Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Defence Industry representing the Minister for Employment. Will the minister outline to the House why it is important that the leaders of unions always act in the best interests of their members, particularly in ensuring that proper processes for consultation are followed? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

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

I thank the member for Goldstein for his question. I agree with the member for Goldstein that it is critically important that union members know how their funds are being spent.

Mr Champion interjecting—

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

The member for Wakefield is warned.

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

I mean, imagine if a union gave $100,000 to an organisation like GetUp, for example, in start-up capital that came from the AWU.

Mr Champion interjecting—

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

The member for Wakefield has been warned.

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

You would think union members would want to know that proper processes were being followed in that $100,000 donation. But, surprisingly to me, it just so happens that such a donation was made by the AWU when—guess who?—our old friend over here was the National Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union. $100,000 was given by the AWU to the GetUp organisation—an independent progressive, community based organisation—in start-up capital in 2005 to get them under way. But the Leader of the Opposition has refused to answer any questions from the fourth estate about whether the rules of the union were followed.

It's equally surprising—the member for Goldstein will be just as shocked—that, when the AWU has been asked about this, they can't find the minutes. Seems unusual, doesn't it? In 2005, they can't find the minutes of AWU national executive meetings. And, under the rules of the union, the national executive is supposed to sign off on donations like this. Maybe it's like a 'dog ate my homework' kind of example, where the Leader of the Opposition can't find the minutes and neither can his former mates.

I'm sure it's not related—it would be, absolutely, a coincidence—but not long after this donation from the AWU a company with a close association to the Leader of the Opposition gave Get-Up a $50,000 donation to tide them over. Guess who? Our old friends at Cleanevent. Cleanevent and the AWU—all supporting the GetUp organisation to get them under way. What emerges is a very tangled web between GetUp, the AWU, companies like Cleanevent and other unions like the CFMEU, all for one purpose: to stand up a supposedly independent, progressive community organisation which we know now is nothing but a front for the ALP, a front that is used to campaign against members of the coalition. It's high time the Leader of the Opposition came clean about how this donation of $100,000 came into being from his union's members. He gave their money away to help start GetUp; he needs to explain if the rules were followed.