Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

The reality is that the CFMEU believes it is above the law. Do not just take my word for it. They are the words of the Federal Court, which has fined the CFMEU $125,000 yesterday, saying that the CFMEU is 'a recidivist'. The judgement read, in part:

The overwhelming inference is that the CFMEU, not for the first time, decided that its wishes should prevail over the interests of the companies and that this end justified the means.

The CFMEU is out of control on building sites in Australia, and that is why the government is trying to bring back the Australia building and construction commission, which the Labor Party continues to oppose. It is why we are trying to introduce the Registered Organisations Commission, which the Labor Party opposes. It is why we created a royal commission into thuggery and intimidation in the work site, which had tepid support from the Labor Party. It is why we want to put a tough, industrial cop on the beat of building sites.

The Labor Party's alternative is no ABCC, no Registered Organisations Commission, tepid support for the royal commission and they want to put the fashion police on the work site. The advice that the Labor Party want to give to the CFMEU—which goes a little with the Leader of the Opposition's general philosophy of life, which is that everybody is somebody, which he borrowed from the Traveling Wilburys—and the advice that the Leader of the Opposition wants to give to the CFMEU is that blue and green should never be seen. That is the advice that the Leader of the Opposition wants to give to the CFMEU. We want to say to the CFMEU: abide by the law. We want to restore the rule of law on building sites. The Labor Party says they should not wear their bikie colours when they turn up to construction sites.

Ms Chesters interjecting—

See this speech in context