Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney-General
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
TRANSCRIPT
6PR Perth Live with Oliver Peterson
12 June 2024
Topics: John Setka, CFMEU, AFL, ABCC, unions
E&OE
Ollie Peterson
This is quite extraordinary. You may have heard John Setka, the controversial CFMEU Victorian Secretary threatening to withhold cooperation on any AFL related projects unless it fires Stephen McBurney, who in a previous role as an Australian Building and Construction Commissioner initiated legal action which resulted in millions of dollars of fines against the militant union. Here’s what John Setka told Gary Adshead here on 6PR this morning.
John Setka
As far as we’re concerned, we will pursue the ex-ABCC to the ends of the earth. And if they simply just gonna pop up somewhere and just ride off into the sunset, it’s not going to happen. We are not going to let these people forget what they did. And we are gonna let the whole world know what they did and if some people don’t like that – well, you know what, bad luck. I mean we’re just gonna tell the truth. We’re gonna expose these people and let everyone know, this is what they’ve done, this is who it is, you can’t go anywhere without knowing who you are. And people have got a problem with that, well bad luck, That’s democracy.
Ollie Peterson
He told the Australian that his union had an obligation to “pursue anti-union anti-worker f…ers” and they would pursue Mr McBurney until the end of the earth. Well joining me to discuss this is the Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Michaelia Cash good afternoon.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you Ollie.
Ollie Peterson
Could you quite believe what Mr. Setka was saying about Mr. McBurney?
Senator Cash
Well, I have to say this is a new level of thuggish behavior, even for Mr. Setka. And the bad news for Australians is this. Mr. Setka has a direct line to the Australian Prime Minister. He is without a doubt Ollie, one of the most militant unionists in Australia, and Mr. Albanese cannot ignore the threat that he has made to the AFL.
Ollie Peterson
You can’t go around threatening people like this?
Senator Cash
Well not only that, let’s have a look at what the Australian Building Construction Commission achieved by way of the courts. The courts found that they had a success rate of 91%. Now, is Mr. Setka saying that the Australian courts got it wrong. Because out of the, I think it was around 107 court cases up toApril 2022 the ABCC achieved a successful outcome in 98. So again, is Mr. Setka saying that the court system is wrong. Let me also tell you, the ABCC also recovered on behalf of over 8000 employees in excess of $5 million in wages and entitlements. So quite frankly, Mr. Setka, and his hatred of the ABCC is nothing more and nothing less than personal because the ABCC’s record, as found by the courts in Australia speaks for itself.
Ollie Peterson
Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister. Has he condemned these remarks?
Senator Cash
Oh please, I mean his response today, I removed John Setka from the Labor Party many years ago. I mean this is a typically weak response from a weak leader. What does getting rid of Mr. Setka from the Labor Party years ago have to do with the current matter? Mr. Albanese cannot bring himself to condemn Mr. Setka, or the CFMEU because they still donate millions and millions and millions of dollars to Labor every single year. But what’s more, what’s one of the first things Mr. Albanese did as Prime Minister of this country. He abolished the tough cop on the beat in terms of the Australian Building and Construction Commission. In other words, he delivered to Mr. Setka exactly what he had demanded of an Albanese Labor government. So quite frankly, Mr. Albanese is weakness personified and the Australian people deserve a Prime Minister who will actually stand up to bullies and thugs, not one who roll over to their every demand, as this government does with the CFMEU.
Ollie Peterson
The CFMEU donated $4.3 million dollars to the last Federal election cause of the Labor Party, does the Labor Party need to cut ties with CFMEU if this is how they’re going to behave?
Senator Cash
Well again. A weak Prime Minister doesn’t cut ties, a weak Prime Minister continues to take the millions and millions of dollars in donations. If Mr Albanese had a spine, he would cut ties with the CFMEU tomorrow and he would say I’m giving back the millions and millions of dollars that they have donated to the Australian Labor Party, but instead, he hands them the construction industry on a silver platter. And what do we then see today, a level of thuggish behavior, but quite frankly, is even a new low level for John Setka himself.
Ollie Peterson
Michaelia Cash, thanks for your time.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you
Recent Comments