Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for her question. I am disappointed to say that, yes, I can. There is a growing list of senior CFMEU officials who have treated women with absolute contempt and subjected them to abuse, intimidation and violence. The concerning circumstances of acts of brutish thuggery should, quite frankly, be of great concern to the CFMEU and to all senators. In May The Sydney Morning Herald reported that CFMEU official Luke Collier had been in court charged with assault for a violent attack on a woman in which he broke her arm. He had already been convicted for assault for another attack on a woman earlier this year. Then there was the recent announcement that police had arrested and charged CFMEU member Justin Steele with common assault on a 58-year-old female construction site owner in Brisbane.

In June a Senate committee heard evidence of a string of incidents of harassing conduct towards a female workplace inspector by CFMEU officials, including Victorian secretary John Setka and his assistant secretary Shaun Reardon. Conduct has included repeatedly swearing at a woman, calling her a dog, making sexually derogatory remarks towards her, throwing a firecracker at her feet and attacking a car she was driving with a 1.5 metre tree branch. It also included the distribution of a flyer showing her phone number and address. Shortly afterwards, she received a phone call in which the caller said, 'Me and my seven mates are going to come and eff you.' Mr Setka called this inspector and left a sexually derogatory message. Mr Reardon also repeatedly called her late at night. The CFMEU also, as we know, continues to deal with George Alex— (Time expired)