Health Workers Union Victorian secretary Jake McGuinness has accused Ben Carroll of ignoring his requests for a meeting, with the Premier instead choosing to host a Minecraft “concert”.
As a result, Mr McGuinness, who was elected last month, said he could not tell members of his union’s branch to vote Labor at the upcoming state election.
In a memo sent to 15,000 members of the HWU’s Victorian branch, seen by The Australian, Mr McGuinness said Premier Carroll’s government was “arrogant” and was using “grievance and fear” to drive their campaign.
Mr McGuinness told members the Premier shrugged off the half-hour talk to discuss the state’s “spiralling healthcare crisis” but had time for a video-game stunt.
“Last week, however, Premier Carroll found 30 minutes to DJ a Minecraft concert,” he wrote.
“If you think I am joking, I am not. Low-paid, overworked health workers cannot get a meeting, but a Minecraft concert gets his time.”
In a Victorian Labor TikTok video, Mr Carroll addresses a crowd of avatars in the video game Minecraft during a simulated concert.
Mr Carroll told the Minecraft party about his plan to give Victorians “free dental” to “take the financial pressure off”.
According to The Australian, Mr McGuinness said Opposition Leader Jess Wilson was “respectful” by contrast.
“I appreciated her making the time. I found her genuine, well informed, and respectful of the essential work you do every day,” he wrote.
“She was open to working with us on practical changes if she forms government at the end of the month.”
Mr McGuinness clarified, however, that he believed some of the Liberals’ policies would hurt Victorians.
He flagged Ms Wilson’s approach to industrial relations and the possible alliance with One Nation as concerns, but added that if Labor lose power the party must remember “who they are there to serve”.
“Working people deserve more. We must do better,” he said.
“I will still hand out for Labor on election day in my own time because I respect many of its achievements over the past 12 years, and I believe in the movement. But I cannot recommend a Labor vote to members while the government refuses even to acknowledge our requests for a meeting.”
However, Mr McGuinness said Labor’s “arrogance” was on show after an unnamed MP said unions had shown a “lack of solidarity” with the party.
“It captures the arrogance that has developed within the Victorian Labor government,” he said.
“Labor exists to serve working people — to be their advocate and fighter. Working people do not exist to serve Labor. Unions do not exist to campaign for Labor, especially when the Carroll government has forgotten us.”