A UNION is distributing condoms in a campaign against the Federal Government's industrial relations (IR) laws.
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has begun handing out the condoms outside north Queensland nightclubs.
The condoms are contained in a cardboard wrapper with slogans such as: "This election, don't let lil' Johnny slide back in!"
Other slogans include: "SAFE SEX: The best type of union" and "This election make sure you're well protected!".
A spokeswoman for Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey, who visited the north Queensland city of Townsville today, said the unions had reached a "new low".
"This is another example of how the unions and Labor are treating this campaign as a joke," Mr Hockey's said.
"This is not funny – this tacky, tasteless stunt is typical of the unions' and Labor's campaign."
CFMEU Queensland secretary for mining and energy Jim Valery said it was a novel way of promoting a message about the dangers of the current workplace laws.
"We could buys ads in the paper but we decided to do a health thing," Mr Valery said.
"It's 2007 – it's not as if a condom is a totally unheard of thing.
"It's all a bit of fun."
