Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Human Services, Senator Payne, representing the Minister for Employment. Can the minister inform the Senate why it is necessary to have a tough cop on the beat in the building and construction industry, particularly in my home state of Queensland? Is there any evidence that the current system needs reform?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator O'Sullivan for this very important question, because the CFMEU has clearly shown its willingness to use both aggression and violence to deliberately flout the law and to impede valuable projects, at very significant costs to the taxpayer and the community alike. Senator O'Sullivan asks about his home state of Queensland

I can inform him that some of the worst behaviour of the CFMEU has recently been laid very bare in the Federal Court in Brisbane. In this particular case, the CFMEU was responsible for shutting down work on a Queensland government housing project. That is a housing project that was intended to provide housing for the long-term homeless. Those goals, of course, were of no concern to the leadership of the CFMEU. They blocked access to the site and they abused used workers who tried to enter the site. The court heard, and these are all in court records, how workers were repeatedly called scabs, parasites and dogs—plus a smattering of expletives, which were reported in the media but I will not repeat here. In fact, one particularly charming CFMEU official, a Mr Paul Cradden, approached one of the site workers and flooded him with aggressive attacks of the likes of, 'Hey scabby, gay boy gay boy gay boy scabby,' apparently not aware that it is 2015—he still thinks he is in the dark ages. Is this the kind of behaviour that the Labor Party or the Greens, who seem to support the union and will accept donations from the union, condone? The Federal Court certainly does not. It fined the CFMEU and a string of its officials a total of $545,000 for their offences. Justice Logan called out this outrageous disregard for the law, and reiterated the comments of other judges and the Cole Royal Commission when condemning their very perverse attitude to the law. In light of this, it is absolutely outrageous to see the CMFEU feigning outrage over this government's attempts to re-establish the ABCC. (Time expired)

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate of any other recent decisions that show the need for further work to be done to prevent unlawfulness and contempt for the rule of law in the construction industry?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is further work to be done. The contemptible behaviour of the CFMEU in Queensland is most unfortunate and is not an isolated incident. This is the union that is also currently before the Heydon Royal Commission. It is facing allegations that it took weekly kickbacks from underworld figures while repeatedly exposing its own members to an employer that evaded payment of employer entitlements. The CFMEU has just had to agree to pay $3.5 million of its members' fees to construction company Grocon for illegally blocking other major projects—$3.5 million, which is one of the largest payouts that has ever had to be made by a union. Perhaps the CFMEU leadership thinks $3.5 million is the cost of doing business, but certainly their membership deserve much better. They are rightly raising concerns about why they should have to pay so much to fund the illegal activities of their union bosses. In fact, on Melbourne radio this morning John Setka was asked whether he would change his approach. He said, 'I don't think we went too far.' (Time expired)

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Thank you, Minister, for your fine answers. Can the minister inform the Senate about what the government is doing to ensure safer and fairer workplaces, and are there any threats to this?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government takes very seriously the now dozens of court findings against the CFMEU, its reputation for extraordinary unlawful conduct and the millions and millions of dollars of members' money being used to fund its activities. That is why we want to introduce a stronger regime for regulating the unions and a body that can resist this appalling conduct. That is our rationale for reintroducing and re-establishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission. It needs to be a tough cop on the beat that can clean up the construction industry to protect union members and the broader community.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You just want to attack workers. That is all you want to do.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you think it is about attacking workers, then does that mean you condone the behaviour of this organisation? Does that mean you support the behaviour of this organisation—their appalling outbursts and their disgraceful name-calling of workers? If you condone it, I think that is most unfortunate. This recent Federal Court finding in Brisbane was significant. But under Labor's revised industrial laws it would have been much lower. If Mr Shorten is serious that he has zero tolerance, he needs to support this legislation. (Time expired)