MEDIA RELEASE – JOHN SETKA’S APPEARANCE AT HOSPITAL RALLY SHOWS CONTINUED INCOMPETENCE OF ALBANESE GOVERNMENT

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

5 SEPTEMBER 2024

JOHN SETKA’S APPEARANCE AT HOSPITAL RALLY SHOWS CONTINUED INCOMPETENCE OF ALBANESE GOVERNMENT

The Albanese Government has again demonstrated it is completely incapable of cleaning up the construction sector, with former CFMEU boss John Setka appearing at the taxpayer funded Footscray Hospital construction site to address a rally of protesting CFMEU members.

Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, said the appearance of Mr Setka at the rally demonstrated that further action needed to be taken to clean up the construction sector and that placing the CFMEU into administration wasn’t enough.

“The CFMEU may have been placed into administration, but it is clear that Mr Setka is still in charge,” Senator Cash said.

“Australian taxpayers are paying 30% more for infrastructure projects because of the CFMEU and Mr Albanese is doing nothing to address this. The Albanese Government’s catastrophic decision to abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) and give effective control of the construction sector to the CFMEU continues to have ramifications across our economy.”

“The fact that Mr Setka can appear at a taxpayer funded hospital construction site and address a rally of union members is incredibly concerning. Mr Albanese needs to explain how this could have occurred.”

“It is clear that putting the CFMEU into administration will not fix the problems in construction caused by the Albanese Government and more drastic action needs to be taken,” Senator Cash said.

Senator Cash called on the Albanese Government to immediately support Peter Dutton’s legislation to re-establish the ABCC and to ensure those with criminal records were permanently removed from construction sites.

“The Albanese Government needs to support the Coalition’s legislation to re-establish the ABCC when Parliament returns next week. This is the only way that we can clean up the construction sector,” Senator Cash said.

“Mr Albanese needs to admit he got it wrong and that his decision to abolish the ABCC has been a disaster for Australian taxpayers. Unfortunately he is both too weak and too stubborn to admit his mistake,” Senator Cash said.

ENDS