Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister please update the House on action the government is taking to make our community safer, particularly in relation to members of criminal gangs? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They are still interjecting. Why don't you ask the Prime Minister about the millions he has donated to medical research and charitable organisations? Is it not palatable for all the union hacks over there to hear a little bit of home truth? I am going to deliver you a little bit now.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They can protest all they want. The CFMEU own and operate this Labor opposition, there is no question about that. One of the great achievements of this government has been to cancel the visas of criminals in this country—people who have perpetrated crimes on Australian citizens. We have cancelled the visas of over 100 outlaw motorcycle gang members, many of them with links to—guess which organisation? The CFMEU. People have written to me and said 'Minister, thank you for cancelling the visa of that bikie who broke the arm of my employee' or 'Thank you for cancelling the visa of that bikie who perpetrated this crime against my family'. Most people are pretty happy with the fact that we are deporting criminals. But there is one person in this parliament who is not happy with bikies with CFMEU links been deported—and that is this fellow here, the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition leads a party that has received millions and millions and millions of dollars from CFMEU officials. This Leader of the Opposition stands up for union bosses at every opportunity. He is not worried about workers. He is here and he has not let the union bosses down one day. Every day he comes to work, he dedicates and re-dedicates himself to the cause of standing up for union bosses.

We have taken a decision—

Ms Husar interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lindsay has been warned.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to make the Australian society a safer place. We have taken a decision, through the ABCC legislation, to clean up building sites, because we know that if the CFMEU stop concrete pours and put their own preferred subcontractors—I was going to say 'criminal' subcontractors. Some of them are, because they are charging an inflated price—that results in a higher price when people, in particular, first home buyers, come to buy those units from the developers, because they transfer that money to the preferred workers on that site.

Now, why is this a problem that continues? It continues because there is a protection racket being operated by those opposite. Bikies are on worksites, on building sites around the country now, and they could be pulled off if this Leader of the Opposition had any leadership capacity whatsoever. But day after day after day this Leader of the Opposition demonstrates that he is here for the union— (Time expired)

Mr Rob Mitchell interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for McEwen is now warned.