Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Sure. If the leaders of the union display racist behaviour, what hope do we hold for the rest of the organisation, who we know have to adhere to the closed shop mentality, which is the basis of union ideology? Such a culture of xenophobia has been facilitated by the lack of regulation in the construction space and its impact is another example of the culture of lawlessness that has pervaded our building and construction industry. Not only is this culture of lawlessness damaging to our economy and our social harmony but also it directly undermines our egalitarian Australian values—things that all in this place should strive to protect.

This bill delivers adequate protections for employers and employees alike. It delivers stronger penalties to employers who operate unlawfully. And so it should. The reality is that only the coalition has the capacity to deliver the rule of law back into building sites. We have established it before and we will achieve it again. When it comes to delivering rule of law to the industry, there could not be a more stark difference between the coalition and the Labor Party. You only have to look to the track record of the Labor Party's association with the militant CFMEU. Why do they stand by the CFMEU despite everything I have said and others have contributed, and the findings and evidence taken by Dyson Heydon? Well, it will not surprise you to learn that since 2007 the ALP has accepted over $7 billion in donations from the CFMEU, $750,000 over the year ending 30 June 2015.

There it is; there's the rub: they want to run away from the CFMEU at a million miles an hour. Indeed, Labor luminaries, former members of this place, have suggested that they should do that very thing. But of course they cannot, because they are tied financially. And it is a significant connection, one that they ought to sever, in their own interests and in the interests of this nation, but one that they cannot—or at least they fail to.

I am proud to oppose that culture of lawlessness I have spoken about. The status quo is not sufficient. We have the solution for this problem. It is a solution that is before this House. I encourage those in the other place to support it, particularly the crossbench. It is said that, for evil to thrive, all that must occur is for good people to do nothing. This government will not abide such a culture, and we are taking steps in this bill to eradicate it. I commend the bill to the House.

See this speech in context