Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. I refer the minister to the body of evidence that has emerged in recent years of the gross misuse of union members' funds at the Health Services Union and the Australian Workers Union involving both current and former union leaders. Will the minister now support the coalition's policy to apply the same legal standards to union leaders that apply to company directors and, if not, why not?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question and for her interest in workplace relations. In terms of the proposition about what the government is doing to make sure that the governance of registered organisations is good, there has never been a time under this government when there has been such strong regulation of registered organisations. Let me go through the evidence to support the proposition I advance today. Under this government we have increased the penalties for people who are found to have breached their obligations under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act. We are the ones who put an administrator into the troubled parts of the Health Services Union—that is, the HSU East branch. Under this government we have increased the educational standards required of people who hold fiduciary positions in registered organisations. Under this government we have strengthened the powers of the General Manager of the Fair Work Act. So we have a record of talking the talk and walking the walk.

The only disappointment I have here is that, when it comes to workplace relations, the opposition only ever want to talk about one issue.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. On relevance: I also asked about the Australian Workers Union. I would ask the minister to address that issue.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. The minister has the call.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am entirely confident that in recent years the Australian Workers Union has been very well administered. Let me go further on this question, because we know where the question is coming from. We know that there have been attempts by the Liberal Party to smear and muckrake; what we also know is that that dog is not going to hunt. Only this side of parliament will ever stand up for workers. I am proud to be in a labour movement that stands on the side of getting workers pay rises. I am proud to be part of a government that stands on the side of better health and safety for workers. I am proud to be part of a government that stands for secure jobs. I am proud to be part of a government and a labour movement that stands for the accomplishments of unions. I am also proud to be part of a government, led by our Prime Minister, that stands up for the issues of working people no matter what the topic.

Need I remind the House of the National Disability Insurance Scheme? Need I remind the House of what we intend to do to improve the funding of schools, wherever they are and regardless of the postcode? Let me also make it clear that we on this side of the House will never be part of the sort of antics we see from the 'mini-me's' of the coalition federally—I refer of course to the East Coast state premiers. We will never be part of the wholesale job cuts that Campbell Newman is proposing in Queensland; we will never be part of Barry O'Farrell's attack on injured workers; and we will never be part of Ted Baillieu's attack on TAFE.