Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

Here we are again and, again, we are talking about the disgraceful behaviour of Minister Cash and how she continues to avoid scrutiny. She is the person who stands in her ivory tower and shouts down at the rest of us, 'You must be held accountable.' She is the person who doesn't waste a moment or a second to defame, to ridicule, to call out, to yell, or to use the most obscene language about a union organiser or a member of the opposition. Today again she has proven that she is not up to the job. She has failed again to front up to budget estimates.

Let's step through the time line in relation to this particular issue. There were a number of times when the senator failed to do her job in a transparent way, but let's focus on this one. This is in relation to the Registered Organisations Commission's raid on the AWU offices. She misled the parliament five times. She falsely denied that her office was the source of the leak. Then she informed the Senate that it was her staffer's fault—it wasn't her; she didn't know about it. It was her staffer's fault. The Prime Minister said: 'I didn't know about it. I wasn't quite sure'—not that we all really quite believed the Prime Minister when he said that.

The AFP have now launched their own criminal investigation into the leak. There is still a cloud over Senator Cash. As we've learnt today, the minister under investigation was subpoenaed not once or twice but three times to explain what she did or did not know. This is a government that touts over and over again, 'Let's follow the rule of law'—until it comes to one of their own and then there is nothing but a cover-up. The minister has refused to explain the conduct of her office and the abuse of ministerial power.

Let's remember what this raid was about. Remember back to when that happened. The AWU were very clear. They were sent a letter by ROC that said, 'Do you have documentation to talk about this?' The union sent back a letter saying, 'Can you please provide us with more information.' At no stage did they refuse to hand over the information. The Prime Minister today was wrong. He stood at the dispatch box and said that that union put every roadblock in the way. That is not true. The union asked for a little bit of extra information. Instead of that, they said that they were willing to cooperate with the ROC. Instead of that, the very next day the AFP raided and demanded the documentation. The Prime Minister likes to rewrite history to protect this minister. That's what this Prime Minister does. Just what does she have on this Prime Minister that he is continuing the protection racket against her?

Then we all remember the TV images. The media turned up before the police. The minister tried to deny that she had anything to do with it. She misled the Senate on five occasions, only to be outed by the press gallery. Then she came in to admit that she had got it wrong. She has hidden behind her staff. She has hidden behind parliamentary privilege over and over again. Today again she has refused and failed to turn up to budget estimates, saying that it is no longer her responsibility. It is hard to believe that, for the first time since Federation, we do not have a minister responsible for the Fair Work Act or industrial relations in cabinet. We are saying that it is the junior minister who sits the furthest away. The assistant minister gets sent in to be the sacrificial lamb. Industrial relations is one of the core responsibilities of this government and of this place. It doesn't matter whether you're a worker or an employer, you need a robust system and a minister who is independent, transparent and accountable. But again the minister has failed this test. This isn't the first time; she has form.

Former ABCC boss Nigel Hadgkiss resigned over the fact that he breached the Fair Work Act. The minister knew about it and she still appointed him. The person responsible for ensuring that everybody in the construction sector abided by the law admitted to breaking the law and then the minister admitted to knowing that he broke the law. Just what level of scrutiny is this government really applying? Why won't they come clean and tell the Australian people that is just about pursuing their opponents?

Then you go to the way in which this government has misused police resources to pursue their political opponents. The minister must resign or the Prime Minister must sack her for this deliberate misuse of power and failure to the Australian people. (Time expired)

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