a solidarity statement reflecting our movement’s values. In doing so, we recommit ourselves to making positive change that advances fairness, equality, dignity at work and respect for every worker.
Pauline Hanson and One Nation have voted against:
making industrial manslaughter a criminal offence.
Same Job, Same Pay laws
the Right to Disconnect
allowing workers to openly discuss their pay
making wage theft a criminal offence
protecting penalty rates
raising the minimum wage
stronger protections against unfair dismissal
cracking down on labour hire.
The ACTU sums up why this list matters: ‘If One Nation had even a skerrick of power for a day, they would go about dismantling the rights, protections and power that workers care about and have fought so hard to win.’
‘When it comes to legislative changes that make work safer, fairer, more secure and better paid, One Nation consistently votes against workers.’
Earlier this year, Pauline Hanson made the following remarks at the National Press Club:
‘You can’t sack people these days. They’re on their phones, they don’t work, they don’t turn up, they’re actually lazy…’
Pauline and her party are not on the side of the Australian worker.
The IEU’s priorities are straightforward: protecting workplace rights and advocating for fair, effective and fully funded education. Those priorities are never more important than during an election campaign.
Every political party must engage seriously with the enormous challenges currently facing those working in schools. Whoever is elected must develop a plan to attract, support and retain the next generation of teachers, support staff and school leaders. Anything less fails both our students and our nation’s future.
