Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Hansard source

Today shines a light on what so many Victorians have known for a very long time—that the Labor Party has worked with the unions and been paid by the unions—and particularly exposes the corruption of the CFMEU. The investigative report is horrifying to say the least. And I want to quote from the Age today, who have said:

Major infrastructure projects funded by the Albanese and Allan governments hosted drug trafficking, systemic corruption and bribery, bikie gangs and the shocking sexual exploitation of women at an estimated cost to the taxpayers of $15 billion, according to a landmark report into CFMEU corruption.

There was the bombshell release of an unredacted version of the report Rotting from the topnote the heading—by barrister and CFMEU investigator Geoffrey Watson SC into the CFMEU Victorian branch, where Labor has done nothing to address union corruption or organised crime, costing taxpayers an estimated $15 billion in Victoria's Big Build.

Now, why is that a problem? Why is that a problem for every Victorian? Why is it a problem for every Australian? It's because $15 billion—and some other suggestions are that it could be up to $30 billion—has been funnelled off into crime. That is outrageous. We are in a cost-of-living crisis. People are struggling to put food on their tables. They're struggling to turn their air conditioners on. Many won't turn their heaters on in winter. And yet here we have the government of Australia, the Labor Party, turning the other way, only coming out and saying, 'Well, you know, there's a problem.' Really? There's been a problem since 2015, under John Setka—as if the Labor Party knew nothing about this. This is absolutely outrageous, and every person in Australia who is suffering under the cost of living ought to be appalled, because the corruption continues to bleed into this government. The government must give answers. So far we have seen nothing, no answers at all.

Let me just pass on to the House and put on record that Victoria's debt at this point in time is $192 billion net debt by 30 June 2029. It equates to at least $22,000 per capita—per man, woman and child—at current levels, rising to $25,500 by 2029. If you think it's bad now, folks, let's wait. Interest rates are at $18 million a day. Are you joking? Victorians should not have to put up with this. This is a government that is out of control in Victoria. The fact that the Labor Party have stood side by side with the CFMEU for so long boils my blood, if that isn't apparent. It ought to boil the blood of every person in Australia because every one of us suffers under this incompetence. Worse than that is the fact that women are being exploited on these sites and nothing is being done. We have a government that is constantly lecturing us, and a crossbench that is constantly lecturing us, about kinder, gentler ways and nicer ways of speaking to one another. How about dealing with the corruption? How about dealing with the exploitation of women? This is outrageous, and every Australian ought to be offended by the behaviour of this government.

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