Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

And here comes the intimidation factor, Mr Deputy Speaker. The thuggery and the tools of trade are instilled in those on the other side when they come into this place. They are servants and puppets to the union movement, and that's fine.

I want to pick up one of the points that the previous speaker made. There is a place for the union movement in Australia—yes there is. It is around work safety. Absolutely it is. I was first introduced to the union movement in the mining towns of Blackwater and Emerald, where I have property, and there is a number of great—

An opposition member: We're talking construction sites!

I'm talking about my first introduction to the unions. There is a place for them in the Australian landscape and it is around safety; it's not around intimidation, it's not around thuggery and it's not around corruption.

I want to bring to the House's attention that the CFMEU or its representatives are respondents for no less than 36 matters currently before the courts, facing a total of 1,723 suspected contraventions. This is what the union movement stands for. This is what this government is dealing with. There are 36 matters involving the CFMEU and its representatives currently before the courts. There are 77 CFMEU representatives before the courts, facing a total of 865 alleged contraventions and over a million dollars in penalties, as the previous speaker said. Over $10 million in penalties has been awarded against the CFMEU, and that is represented in cases brought by the ABCC and its predecessor agencies.

The CFMEU's behaviour, highlighted by the Heydon royal commission, includes no less than blackmail; unlawful industrial action; contraventions of boycott and cartel competition law provisions; and obstructing Fair Work building inspectors through intimidation, insults and threatening behaviour. Who does this type of stuff? One of the previous speakers who made a contribution to this debate had the audacity to claim in this House that they were representing the dignity of workers. They are absolutely kidding with 'dignity of workers' from those on the other side. To run through the Heydon royal commission, there were behaviours of blackmail; unlawful industrial action; contraventions of boycott and cartel competition law provisions; and obstructing Fair Work building inspectors through intimidation. Some of the behaviour, said Justice Heydon, highlighted 'the sustained and entrenched disregard for both industrial and criminal laws shown by the country's largest construction union'. Don't come into this place and cry crocodile tears that the union movement is under siege for waving a flag.

Heydon continued, 'judicial officers have noted that the CFMEU appear to regard financial penalties as simply a business cost like any other.' At the Gladstone Boardwalk project, CFMEU and its officials were penalised more than $54,000 after attempting to force workers to join the union at a major Central Queensland construction site. Where's the dignity for workers on that site? Where is the dignity for workers on that site when you've got CFMEU thugs intimidating workers, under the Eureka Stockade flag, claiming that they are trying to provide dignity for workers? Bull. Absolute bull.

In the Federal Circuit Court in Brisbane, Judge Jarrett found that union organiser Jody Moses warned workers in September 2013 with words to the effect: 'This is the way it'll be. You have to join the union otherwise you won't be able to work onsite and we will make sure you don't work onsite.' Where is the dignity for workers in that regard? The court had previously been told that workers had objected to the threats during angry and heated discussions at meetings, saying words to the effect: 'This is bullying. You can't force us to join a union … This is not the way to get people into the union, this is bullying.' It's those bullying tactics that we saw on the other side of the chamber here. It's not fair. We'll stand up every day to fight the unions—

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