Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   notes that the Supreme Court of Victoria issued interim injunctions against the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) in relation to Grocon sites in Melbourne, and that contempt proceedings in relation to certain injunctions remain before the court;

  (b)   condemns the CFMEU's blockade of the Myer Emporium site, which involved violent attacks on police and police horses and posters issued by CFMEU bosses labelling workers as 'scabs';

  (c)   notes that Grocon workers, who are members of the CFMEU, have expressed disappointment at abuse, threats and intimidation by CFMEU bosses and at the CFMEU's failure to adhere to the law;

  (d)   affirms that violence, unlawful activity, bullying, harassment and thuggery have no place in any workplace; and

  (e)   calls on the Australian Labor Party and the Australian Greens to refuse to accept any further donations from the CFMEU until it desists from unlawful activity, thuggery and violence in the workplace.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a brief statement.

Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government do not support this motion. We raised an earlier version with Senator Abetz's office and proposed wording that would fix errors of fact and law. Unfortunately, the senator was too busy playing politics to get his facts straight or to achieve any consensus on this which is an important issue. We will not be party to an exercise that co-opts the Senate into Senator Abetz's political tactics and allows the Senate to act like a Star Chamber or a quasi-court. What the government proposed is as follows and reflects the clear and consistent position we have taken during the Grocon dispute. We proposed (a) that the Senate notes that the Supreme Court of Victoria issued interim injunctions against the CFMEU in relation to Grocon sites in Melbourne and contempt proceedings in relation to certain injunctions remain before the court, (b) condemns the CFMEU's blockade at the Myer Emporium site and (c) notes that violence, unlawful activity, bullying, harassment and thuggery have no place in any workplace and urges all participants in the building and construction sector to comply with the rule of law.

Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move an amendment to the motion.

Leave not granted.

John Madigan (Victoria, Democratic Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move an amendment to the motion.

Leave not granted.

Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian Greens are not able to support the motion that has been moved by Senator Abetz and the coalition. The Greens amendment would have omitted all the words after 'that the Senate' and substituted the following: (a) notes that Grocon refused to abide by a recommendation from the President of Fair Work Australia, which was accepted by the CFMEU, that would have seen the protest cease and work recommence while talks continued, (b) reaffirms the importance of independent health and safety representatives willing to stand up for the employees they represent and (c) calls on the Victorian Baillieu government to fully explain its role in the dispute. It is a shame that the amendment was not put to the chamber for a vote.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a one minute statement.

Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are 1.7 million reasons as to why the ALP do not want to support this motion and there are 30,000 reasons why—

Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I am going to put that request for leave again. Is leave granted for Senator Abetz to make a brief statement? Leave is granted for one minute.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sure the clock will start again. There are 1.7 million reasons why the Australian Labor Party are opposing this motion and there are 30,000 reasons why the Greens are opposing this motion, because they have been the beneficiaries of donations from the CFMEU, which has been proven to have been engaged in thuggery and intimidation on worksites around Australia. So, when we have a motion to call on the Australian Labor Party and the Australian Greens to refuse to accept any further donations from the CFMEU until it desists from unlawful activity, thuggery and violence in the workplace, they cannot bring themselves to vote against such a motion because they are more interested in the money than in the rule of law. They are more interested in the union bosses than in the rights of individual workers to be able to go to and from work without the fear of intimidation from union bosses.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a one minute statement.

Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I cannot support this motion in the absence of Senator Madigan's amendment being put which essentially calls on all Australian political parties to refuse to accept any donations from any group, whether union or corporation, that commits any act of unlawful activity, thuggery or violence against employees or employers in the workplace. That to me seemed a much more sensible proposition, much less partisan than the opposition's, and on that basis, in the absence of Senator Madigan being able to move what I thought was a very sensible amendment, I cannot support this motion.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to respond to that comment as to why that amendment was not accepted.

Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reason why the opposition could not accept—

Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz, I misheard it. I am advised that they said no. Leave is denied. The question is that Senator Abetz's motion be agreed to.