James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Employment, Senator Cash. Can the minister update the Senate on recent reports regarding payments from registered organisations to activist groups?

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

Yes, I can. The Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, continues to have serious questions to answer in relation to the $100,000 donation from the AWU to GetUp! that was made when he was both the National Secretary of the AWU and a board member of GetUp! Despite calls from several persons for Mr Shorten or the AWU to produce the relevant records evidencing that this donation was properly authorised by the AWU in accordance with the union's rules, both parties have failed to do so. Mr Shorten has to date, through his office, obfuscated and merely referred the question back to the AWU. This is despite the fact that Mr Shorten, at the time that the donation was made, both was the National Secretary of the AWU and was quite happy to take the credit for the donation. A spokesperson for Mr Shorten was quoted as saying:

The AWU was proud to support the establishment of GetUp!

But they continue to refuse to produce the required documentation. Mr Shorten has also failed to advise whether he disclosed this clear conflict of interest. Here's another question for the members of the AWU: why would the AWU be donating $100,000 of your money to GetUp! when the AWU represents workers in the mining, steel and gas industries? How is it in the interests of these workers for their union to fund GetUp! campaigns against the resources industry or gas exploration? In fact, how did these workers benefit from the GetUp! campaign for the carbon tax and in relation to their current campaign for higher electricity prices which will get rid of their jobs? (Time expired)

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, a supplementary question.

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, why is it important to members of registered organisations that donations like these are properly authorised?

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

Because the rules of the union actually require it. The rules of the union are there to, allegedly, protect the members of the registered organisations. Whether you are a registered employer organisation or a registered employee organisation, you need to ensure that the members' fees are used in the best interests of the members, not for the personal political ambitions of the leaders. Workers deserve to know that the union's money, which is ultimately their money, is being spent appropriately. We have seen multiple examples in recent years where union membership fees have not been spent in the best interests of the workers. We saw it with Craig Thomson; we saw it with Michael Williamson; we saw it with Derrick Belan—and the list goes on. If this $100,000 donation was not properly authorised, then there are very serious questions to answer.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, a final supplementary question.

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, how can the individuals involved in making this donation give a full account of their decision-making processes to the registered organisation's members?

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

Mr Shorten needs to make a public statement and provide the evidence, the minutes and the resolutions of the relevant AWU executive meeting to demonstrate that the $100,000 donation—the donation itself has been confirmed—complied with the AWU rules. He also needs to clearly outline the steps that he took to properly declare his conflict of interest at the time. He needs to answer what steps he put in place to disclose to the AWU workers that he was spending their money on a GetUp! campaign that was being run against their jobs—not in their interests but, ultimately, against their jobs. If he fails to do this, it shows that we absolutely have to go further because he has something to hide.