‘I just want to move on with my life’: Tradie who was suspended after asking Bill Shorten a question about tax breaks his silence - as he reveals he has landed a new job
- Man, 49, was suspended from his job after asking Bill Shorten for a tax break
- The high income earner spoke with Opposition Leader at his work in Gladstone
- Shorten told him he would 'look at' getting tax breaks for high earners
A tradesman who was suspended from his job after asking Bill Shorten a question about tax has landed a new job.
The father-of-three was caught on camera talking to the Opposition leader at a free barbecue put on his employer Gladstone Ports, in Queensland, last month.
But the 49-year-old was been forced to look for a new job after being suspended for coming out with the question on April 24.
The man told the Daily Telegraph that he did not believe his contract would be renewed when his pass failed to work and his personal items were returned to him following the controversy.
The man, who has asked to remain nameless, said he suspected his suspension had only been lifted due to pressure from the media.
'I have not performed any work whatsoever for the port in the last three weeks, and neither have I been asked to perform any work for them,' he said.
'I just want to move on with my life so I hope this helps to end that debate.'
The man also told the publication that he started his new job on Monday.
An electrical engineer was 'suspended' from his job after asking Bill Shorten for tax cuts for high income earners when the Opposition Leader visited his workplace last month (pictured)
The controversy began after the man said to the Opposition leader: 'It would be good to see higher wage income earners given a tax break'.
It is understood staff at Gladstone Ports had been told by management not to engage with media during the visit.
However footage of the incident showed that the electrical engineer had not been engaging with the media but had been approached by Mr Shorten.
Share this article
He was filmed explaining that he and his colleagues worked a lot of overtime, and made up to $250,000 a year because they worked night shifts.
According to the ATO, a person earning that amount can expect to pay $85,000 in tax.
Mr Shorten responded by telling the man Labor would 'look at' lowering taxes for high-income earners, but was later forced to back track on his remarks.
The man, who wished not to be named, had told the Opposition leader: 'It would be good to see higher wage income earners given a tax break'
Shorten had told the man he would 'look at' his request, but was later forced to walk back these remarks
The next day, the man tried to go to work but found his pass no longer worked, The Courier Mail reported. He was told he'd been suspended as he did not have permission to speak to the media.
The contents of his desk were packed up and sent to his house last week, but on Friday - after media began to make inquiries - the man was told his suspension had been lifted and he could return to work.
By that time, he had taken another short-term job elsewhere.
A spokesperson for Gladstone Ports Corporation said the man had been suspended, but did not comment as to why the contents of his desk were sent to his home.
'The individual, a subcontractor not a Gladstone Ports Corporation employee, was not in a position to speak with any knowledge or authority on behalf of the organisation,' a statement released by the company said.
'GPC has a stakeholder and media engagement policy for the appropriate spokesperson for GPC.'
In a later statement, the corporation said the man was 'still employed by the contractor and carrying out work for their employer'.
However, the man has disputed those claims.
There is no suggestion Mr Shorten or the Labor Party were in any way involved with the engineer's suspension.
Mr Shorten was forced to backtrack on his response to the man, telling media: 'I told him I understood his point of view... we would like to lower income taxes for everybody, but you've got to do it when it's sustainable.'
His remarks had caused issues for the Labor Party, who had been actively campaigning to tax 'the top end of town' by curbing tax concessions for high-income earners.
