Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Paterson for the question. It is disappointing that those on the other side, whenever an issue is raised in relation to examples of bullying, intimidation and thuggery in the building and construction sector, do not want to hear about it.

The CFMEU recently paid in excess of $100,000 of their members' funds as a fine—because that is the contempt which they have for their members' funds—for organising a blockade at the $400 million Bald Hills wind farm project in Victoria. Why did they have the blockades? The blockades were in response to a subcontractor refusing to sign an enterprise agreement with the CFMEU. I thought it was a subcontractor's right to exercise that right to not sign an enterprise agreement with the CFMEU, but the subcontractor, unfortunately, found out it is a little bit different in the building and construction industry. When the subcontractor asked what the ramifications would be if they did not enter into the enterprise agreement with the CFMEU, Mr Edwards, the CFMEU's branch president, answered, 'The union would'—expletive—'you over'. Another senior CFMEU organiser said that he would give the subcontractor a few weeks to change its mind and, if that did not happen, then things were 'going to get ugly'.

This is what happens in the building and construction sector in Australia if you say no to the demands of the CFMEU. No matter whether or not those demands are lawful, if you refuse to comply with them—if you say, 'I am going to exercise my right to do something'—you pretty much soon find out it is not your right and the CFMEU, to quote this person, will 'do you over'. (Time expired)