Jo Lindgren (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today in this house we saw a motion about a respected member of the legal fraternity that has placed the Senate in unconstitutional territory. The exposed corruption and vile behaviour of the union movement has been displayed for all to view at the breakfast table, at the barbecues of our households and in living rooms around the nation—and the workers of Australia are disgusted. What do the Labor Party do in the face of the massive backlash from ripped-off employees and broken employers? They go after the head of the inquiry that is exposing them and they try to irreparably blemish his name and shut down the instrument that will deny them campaign funds in the future.

I noted last Monday that the comments from the ACTU boss, Dave Oliver, included the words, 'The royal commission is terminally tarnished.' I think that when he spoke those words he was in fact referring to the labour movement in Australia. 'Terminally tarnished' is exactly how the union movement looks, thanks to the findings so far of the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption. The debate that we find ourselves in today is reminiscent of the protection rackets that were run on the streets of Chicago in the 1920s—the cash cow must be protected at all times. Just substitute whisky and mafia with unions and the Australian Labor Party. Those opposite have no choice but to attempt to shut down the very thing that will make them irrelevant—the financial arm of the ALP: the union movement.    Those opposite realise that this inquiry may very well see them being exiled into distant memory, much like the thugs of those vicious Chicago days. That is why Labor chose to play the man. They always choose to play the man.    When it comes to the harsh reality of explaining the abhorrent actions of their union comrades, the earthy tones of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel spring to mind:

Hello darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again.

The Labor Party keep regurgitating the words 'politically motivated witch hunt' in reference to this royal commission. Nothing could be further from the truth. This commission has been welcomed by Labor luminaries such as Paul Howes and Martin Ferguson. Those opposite are the provedores and purveyors of the cheap and nasty when it comes to beating up their opponents via political means. As of today, you can even include a witness at a royal commission.

I ask those here tonight to cast back in their memories to the chamber on Tuesday, 30 September 2014. On that day Senator Lazarus moved a motion to start a Senate enquiry into the Queensland LNP government—a political witch-hunt. What was the voting regarding that motion? Those opposite have articulately stated they do not support political witch-hunts. So let's recall the vote. Who wants to take a trip down memory lane here? The vote was 30 to 27 in favour. I cast my eye down the list and there was not one ALP name listed as being against that political witch-hunt—not one. I was not here on that day, but I bet my colleagues were completely shocked. They were so shocked that they called a division. We sit here and hear the ALP state that they do not approve of political witch-hunts. My colleagues concluded that there had obviously been a mistake in the recording of the votes. But—surprise, surprise!—after the division there were still zero ALP names that had voted against a political witch-hunt. How hypocritical was that, and what a disgrace it was to the proceedings of the Senate.

Here today we see yet again that the Australian Labor Party are simply intent on dragging this great chamber through the vile entrails of their own making to extract some type of perverted revenge for their corrupt union mates. Frankly, this disgusts me. The howls of indignation from those opposite about the Hon. Dyson Heydon AC QC are an attempt to distract and detract from the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption. Those opposite are afraid of what may be uncovered, and rightfully so. After all, some clangers have come out of this royal commission. I am aware that some of my colleagues have already highlighted them, but I am going to go through them again so that everyone in this chamber can hear them once more.

You could not dream up things like this—for example, CFMEU officials Brian Parker and Darren Greenfield consorting with underworld crime figures, standover men, bikies, career criminals and jihadists; Comancheros being used as debt collectors; and Bill Shorten accepting a $40,000 donation from construction companies to pay the wages of his election campaign director in 2007—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Acting Deputy President, I raise a point of order. I think the recent comment by the senator referring to CFMEU officials as 'jihadists' is a true reflection. I have been very patient, but I think that is one word too far.

Nova Peris (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. Please continue, Senator Lindgren.

Jo Lindgren (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

which he did not disclose until two days before the royal commission asked him about it under sworn evidence. Then we hear that, when Bill Shorten was the National Secretary of the AWU, workers were deprived of penalty rates, public holiday pay, overtime and shift loadings. Again we hear the name 'Bill Shorten'.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Acting Deputy President, on a point of order: it would be useful to remind the senator to refer to Mr Shorten by his title.

Nova Peris (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do remind you to do that, Senator Lindgren.

Jo Lindgren (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I accept that and I apologise. This time he and his best mate, Cesar Melhem, were apparently involved in false invoices and the Industry 2020 slush fund. The private details of over 300 construction workers were leaked by the construction industry superannuation fund, Cbus, to the CFMEU. As a result of these leaks, construction workers were contacted, intimidated and threatened by CFMEU officials.

Allegations were made in the royal commission that the CFMEU had threatened contractors at the Pentridge Village residential development site to sign a CFMEU enterprise agreement and had pressured construction workers to join the union or otherwise face being black-banned. ACT Police arrested a former construction union organiser and previous Labor Party sub-branch president after he admitted to accepting tens of thousands of dollars in payments from tradesmen to help them win work. Could it be these types of truth bombs that have the Labor Party and their union mates running scared? The lady in this case, Senator Wong, doth protest too much, methinks!

The grandstanding by those opposite is a diversion tactic that is distracting attention from the real issue—the ALP and their union mates. They deny everything, admit nothing and make counteraccusations. First they thought they had an escape mechanism by highlighting that Justice Heydon was to be the keynote speaker at the Sir Garfield Barwick address. It should be noted that none of the Barwick lectures are of a political nature. They are of a legal or constitutional nature. The audience of the lecture is the NSW Bar Association. No profit is made. No funds are raised. The event is not designed to run at a profit or a loss. This is clearly not a political fundraiser. Those opposite have been known to draw a long bow, but this takes the cake.

Those opposite are trying to suggest that another way Justice Heydon is implicated in political bias is that he was on a panel that selected the Prime Minister as a Rhodes scholar some 35 years ago. Justice Heydon is a Rhodes scholar and not a unionist who gives out awards to his mates. Justice Heydon in 1980 did not have a magical crystal ball to look into the future. But I bet if the ALP had a crystal ball they would have never put up Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard or the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, as their leaders. I wonder how many government appointments made by the other side, royal commissioner or otherwise, have had a connection to the Labor Party or unions. I say to those opposite: move on, move forward and let the royal commission do its job. Let Australia's most eminent legal mind and a long overdue inquiry clean up the pathetic, tragic injustice of union corruption.