Zoe Daniel (Goldstein, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of the member for Wentworth's amendment to the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Administration) Bill 2024. Criminality and corruption must be called out and rooted out wherever they occur. In the case of the construction division of the CFMEU, its links to organised crime and bikies have been there in plain sight for all to see for years. I am Victorian. I was a journalist. I know. It's an embarrassment to other decent unionists and to the Labor Party, which took its money nonetheless.

Putting the union into administration is a first step that I support, but I would argue that it's only part of the solution. If we're serious about cleaning up the construction industry, ongoing oversight as well as a comprehensive state and federal government police taskforce empowered to deal with the construction sector is vital.

The latest revelations discovered by Channel 9 and the Age point to the alleged actions of the union's Victorian construction division and links to organised crime and outlaw bikie gangs involved in government funded projects, including Victoria's $100 billion Big Build. This could come at specific cost to the constituents of Goldstein, in terms of both cost and amenity, given that several Big Build projects touch the electorate, including the Suburban Rail Loop. The state government is struggling with a crippling debt burden, and there are already serious doubts as to whether the project can be realised, let alone with potential inflated costs as a result of the CFMEU's behaviour.

It's important to acknowledge the role of unions in building better working conditions and entitlements for many workers in this country as well as protecting their health and safety. Indeed, it's important to make the point that the majority of union workers in 2024 are women working in feminised industries like nursing, aged care and teaching, and many of those women live in my electorate. The way the CFMEU has operated and, particularly, been led is not in keeping with this feminised cohort.

This legislation grants the minister the power to hire and fire the administrator and, in essence, oversee the operation of that process. It's an extraordinary step that requires strict scrutiny and accountability to ensure that the work of the administrator is free from political interference. It is not ideal, but I want to acknowledge that there is no perfect strategy available when it comes to dealing with the crisis the CFMEU construction division has created. Left to a conventional process of allowing the courts to appoint an administrator, that process would almost certainly be bogged down in endless legal action that could drag on for years.

I want to be clear that I don't support the guillotining of debate on this matter. But, on balance, overall it is my belief that swift and decisive action is required in order to ensure that the reform of the CFMEU construction division is effective and achieves its aim. And while I expect to support the legislation, it is only just the start, not the end of the work required to clean up this sector. While putting the CFMEU into administration will finally shine a light into the dark corners of its activities and while it aspires to stop the rorting, the double-dealing and the graft that's been the hallmark of this particular division of the CFMEU, that is only part of the challenge. Long after the administrator has gone, the CFMEU construction division cannot simply be free to revert to its former self. We cannot let union officials line their own pockets at the expense of their members and our wider communities.

That's why, again, I make the case for an upgraded state and federal government police taskforce to tackle criminal allegations within the construction industry as well as a permanent oversight mechanism. This could include unions like the CFMEU as well as the developers they have often partnered with. Workers in the construction industry do need a union that has their back when it comes to safety, working conditions and entitlements. But, for the good of the community as a whole, that union must play by the rules. This is critical for our communities and for our economy, including the Goldstein community that I represent. I commend the amendment from the member for Wentworth to the House.

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