Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have received a letter from the honourable member for Goldstein proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely:

The need for transparency and accountability in the Government's failed Administration of the CFMEU and the consequences for housing affordability.

I call upon those honourable members who approve of the proposed discussion to rise in their places.

More than the number of members required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know the government is going to do everything it has tried to do at every single point throughout the past two weeks to shut down a conversation about the corruption within the CFMEU and its direct connection back to this government. More important than that is we have a minister who is running interference and simply does not want to have accountability in the context of administration oversight.

So we are proud to stand up right now and speak out about the challenging problems of CFMEU corruption in Australia. We know the reality that is being faced. Fifteen months ago the CFMEU was put under administration by this government because there were systemic issues of corruption, including those revealed on television programs like 60 Minutes. Organised crime, criminal gangs and bikie gangs were infiltrating public projects and receiving cartel kickbacks that were going into the hands of those organised groups. They were being paid for by taxpayers. They were being paid for by mums and dads. They were being paid for by first home buyers, through the increased costs of housing, and by taxpayers and through debt, inflation and the high interest rates that Australians are experiencing right now. It led the Labor Party to, after letting the CFMEU off the leash, eventually accept administration.

It should never have come to this in the first place. The Labor Party should never have abolished the Australian Building and Construction Commission and removed the leash on the CFMEU to allow the corruption that has pervaded across the Australian community. But, once they did—once they accepted that they had become the enabler of corruption across Australian building sites, construction sites and public projects—they were shamed and embarrassed by the media into eventually taking action. What was that action? They appointed administration designed to break the back of the corrupt culture that sits at the heart of the CFMEU.

Well, 15 months later, we now have a report card from whistleblowers. It's not the opinion of the opposition. It's certainly not the opinion of the government, who have the view to see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil in the context of CFMEU corruption—and they certainly don't want to hear about CFMEU corruption. From whistleblowers through to the Nine press and of course 60 Minutes, people have been saying explicitly that the problems of CFMEU corruption are now worse, 15 months on, than they were beforehand. This is a scandal and a disgrace. When we have asked basic questions in this parliament we have gotten no answers. Yesterday the Prime Minister shut down question time rather than have a question asked of him about CFMEU corruption. And it looks like the Leader of the House is going to do exactly the same thing right now.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House?

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

First of all, on a point of order, I was listed to follow him—and I was really looking forward to it! But in effectively missing that opportunity for myself, I move:

That the business of the day be called on.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the business of the day be called on.