Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

As we all know, life is full of great ironies. I have to say that one of the ironies that will soon become apparent later today is that in the same week that the Australian parliament is setting up the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Albanese government will formally hand the construction industry over to the most militant union in Australia, with the formal abolition of the ABCC. That is right—it's one of life's great ironies. There will be this handstand today and there'll be a press conference tonight. Mr Albanese will say, 'My government has put in place the National Anti-Corruption Commission.' But, at the same time, he will conveniently forget to tell Australians that within about 48 hours his government will also abolish the building industry watchdog and, again, officially hand the building sector in Australia over to John Setka—he's rubbing his hands together, and I've got a bit to say about him shortly—and the most militant union in Australia.

But it's not really ironic—I say that tongue in cheek. Why is it not ironic? That's because one only has to look at the amount of money that the Australian Labor Party has received from the most militant union in Australia and the MUA over the past 20 years. One might ask, 'How much money is that?' Let's have a look: $16.3 million has gone directly from the most militant union in Australia and the MUA into the Australian Labor Party's coffers. So it should not come as a surprise, colleagues, when I say that the CFMMEU was one of Labor's biggest financial donors in 2020-2021. It provided them with almost $1 million in payments. Total union funds to the Australian Labor Party, headed up at this point in time by Prime Minister Albanese, for the financial years 2018 through to 2020 was $19,305,806.

So, again, it is a little ironic that with a vote this afternoon the Labor Party establishes a National Anti-Corruption Commission. We won't talk about the fact that officials from registered organisations are exempt from certain parts, because that would be union officials. But, at the same time, the irony is that they will shortly abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission and hand the building and construction industry over to the most militant union in Australia.

Why is this an issue? Well, let's have a look at what CFMMEU Victorian secretary John Setka said recently, as reported. He said he was actually—you'll be unsurprised, colleagues—'impressed' by Tony Burke's move to scrap the ABCC and the Building Code. And in a letter to members as reported on 28 October 2022 he said:

Without going the early crow, I'm hoping that this government is going to be different (from the Rudd-Gillard governments) and from what Our next EBA negotiations are now not going to be restricted to shit clauses and we will have the power to go after the non-union sites.

I give credit to Mr Setka—and it's not often that I do—because at least Mr Setka has called out the blindingly obvious: 'thank you very much', from John Setka of the CFMMEU to Mr Albanese, Mr Burke and those who give money directly to the Labor Party's coffers.

But what's of more concern is this. When it comes to handing the building industry over to the most militant union in Australia, let's just remind ourselves of why it is so dangerous for women. Those on the other side will stand up and say they have the best interests of women in Australia at heart with all their policies. Well, I have to say: again, one of life's ironies, given that the lawless activities of John Setka's CFMMEU include alleged threats to kill, rape and sexually assault women. A CFMMEU official jailed for assault once told a female inspector she was an effing S-L-U-T, asking her whether she had brought kneepads, as 'You are going to be sucking on these effing dogs all day.' A second CFMMEU official made three phone calls late at night to a female inspector's mobile phone. In the last call, logged at 11.23 pm, one caller said, 'You are an effing rat.' Another caller said, 'Me and my seven mates are going to come and eff you.'

But guess what? None of that actually matters, because the money has flowed from the most militant union into the ALP's coffers to the tune of millions and millions of dollars. It's time now to pay the paymaster, and that is exactly what Mr Albanese is doing.