Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was shocked to read on the weekend that the CFMEU's new New South Wales boss, Mr Michael Crosby, was saying that they were 'looking at large, multiple complex residential construction sites' and 'it may push up costs when we appear on site'. This is the same CFMEU that was supposed to have been put into administration by this parliament. It is now rearing its ugly, corrupt, mafia-like head in New South Wales. Just as Victoria is effectively a failed state and Queensland has had the CFMEU disease, now New South Wales will be subjected to that.

The worst part about this is that younger Australians will pay the price for this union's cartel- and mafia-like behaviour. In the main, younger Australians will not be able to buy a standalone brick or weatherboard house. For most young people, their first house will be a small apartment, in a highly urbanised population like Australia. Young people have to pay this 30 per cent criminal tax thanks to the CFMEU and brought to you by this Labor Party.

The other thing that occurred to me is that maybe this is all part of the grand plan—more evidence that Labor is pursuing a corporate and institutional housing agenda, in place of individuals. The Australian people know that the great Australian dream is about people, not about institutions, but under Labor there is a cartel of Cbus, CFMEU and co. At the same time, we also see the government supporting foreign asset managers, like BlackRock; and foreign governments to purchase Australian housing stock. It really is a sick perversion of the Australian dream.