House debates

Monday, 28 July 2025

Questions without Notice

Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union

2:58 pm

Photo of Tim WilsonTim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister—or this guy. The Albanese Labor government decided not to deregister—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! I don't even know what that was.

Photo of Mr Tony BurkeMr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | | Hansard source

On a point of order, there are times when abuses of the standing orders are by people who know it's an abuse yet are completely deliberate. I put to you that this is one of those times.

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

When we address each other, we address each other by titles, without descriptors. It's just about showing a level of respect and decency. The member is going to be called again. He won't use that sort of terminology when he is ever asking a question again; otherwise, we'll just move to the next question.

Photo of Tim WilsonTim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is to the Prime Minister. The Albanese Labor government decided not to deregister the out-of-control CFMEU and to instead appoint an administrator. Now CFMEU boss Michael Crosby has called on his union to break into the New South Wales residential building sector, saying:

… the builders who are going to get that state government money are not our builders … the challenge for us is we've got to get into that non-union sector.

Will the CFMEU's plan to unionise the New South Wales residential housing sector increase prices or decrease prices?

3:00 pm

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. We, on this side of the House, are the only political party in here that actually took action against the CFMEU construction bans. Those opposite presided over 10 years of growth in the power of John Setka, in the CFMEU construction branch.

Three weeks after I became Leader of the Labor Party, in 2019, I kicked John Setka out of the Labor Party. And during the last term—

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! The member for Forrest and the member for Fisher are going to cease interjecting—it's just not appropriate. Just show some decorum.

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

And, during the last term, we took action to remove the power of people—someone like John Setka, who had gone from controlling the branch to then controlling the South Australian branch, de facto as well, had increased his power in the union. In the labour movement, the construction branch of the—

Opposition members interjecting

Photo of Milton DickMilton Dick (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has concluded his answer.