MEDIA RELEASE – ALBANESE GOVERNMENT GIVES MORE HANDOUTS TO UNION MATES IN MYEFO

Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Shadow Attorney-General
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia

18 December 2024

ALBANESE GOVERNMENT GIVES MORE HANDOUTS TO UNION MATES IN MYEFO

The Albanese Government’s MYEFO update has provided a nice little sweetener to their union mates just months out the next election, funded by Australian taxpayers to the tune of $16.4 million.

Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Michaelia Cash, slammed the Albanese Government’s decision to prioritise giving taxpayer funds to the union movement and peak employer groups for a one year pilot program to “improve gender equality in gender-segregated industries”, despite there already being a Government agency set up for the exact same purpose.

“The Albanese Government is clearly looking for more excuses to give taxpayer handouts to their union mates. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) is responsible for gender equality in the workplace, there is no need for taxpayer’s funds to be given to unions and employer groups for the same purpose.” Senator Cash said.

“Australians are doing it tough in the lead up to Christmas thanks to the Albanese Government’s cost of living crisis, yet instead of providing Australians with relief they have today announced more taxpayer funded handouts to their donors in the trade union movement to the tune of millions of dollars.” Senator Cash said.

Senator Cash also noted that Australian taxpayers were now contributing to the costs to the administration of the CFMEU according to MYEFO, despite the Government promising that all costs would be funded by the CFMEU.

“The Albanese Government told the Australian people that costs associated with the administration of the CFMEU would be met from the CFMEU’s own funds. Today’s MYEFO shows that taxpayers are now paying a direct cost of $2.1 million towards the CFMEU’s administration. The Albanese Government is just making it up as they go.” Senator Cash said.

“The Australian people should not have to pay for the Administration of the CFMEU, who are only in administration because the Albanese Government ignored the CFMEU’s lawless actions for many years and abolished the construction sector regulator who held them to account.” Senator Cash said.

ENDS