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

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. The CFMEU administrator commissioned Geoffrey Watson to provide a report into the Victorian branch of the CFMEU to help him with his important work. Let me be very clear, this is a report to the administrator, not a report to government. The handling, distribution and publication of reports commissioned by the independent administrator is a matter for him.

To be abundantly clear, my office received this report on 9 February, and at no stage have we requested any changes to the report or made any requests for amendments to the contents of the report. Any suggestion is misleading the parliament. Let me be very, very clear, Mr Irving has been clear and transparent about why parts of the report had been removed, and it is because he was not satisfied that they were well founded or properly tested.

In terms of the transparency, the Watson report has been tabled by the administrator, and he has responded publicly. We retain full confidence in the administrator, respected KC Mark Irving. Not a single bad actor referred to in this Watson report still works for the CFMEU, and all have been removed by the administrator. Those opposite have irresponsibly called for his sacking of an administrator that achieved more progress in cleaning up the union in 18 months than they achieved in their whole time in government. Over 50 per cent of the organisers in the Victorian branch have been removed, 90 per cent in New South Wales, and, in Queensland, 50 per cent. Let's remember how many those opposite removed—a big fat zero.

I will also refer—considering that the Leader of the Opposition has referenced Geoffrey Watson, he has provided evidence to say, today: 'If anything I have said here today would suggest there is an outcome about removing the administrator, they should think again. They would be mad to get rid of Mark Irving.' Those opposite might want to distract from their chaos and disruption. Nothing will do that. We have been very, very clear about this. They can say there are smoke and mirrors, but we have been very clear, and they need to think again.

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