FED: Kelty not leaving, ACTU says

AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-1998
FED: Kelty not leaving, ACTU says

By Alan Gale, Industrial Correspondent

MELBOURNE, Dec 4 AAP - Rumours of the imminent departure of ACTU secretary Bill Kelty were
quashed by council leadership today, but typically there was no word on the matter from the
man himself.

At the seaside resort of Lorne for the three-day ACTU council meeting, which ended
yesterday, Mr Kelty's minders refused all requests for media interviews.

Despite being elected for a six-year term last year, Mr Kelty has been the subject of a
rumour campaign that his retirement at age 51 was imminent and assistant secretary Greg Combet
has been picked as his successor.

The term "Kirribilli pact" was used by one senior union member, a reference to a leadership
succession deal struck between former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke and then treasurer Paul
Keating at Kirribilli House, the prime minister's official Sydney residence.

However, when asked by reporters about an ACTU succession deal, Mr Combet told them to
"stop being ridiculous".

"Bill's been extremely active despite some media commentary to the contrary," Mr Combet
said.

"He's been doing a lot of things in the ACTU in the last couple of years.

"Bill has my support and he has (ACTU president) Jennie (George)'s support and that was in
evidence again at the council meeting."

Ms George also denied there was a leadership change coming.

"You've got to understand that we've just recently been all elected unopposed for a
six-year term," Ms George said.

"It's not as if people were clamouring to take on these positions.

"So I don't feel that any of us are under any threat whatsoever.

"We work well as a team and between now and the termination of that six years there's a lot
of water to flow under the bridge," Ms George said.

AAP ag/jlw/mk/de

KEYWORD: ACTU KELTY

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