Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. The honourable member raises a critical point that shows the clear line between the pro-growth policies of the government and the antibusiness, anti-investment, anti-jobs policies of the Labor Party. The Labor Party at the election, by its own admission, would blow the budget out by $16½ billion. They owned up to that. They would push for more protectionist policies that we know will cost jobs. Their left wing, to which the Leader of the Opposition is increasingly captive, rail against the free trade agreements, which we know are delivering jobs across Australia.

Right now in the parliament this week the Labor Party stands against the restoration of the rule of law to the construction sector. Not content with their opposition to the registered organisations bill, not content with trying to protect union officials that rip off their members and corruptly deal with the hardworking members' dues that go to those unions, now they stand against the restoration of the rule of law to the construction sector. Why do they do that? They do that because they are a wholly-owned subsidiary of one of the most militant unions in the country, the CFMEU. It is a signal of the way in which Labor has changed that Bob Hawke deregistered the Builders Labourers' Federation and the Leader of the Opposition defends their successor, the construction wing of the CFMEU.

It is little wonder that the Leader of the Opposition does this. He has consistently backed the union bosses against the workers. We see the reports today that his close ally and friend Cesar Melhem is under investigation by the Fair Work Commission for allegations that he entered into secret side deals and kickbacks. He was named by the Heydon royal commission as being suspected of corrupt practices. This is the fundamental issue of the integrity of the Labor Party. Are they prepared to stand up for the rule of law in the management of unions? We know the answer to that is no; they opposed the registered organisations bill. Are they prepared to stand up for the rule of law in the construction sector? We know the answer to that is no. The Labor Party of 2016 is not the party of Bob Hawke or Paul Keating; it is a party captured, dominated and controlled by militant unions and the bosses that exploit their members.

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