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
TRANSCRIPT
4BC Drive with Peter Gleeson
21 August 2024
TOPICS: CFMEU legislation
E&OE
Peter Gleeson
Joining me is Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Michaelia Cash. Shadow Minister, welcome to 4BC Drive.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you.
Peter Gleeson
Now, what can you tell us here? How’s the union going to argue its case here? Surely they can’t be fair dinkum, and how badly could this challenge that we’re hearing about disrupt the passage of the legislation?
Senator Cash
Well I think the union was always going to challenge the legislation but the government has the right to do this. It is as simple as that. But what it actually shows is this is a union Peter, that does not want to be held to account. But that is why we have always said appointing the administrator to run the militant CFMEU, that was only the first step. And the first step was always going to be challenged and we now know it is. In the context of everything that’s going on we have always said, you also have to restore the tough cop on the beat which Labor of course abolished, the Australian Building and Construction Commission. But also at the same time, pass the Coalition’s Ensuring Integrity Bill which enhances integrity measures and combats criminality on our nation’s building sites. So the first step was the administration. It was always going to be challenged but it was never ever just about the first step, and this is where the Albanese government will now be tested. Will you support the restoration of the tough cop on the beat? Or do you just want to set and forget what’s actually going on with the CFMEU?
Peter Gleeson
Michaelia, do you have a sense which way the Labor Party will go on this?
Senator Cash
Well, I have to say the bill Peter, that they introduced last Monday was embarrassing. It could have been drafted by John Setka. And that’s why I took the time to actually improve the bill. I mean, I’ll give you some examples. The Minister, Murray Watt, had given himself the power to end the administration with no recourse from the parliament whenever he felt like it. I mean, you have to be kidding me. We secured a three year minimum. We have a guarantee that despite the fact that the unions in this country have donated around 100 million to the Australian Labor Party since 2007, the Administrator has said no donations by the CFMEU to party political campaigns or to political parties. That is a good thing. Transparency, Peter, the Labor Party wanted to set and forget. They didn’t want to talk about the administration. We now have the administrator reporting to the parliament. But you’ll also love this one, the original legislation, slap on the wrist for rogue union officials. We have secured a lifetime ban. So let’s watch this space. Is Mr. Albanese serious? If he is, he supports the two bills that both Peter Dutton and I have introduced into this parliament. I mean Peter, they wanted their bill passed in 24 hours. There’s no reason why they cannot now pass our bills if they are serious about putting in place the measures needed to clean up the building and construction industry in Australia.
Peter Gleeson
Well that’s an interesting point because as you know, both of those bills include the restoration of the Australian Building and Construction Commission, the very body that Albanese abolished as soon as he got in. I mean, I personally think that you know we should have an Australian Building and Construction Commission for exactly this reason, to bring to heel organizations like the CFMEU?
Senator Cash
Not only that Peter. You look at what they did. They get $6.2 million from the militant CFMEU, and don’t believe them when they say they’ve only just found out about this behavior. There were two royal commissions. We restored the ABCC in 2016. Believe you me, they’ve known about this behavior. They’ve condoned the behavior, they’ve facilitated the behavior, and they’ve taken the money so they’ve known all about it. But what is worse is this. It is the impact on what the Australian taxpayer now pays on their roads, their hospitals and their schools because of the increase in the building costs. Now, the Master Builders Association in 2022 they actually had a report commissioned – what is the cost to construction, to Mum and Dad Australia of abolishing the ABCC, and that report found around an increase in 30% is what you pay because of the action of the CFMEU. Labor has stood by, quite frankly, and just laughed at the Australian people. They have denied them hospitals, defence facilities, residential housing and infrastructure projects that they so desperately need. Why? Because they were taking money, millions of dollars, off the CFMEU. So as far as I’m concerned, administration, well that was pretty damn obvious, wasn’t it? The test is now for Mr. Albanese, do you actually take the next steps to clean up the industry, or do you just hide behind a High Court challenge to the administration.
Peter Gleeson
And Queensland Michaelia is the template. I mean it’s a Ponzi scheme. Basically, they’ve set up these, you’d be across these BPIC agreements, which puts 30% onto the cost of every government owned construction site. And what they do is they then gouge their members for fees. Those fees then go into a war chest that tries to get the Labor government re-elected. It’s extraordinary. And just quickly, just quickly, the other part of this is that Queensland again is the leader allegations of outlaw motorcycle gangs infiltrating the branches. What do you understand about that?
Senator Cash
I mean, this is organized crime Peter in the construction industry, and it has been condoned by the Australian Labor Party. They have known about this. They haven’t just turned their backs. They’ve actually laughed in the face of the Australian taxpayer. I mean, I talk to people on the ground all the time, and have done for years, and believe you me, they will not put their name to this, because they know of the retribution. I’ve had people with specific knowledge, just as you said about the industry, tell me that Queensland, if it’s not one of the worst, it is the worst jurisdiction for some of these behaviors. But again, the Labor Party says, well, no one can come forward. Peter, would you come forward if you’re a small builder and a bikie, who’s a member of the CFMEU, was actually saying to you, come forward and guess what? I’ll stitch you up. Of course, you’re not going to come forward. So it is for the government of Australia to stand up and do what is right by these builders, but also by Australians whom the Labor Party for years now have ripped off because they’ve condoned the behaviors of the CFMEU.
Peter Gleeson
Michaelia Cash, appreciate your time today.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you, thanks for having me on.
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