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
MEDIA RELEASE
16 JULY 2024
PRIME MINISTER MUST EXPLAIN WHY HE IGNORED WARNINGS ON CFMEU CORRUPTION
Australia’s weak Prime Minister Anthony Albanese must explain to the Australian people why he chose to ignore detailed evidence provided to him in 2022, which highlighted extreme violence and unlawful black-banning by CFMEU officials against non-union-preferred firms on state and federally funded projects.
In October 2022, the directors of an Indigenous labour-hire firm sent a letter to Prime Minister Albanese, detailing serious threats of violence, intimidation, and unlawful union bans on the Monash Freeway upgrade project.
Despite the urgency and severity of these claims, there is no clear evidence that the Prime Minister or his office took any action or responded to the letter.
“Prime Minister Albanese’s failure to act on the detailed evidence of CFMEU misconduct at the time, is a blatant disregard for the safety and integrity of our construction industry,” Senator cash said.
“It is only now, after reports of the CFMEUs criminality have been thoroughly exposed the media, that Labor is pretending to act tough on the lawless union.
“If these issues had been dealt with when they were brought to the Prime Ministers attention, Australian building sites would not be in the position of dysfunction they are in today.
“It’s little wonder though that these warnings were blatantly, if not maliciously ignored, given the CFMEUs direct affiliation with the Labor party, and the $6.2 million dollars the CFMEU has given Labor since Mr Albanese has been leader.
“The CFMEU demanded Labor abolish the construction industry watchdog, the ABCC, and Labor promptly abolished it.
“Now all Australians are seeing the consequences of Labor bowing down to a lawless union, blindly following the demands of CFMEU thugs.
“The CFMEU need only ask, to have their whims and wishes attended to by this Government and this weak Prime Minster.
“Prime Minister Albanese needs to demonstrate that lawless unions do not run his Labor party.
“Labor must immediately, and formally break ties with the CFMEU, as well as pledge to accept no further donations from the militant union.
“At the end of the day, it is Australian’s who are ultimately paying the price for Labor’s failures.
[ENDS]
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