Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry representing the Minister for Employment. Will the minister explain what the trade union royal commission recommended with respect to the referral to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions of soliciting of corrupt payments? Why is it important that the union movement run honestly on behalf of hardworking Australians?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Moore for his question, and I can tell him that the trade union royal commission referred certain payments from Victorian businesses to AWU Victoria to the Commonwealth DPP for potential prosecution—

Mr Brian Mitchell interjecting—

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

The member for Lyons will leave under 94(a).

The member for Lyons then left the chamber.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

under the offences of solicitation of a corrupt commission and giving of a corrupt commission. One particularly egregious example concerned a payment of $100,000 from Thiess John Holland to AWU Victoria in financial year 2005-06—so, $100,000 went from Thiess John Holland to the AWU in financial year 2005-06. In the same year, 2005-06, a sum of $99,426 was donated by AWU Victoria to the ALP in Victoria—so, only $574 difference, which I guess was a handling fee or a small administrative charge taken by the AWU in handing that $100,000 on to the ALP in Victoria. This was the only year in which such a donation was made when one person held the positions of National Secretary of the Australian Workers Union, Victorian Secretary of the Australian Workers Union, Victorian president of the Australian Labor Party and—just for good measure in that financial year, holding all three of those positions when that donation was made—was also preselected for a very safe seat in Victoria to represent the Labor Party in the federal parliament.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Who was that?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Indeed: guess who it was? It was our old mate Bill.

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

The Leader of the House will refer to members by their correct titles.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was our old charmer the Leader of the Opposition, National President of the ALP, National Secretary of the AWU and state secretary to the AWU when these payments were made.

It was probably all very coincidental. There is every chance that it was just a coincidence. But the Leader of the Opposition could put that all beyond doubt by supporting the Australian Building and Construction Commission. This week in the Senate the Leader of the Opposition could show that he is not the cat's paw or a wholly owned subsidiary of the union movement. He could support the Australian Building and Construction Commission. He missed his chance on the Registered Organisations Commission but he still has the chance this week to prove that all of those unfortunate matters unveiled by the trade union royal commission had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with him by putting his money where his mouth is and supporting reform of building and construction in Australia.