Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

The government's registered organisations reforms will establish a Registered Organisations Commission with only the powers necessary to protect honest members and introduce new standards to ensure rogue union leaders are held to account. These will safeguard against the kind of corruption and impropriety identified on numerous occasions and most recently by the Heydon royal commission.

Our reforms reflect the coalition policy announced in April 2012 and in our policy in May 2013. In opposition, the coalition tried to increase penalties applying to rogue union leaders. Those opposite opposed those reforms. The party of the unions rejected those reforms and has since delayed our reforms in this place not on one occasion but on two separate occasions.

Interestingly, our reforms will decrease red tape. Let us not forget that our proposals will actually cut Mr Shorten's ridiculous requirement that now requires shop stewards to disclose their partner's and family's income and imposes huge disclosure requirements. This is good news for the honest shop steward on the shop floor who believes that they should not be subjected to this sort of requirement that was so foolishly introduced in an overreaction by Mr Shorten when he was the minister.

Can I remind those opposite of what the former respected Labor Attorney-General said in this area: 'Unquestionably, a case for further legislative reform' exists in this area. Also, there needs to be effective and expeditious remedy when this conduct does occur. This currently is not— (Time expired)