Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on steps the government has taken to remove dangerous criminal gang members from Australian society? What are the consequences of not taking action?

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

I thank the honourable member for her question. We have cancelled a record number of visas, including for bikies, many of whom are involved on building sites, working for the CFMEU. They are the hired muscle. Everyone of course has a story of a CFMEU union thug turning up on a building site and running riot, but I heard an amazing story the other day. At a huge unit construction site in the city, a motorbike screeches to a halt outside the gates, the rider wearing his CFMEU-emblazoned jacket and a Rebels bikie tattoo across his forehead. He hops off and walks towards the lady on the stop and go sign at the entrance of the building site. She is a bit nervous, naturally enough, but tries to make him out; she left home in a rush that morning and could not find her contact lenses. 'Julia!' the bikie says. She feels instance relief: it's Bill the bikie!

Julia is a part pensioner. She trusted her friend bikie Bill to find her this job after unexpectedly losing her last gig. It is two days a week, 150 grand a year—not a bad deal. The downside is that her CFMEU dues are $149,000 a year, which makes it a bit tight, but it helps to support her stay-at-home hubby. 'You're doing a great job here, Julia', says Bill, sincerely. She feels secure because her friend bikie Bill has her back. But bikie Bill barges forward and sees his target: the foreman. It is Kevin the carpenter—as Kevin humbly says, 'Carpenter by trade, but future global leader by nature.'

Anyway, Kevin is talking to a group of on-site workers—the cleaners. He is talking in Chinese, which is strange, because none of the workers in that group are Chinese. Bikie Bill knows the group well, because he did the deal for the cleaners' EBA: 5c an hour, he got for them. It makes things a bit tight for their families, but the cleaners are content, because they know that the balance of the $100 an hour in the pay deal that was done for them will go to the CFMEU professional development fund, which has millions—and growing—and that the US Teamsters training program will be properly funded to educate the new generation of CFMEU leadership in extortion and hand-to-hand combat. The moral of this story is that Julia can have a—

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

The member for Grayndler on a point of order.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, on weirdness!

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

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat.

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

Julia could not trust bikie Bill. Kevin could not trust bikie Bill. The workers could not trust bikie Bill. And let me tell you, the Australian people do not trust this Leader of the Opposition.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The minister will resume his seat. Members on my left will cease interjecting, or they will be leaving the House rapidly. I will say one thing for the minister's answer: he managed to be inventive up until that last moment; that is why I have asked him to resume his seat.