Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney-General
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
TRANSCRIPT
PRESS CONFERENCE, WEST PERTH
13 June 2024
Topics: Prime Minister’s weak and impotent response to John Setka threats
E&OE
SENATOR CASH: Well, the last 48 hours have shown that Australia has never had a weaker Prime Minister. The Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese has been given multiple opportunities to come out and properly condemn the bullying, the thuggery and the intimidation by Mr. Setka of the AFL, and Steve McBurney.
But in press conference after press conference, the Prime Minister of Australia has failed to do this. He is a weak and he is an impotent Prime Minister. And it was quite extraordinary this morning at his press conference, he suggested to journalists that they shouldn’t ask questions, because and I quote, it might encourage Mr. Setka.
Well, guess what, Prime Minister that is not how a prime minister or in fact anyone deals with bullies and thugs. Don’t ask any questions and just hope it all goes away. But that is the type of weak leadership that we are currently seeing from Mr. Albanese as prime minister of this country.
The front page of The Australian says it all today, Mr. Setka, all he needs to say to the Prime Minister and Tony Burke as the industrial relations Minister, you stay out it and guess what? They’ve got their orders. They do as they told and they don’t do what they should be doing and that is obviously condemning Mr Setka.
That is a complete failure of leadership on behalf of the Prime Minister. But is it surprising? Absolutely not. There are 4.3 million reasons why Mr. Albanese and Mr. Burke will not come out and properly condemn Mr. Setka for the bullying, the thuggery and the intimidation that he is currently showing.
I call on the Prime Minister at his next press conference to a properly condemn the bullying, the thuggery and the intimidatory comments that Mr. Setka has made in the last 48 hours. I also call on the Prime Minister and Mr. Burke to say to the Australian people, the Australian Labor Party will not be taking any further money or donations from the CFMEU. And if Mr. Burke and the Prime Minister, were actually serious about standing up for the construction sector in this country, our third largest industry, contributing 9% to GDP, if they were actually serious about standing up to Mr. Setka, on behalf of all Australians, they would bring into parliament the week after next the legislation to restore a tough cop on the beat – the Australian Building and Construction Commission. But we know they won’t do any of that, because as the front page of the Australian newspaper says today, Mr. Setka has given his instructions to the Prime Minister and Tony Burke – “stay out of it”. And that is exactly what the Prime Minister and Mr. Burke are now doing – to the detriment of Australians.
Journalist: Yeah, the AFL has more or less rejected Mr. Setka’s comments ignored saying Mr McBurney is not going anywhere. He might even be promoted. In fact, does any of this rhetoric does discussion does add anything. John Setka probably loving the coverage at the moment but the politics aside who’s getting any benefit out of this?
SENATOR CASH:
Well, who’s getting any benefit? Well, that is very clear, Mr. Setka and the CFMEU. They gave $4.3 million to the Australian Labor Party in the lead up to the 2022 election and as a reward for that donation one of the first steps of the Albanese government was to give Mr. Setka exactly what he had been demanding. That was the abolition of the tough cop on the beat the Australian Building and Construction Commission. They handed to Mr. Setka, Mr Albanese and Mr. Burke, the construction industry in Australia. And as I say, all taxpayers should be worried about that. Our third largest industry, contributing around 9% of our GDP when you talk to the Master Builders Association of Australia they estimate that in 2024, because of the actions of the Union, Australian taxpayers are currently paying between 20 and 25% more for the building of hospitals, the building of roads and the building of schools. But does that worry Mr. Albanese and Mr. Burke? Absolutely.
Well, they could have shown leadership in the last 48 hours and instead, we have seen nothing but a weak and impotent Prime Minister, who actually had the audacity this morning to say to journalist: don’t ask any questions it might encourage Mr. Setka. That is not how a prime minister or indeed anyone stands up to bullies and to thugs. Don’t ask questions and hope it all goes away. It is Mr. Albanese, his character, unfortunately, that is now on display for all Australians to see. He is weak. He is impotent, and he is taking his instructions, from who the courts themselves have said, is one of the most militant unionists in this country.
Mr. Setka is standing over the prime minister of this country. It is playing out all over Australia. You can turn on your TV, you can look to your newspaper, the front page of the Australian newspaper stay out of it is Mr. Setka’s instruction to the Prime Minister of Australia. The Prime Minister has unfortunately accepted that instruction but to the detriment of all Australians.
Journalist:
My understanding is John Setka will be out of the CFMEU by the end of the years – he is not nominating again for that role. Would you expect or hope to see some sort of slight change in tone from the Victorian CFMEU?
SENATOR CASH:
It just doesn’t matter. Because the Prime Minister of Australia and the industrial relations minister, as one of their first acts in government abolished the tough cop on the beat – the Australian Building and Construction Commission. So the prime minister can say all he likes oh Mr. Setka is moving on, I expelled Mr. Setka from the Australian Labor Party. It means nothing. It means nothing because let’s look at the actions of the Prime Minister and Mr. Burke. When they came into government they delivered to Mr. Setka exactly what was the number one item on his list – abolish the tough cop on the beat. Hand to me, the construction industry on a silver platter and that is exactly what the Prime Minister did.
But as I said, there are three things that our prime minister at his next press conference can do. The first is why don’t you try standing up to the bully and the thug on behalf of all Australians and properly condemning his behaviour. Secondly, stand up and say on behalf of the Australian Labor Party, you will not be taking one more cent for the CFMEU. It would also be nice quite frankly, if they gave back $4.3 million that was given to the Australian Labor Party in the lead up to the 2022 election. And how about restoring the tough cop on the beat? Let’s send a very clear message to Australians that we believe in them, we will stand up for them and our third largest industry, the construction sector in Australia. But I won’t hold my breath. Our weak and impotent Prime Minister won’t do any of that because he is currently being stood over by John Setka and the CFMEU and quite frankly, what a disgrace on behalf of Australians.
Journalist:
Just to clarify restoring the ABCC is coalition policy?
SENATOR CASH:
We’ve made that very, very clear. Australian taxpayers and the 1000s and 1000s of men and women who wake up every day and go to work in our construction sector, the tradies, the small businesses, the people who literally build Australia on a daily basis, they deserve better than what they are getting from Mr. Albanese as prime minister of this country.
And again, the front page of the Australian newspaper today says it all. Mr. Setka standing over our prime minister, the bully and the thug – stay out of it. And what does our prime minister do – exactly that. Weak and impotent. That is the Prime Minister of Australia, but unfortunately to the detriment of all Australians.
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