Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

When the government was elected, we were elected on a platform to get rid of Work Choices and introduce Fair Work—and we did. When we introduced Fair Work, we of course swept Work Choices away, but, in respect of the provisions for registered organisations—that is, the legal architecture for both the trade unions and employer organisations—we did not change those provisions. We re-enacted them—they obviously needed updating because we created Fair Work Australia, so the terminology changed—but the provisions regulating registered organisations were kept as they were under the Howard government. I make that point as No. 1.

As No. 2, I would make the following points. The misuse of union members' money is of course wrong. The misuse of employer organisations of the stipend paid by employers to their organisations is wrong. Anyone who has an allegation of misuse, whether it is in a trade union or in an employer organisation, should report that expected misuse to the appropriate regulator and then it should be fully and appropriately investigated and dealt with. I would take exactly the same attitude to this as I take to fraud and poor conduct in corporations and to dishonesty generally. Anybody who has an allegation of dishonest conduct should take it to the appropriate authority to be dealt with.

See this speech in context