Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I was reporting that Andrew Zaf, a whistleblower who has exposed union corruption was stabbed on the weekend outside his home and that Joe McDonald, the assistant secretary of the CFMEU in Western Australia has been banned from Multiplex sites in Western Australia for three years. One of the reasons for which, reported in The West Australian, was that he put a particular worker in a headlock and threatened to hit him. Now both of these incidents highlight why it is important for the government's legislative agenda to be agreed to by the Senate, rather than be blocked by the opposition. Both of these incidents show why union thuggery and corruption need to be stamped out in Australia. They show why the government's Australian Building and Construction Commission legislation should be passed in the Senate, not blocked by the Leader of the Opposition. They show why the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment Bill, which sits in the Senate, should be passed by the Labor Party rather than be blocked in the Senate. They show why the proposed royal commission to be headed by Dyson Hayden should be supported by the opposition rather than opposed at the time.

The government is taking firm action. We are introducing the Australian Building and Construction Commission, the Registered Organisations Commission and a royal commission. The Leader of the Opposition's response has been to say that bikie members who turn up to work sites should not wear their colours. We think a much firmer response is required. We want to put a tough industrial cop on the beat, not the fashion police on the beat. The problem with the Leader of the Opposition is that he is a union leader protecting the union leaders. He is running a protection racket for a protection racket and he needs to rise above his background.

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