Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. I want to make a statement really clearly: the government has absolutely no tolerance for criminal conduct or misbehaviour in the building industry. That is why our government took the strongest possible action to put the CFMEU into administration. This is very difficult work. I have spoken with the administrator on numerous occasions about just how difficult this work is, and he is absolutely committed to cleaning out this union. I want to go through some of the work he has already been doing.

He has taken significant steps to either remove or accept the resignation of over 60 staff, over two-thirds of whom were in leadership positions or organisers. He has developed a national code of conduct and a statement of expectations for all staff. He's made it absolutely clear where the union stands when it comes to gifts, organised crime, menacing behaviour and what the consequence will be. He has received more than 500 complaints through the anonymous whistleblowing website, which triages complaints, some of which are dealt with internally and many of which are referred to authorities. He is working with the joint agency working group that consists of the AFP, the Fair Work Commission and police forces across all jurisdictions. And he is doing his job. He is working very hard and has achieved more in 16 months than the ABCC did in the whole time it was— (Time expired)

See this speech in context