Harry Hauenschild

Interviewed by
Roger Scott
Aug 25 2009
Harry Hauenschild
Time Summary Keywords
00:00:00 Harry Hauenschild discusses his early career as a lad porter with the railways in 1948, shortly after he started as a boilermaker with the railway workshops in Rockhampton. He completed his apprenticeship in 1955 and then travelled the state.
00:00:34 Harry Hauenschild discusses his initial involvement with the union movement as Honorary Branch President of the Rockhampton branch of the Boilermakers Unions of Rockhampton. unions
00:00:57 Harry Hauenschild explains how he joined the Labor Party in 1961 because of its union affiliations. He describes how he made the transition from being a state figure in the union to the National Executive of the Boilermakers and Blacksmith Society and discusses his involvement in the amalgamation of several unions. unions
00:03:10 Harry Hauenschild outlines his active involvement in the Labor Party in 1975 when he became a member of the executive of the Queensland branch. He explains the influence of Jack Egerton. Jack Egerton
00:04:23 Harry Hauenschild reflects on state politics and comments on the link between the Labor Party and unions. He describes how unions were able to influence the parliamentary party and how he feels in recent times this has changed. Joh Bjelke-Petersen, unions
00:07:53 Harry Hauenschild discusses the issues that led to federal intervention and the motivation behind those who were pushing for proportional representation. He explains how this group pressured the National Executive to intervene. Bill Hayden, Denis Murphy, George Georges
00:10:43 Harry Hauenschild discusses the changes following the federal intervention, the transfer of power from the Labor Party affiliated unions back to the AWU. Edgar Williams, Errol Hodder, unions
00:12:17 Harry Hauenschild discusses the membership of the AWU and explains why this union was never affiliated on a state basis, the politics involved and the base of their membership. unions
00:14:02 Harry Hauenschild identifies the key policy and decision makers during this period, the Inner Executive of the Labor Party and the Executive of the Queensland Trades and Labor Council (TLC). He describes how the intervention would not have occurred had the Labor Party radio station not been in a slump. Clem Jones, unions
00:15:17 Harry Hauenschild explains how the Labor Party came to own a radio station 4KQ and the decision process for accessing the Labor Party holdings during this era. He explains how the central executive made decisions. Clem Jones, Jack Egerton
00:18:06 Harry Hauenschild explains the differences in the Labor Party since federal intervention, namely giving the politicians control of the party. In particular he talks about the political and ideological differences since intervention. Bligh Government 2007-12
00:21:09 Harry Hauenschild discusses his career after the federal intervention and his involvement with tertiary training in 1965. He reflects on the changes to tertiary education, including the injection of capital funding by the Commonwealth.
00:23:45 Harry Hauenschild explains what influenced the National Education Minister to propose a TAFE at Emerald rather than Kingaroy.
00:24:25 Harry Hauenschild discusses the relationship between TAFE and training and education at the national and state levels. He discusses the funding priorities of the state government and the transfer to private providers of apprenticeships and training. He details some of the problems with competency based training including the cost. education reform
00:29:30 Harry Hauenschild comments on public servants and ministers who were particularly supportive within vocational education. He elaborates on the changes made to tertiary education in the TAFE sector. He explains the recommendation of the Kirby Committee for traineeships and how these recommendations were not implemented as imagined. education, education reform, Roy Wallace
00:33:10 Harry Hauenschild comments on the connection between industrial relations and employment and comments on whether these should be combined in the same portfolio.
00:35:30 Harry Hauenschild discusses his experience of the ILO. Bob Hawke, unions
00:38:09 Harry Hauenschild discusses his role in the introduction of competency based training. He explains that he agrees with the introduction but that the implementation stage has failed the program. education reform
00:40:33 Harry Hauenschild speaks on the various aspects of his career and the current political climate.
00:42:15 Interview ends.
Further reading: 
Ross Fitzgerald and Harold Thornton, Labor in Queensland: from the 1880s to 1988, UQP, 1989