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

There is wide support for the need to clean up corruption within unions. Indeed, former ACTU president and Labor minister Martin Ferguson said:

There is an absolute obligation on the union movement to clean up its house. There is an obligation on the unions to put their house in order.

You would have thought Labor might actually agree with that instead of interjecting.

Another former Labor leader and ACTU president, Simon Crean, said of the CFMEU: 'They need to get their house in order; they need to control the rogue elements.' And, indeed, Dave Oliver has said: 'There is no place in the union movement for the gross misuse of members' money.' I quote Mr Paul Howes again: 'Those who act dishonestly from within the union movement are worse than crook bosses'—yet the penalties are a lot less. This needs to change.