House debates Questions without Notice
Workplace Safety
Melissa McIntosh Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
2:27 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister aware of reports of CFMMEU picketers verbally abusing and mobbing a female employee at an Adelaide building site, to the extent that she was unable to leave the site for fear of her personal safety? The CFMMEU has given over $10 million to the Labor Party since the last watchdog was abolished. So why is this Prime Minister prioritising the interests of the CFMMEU over the safety of women?
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
2:28 pm
I thank the member for Lindsay for her question, and I make this very clear point: all workplaces should be safe workplaces. I'm not aware of the specific example that the member raises, but it certainly sounds, on the face of it, as being completely unacceptable—completely unacceptable. The fact is that unacceptable behaviour in all workplaces, including Parliament House, should be acted upon by appropriate authorities. If someone is being involved—
Milton Dick Speaker
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
Well, they're talking about cops over there. The truth is—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
Those opposite know that, in fact, the ABCC does not have the power—does not have the power—or the jurisdiction to act on crimes. That is not the role of the ABCC. Those opposite know that that's the case, but they continue to pretend that there's some connection between those two elements. There is not. All workplaces should be safe. That's principle No. 1.
Opposition members: They're not.
No, they're not, and this workplace hasn't always been safe either. All workplaces should be—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
I wouldn't have thought this was a controversial statement. To actually stand at this dispatch box, I was asked a serious question and I'm giving a serious answer, which is that all workplaces should be safe. Whether they be white collar, whether they blue collar, whether they be in construction, whether they be FIFO workers, whether they be at an accountancy firm, whether they be at a legal firm, all workplaces should be safe places. We should work towards that, which is why we will implement all 50 recommendations of the Jenkins report when it comes to making workplaces safe.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
I look forward to the opposition voting for that legislation when it comes before the parliament.