Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast

Did John Howard approve the 1998 war on the waterfront?

loading...

April 03, 2025 6:00am

25m

In 1998 wharfies across the country were locked out by men in balaclavas with savage dogs. What followed was the most dramatic industrial confrontation of the age between the Maritime Union of Australia and Patrick Stevedores, led by CEO Chris Corrigan.  The Howard government said they knew nothing about plans to sack the 1400 workers and train a new, non-union workforce in Dubai. But now ABC Radio National’s Rewind has uncovered new evidence that casts doubt on their claims. 

  • GUEST: Dr Geraldine Fela –Research Fellow in the School of Humanities at Macquarie University, and producer and series historian of Conspiracy - war on the waterfront
  • PRODUCER: Catherine Zengerer