Adjudication No. 994 (September 1998) [1998] APC 40

ADJUDICATION No. 994 (September 1998)

The Press Council has considered a complaint over an article by columnist Piers Akerman entitled "MUA's neat legal sidestep" which appeared in The Daily Telegraph of 7 July 1998.

Bernard Ellis complained that the article refers to the MUA as an "historically corrupt union". As a member of the absorbed Seamen's Union of Australia and subsequently the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), Mr Ellis said there was no basis for describing the MUA as "historically corrupt".

The Press Council is unable to judge whether the columnist was referring to the past behaviour of the union bodies which came together to form the MUA or whether he intended to attach the "historically corrupt" label to its continuing actions today.

However the description is clearly the columnist's opinion in a column which has a reputation for forthright, often controversial, opinion.

The complaint is not upheld.