Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

In relation to International Women's Day, it is extraordinary that those on the other side of the House convey that the government does not stand up or support women, when one of their own—a very close ally of the Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition—Bill Shorten, says that laws which people do not like can be broken. I rise to say it is extraordinary.

Last week the new leader and secretary of the ACTU, Sally McManus, made the following statement on 7.30, albeit she clumsily tried to clarify it later:

"I believe in the rule of law, when the law is fair and the law is right," she said.

"But when it's unjust, I don't think there's a problem with breaking it."

Similarly, Keysar Trad, the president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, conceded in a TV interview, 'It's okay for a man to use violence against a woman if he's tried counselling first.' Particularly given the context of his high office in the Islamic community, it is disturbing that he also, clearly, has no regard for Australian law. He was, effectively, saying that domestic violence against a woman is okay—albeit a crime—and the law against it can be broken.

The Leader of the Opposition tried to distance himself from the comments of Sally McManus and delink his reported lifetime link and enduring bond with her and the unions, but they trained together to be union organisers. Just as being bonded friends with union officials, breaking laws is not a foreign concept to the CFMEU, their predecessors, the BLF, whose business model was violence and thuggery, and their Labor Party colleagues.

I, personally, have been a victim of assault by trade union officials. They have been charged with over 100 assaults, many of them of a sexual and harassment nature, and many of them against women. This is one of the fundamental reasons the Turnbull government worked hard and, in fact, did restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission—to stamp out the lawlessness and violence of union officials in the CFMEU and the like.

McManus said it is silly for women to wear dresses and heels, yet she also said that she was an advocate for women being able to wear burqas. The hypocrisy and simplistic code of people such as McManus and those on the other side is typical of these attitudes, that 'Women in Australia can wear heels and dresses.' What they need to understand is that women in Australia can wear heels and dresses because they want to. Contrarily, although some Australian women wear the burqa because they want to, reportedly some wear it because they fear they have to under the auspices of elements of sharia law—elements of which have sadly crawled in behind the closed doors of Australian homes, such as forcing women to cover up, forcing them to marry or, if not, they face the reality of violence or, tragically, honour killings or the like.

The Turnbull government's principles of liberalism are about freedom and equal opportunity, regardless of gender. These are principles which are underpinned by all people abiding by the Australian rule of law. Sally McManus now has a huge share of voice as the Secretary of the ACTU, together with Bill Shorten, a long-time friend and puppet of the unions and union officials. Keysar Trad similarly has a significant share of voice as a leader of the Muslim community. Both have effectively said that they believe Australian laws can be broken if they consider them unfair or unjust. The Australian rule of law is paramount. Endorsing breaking laws by one group, be it the CFMEU or leaders who have a high share of voice, encourages lawlessness by others. This runs the risk of breaking the very fabric of our society and all the progress and laws embraced and implemented by our government to support women.

Under the leadership of our Prime Minister and our Minister for Women, Michaelia Cash, the Turnbull government has made many laws and will always support laws which ensure equality and respect for women—laws to stop the sources of domestic violence, violence and assault against women, and industrial and employment laws to protect Australian women and ensure equal opportunity. Australian laws, the fundamental core of our democracy, are laws which no man or woman is above, including Sally McManus and the unions.

See this speech in context