Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney-General
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
19 AUGUST 2024
COALITION SECURES CHANGES TO STRENGTHEN CFMEU BILL
The Coalition has secured a series of key changes to the CFMEU administration Bill that will strengthen the crackdown on the rogue union.
A week of discussions with the Government has led to Coalition changes that significantly enhance the powers of the CFMEU administration.
Shadow Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Senator Michaelia Cash said that importantly the Government has agreed the key amendment that the administration period lasts for a minimum of three years.
“We have said from the outset that the level of criminal activity, bullying, thuggery and intimidation within the CFMEU would take a significant amount of time to address. It is good that Minister Murray Watt has finally accepted what is obvious to everyone else,’’ Senator Cash said.
The Coalition also secured enhanced transparency of the administration with the Government agreeing that the administrator must report to Parliament every 6 months.
The issue of political donations has been resolved today with the administrator setting out in writing the guiding principles and goals he determined before he accepted the role.
One of those guiding principles reads: “The union will not engage in party politics during the administration: donations; positions at political party conferences; promotion of particular candidates.
The letter also says: “Further, I can advise you that I intend, should I be appointed as Administrator, to vary the rules of the Construction and General Division of the CFMEU to prohibit the making of party-political donations or the funding of party-political campaigns.”
Senator Cash said: “The letter makes very clear that one of the Administrator’s guiding principles is that the union will not make political donations or run political campaigns. We are prepared to accept that.”
Other significant changes secured by the Coalition include:
- The ability to ban rogue CFMEU officials for life. (The Government had a maximum five year ban in the original legislation.)
- An extension of the administration to a maximum of five years.
- Changing to “may” to “must” on a list of matters the administration scheme must address.
- Changing the retrospective civil penalties avoidance clause to before John Setka resigned from the union.
- Confirming investigations into the past conduct of the union.
“The Government rushed this legislation into the Parliament without adequate consultation and were dragged kicking and screaming to make sensible changes suggested by the Coalition,’’ Senator Cash said.
“But this is only the start of the process of controlling the rogue union and cleaning up the construction sector in Australia,’’ she said.
“Opposition Leader Peter Dutton moved two bills in the House of Representatives today, one which would restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission and a separate Bill which will enhance integrity measures and combat criminality on our nation’s building sites,” Senator Cash said.
“We call on the Government to support the Bills.”
ENDS
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