Summary
A spin off from the Fair Go For Billionaires campaign, in this satirical commercial, fictional CEO Larry Pines is sad because he is sick of complying with all the safety standards of an Australian workplace. Pines is seen crying in his office, before we see him happily shoving an overseas 457 visa worker into his office, accompanied by the voice over “Luckily Larry has a solution, temporary workers from overseas. That way he won’t be tied up in all the stupid red tape that goes with running a safe workplace.” The overseas worker is carried out of Larry’s office on a stretcher, and another is shoved into the office, “And even if the worst does happen, he knows he won’t have any fuss. If he employed Australian workers, they’d know their rights, which would make Larry sad.” Larry’s sad face fades to black.
This is followed by text on black ‘Help us stop Larry and his kind.’ The final title card is ‘The Mining Boom is Australia’s Boom. Let’s spread it around.
’Fair Go For Billionaires was a CFMEU – Mining & Energy Division campaign opposing Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s promise to repeal the new Resources Tax, thereby diverting tax dollars intended for public purposes back to rich and powerful mining companies.
Special Notes/Achievements
Manic Studios was established for the trade union movement with the goal of producing satirical films and videos for union campaigns. Charles Firth, an Australian comedian and member of the famed The Chaser satirical comedy show, was the company’s creative director.
Author: J Bird, 2023