Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I thank the member for Fisher for his contribution. It's a practical demonstration and one that all Australians can understand. Importantly, as the member for Fisher pointed out, we're having this debate because the government is running against common sense and logic and the views of the majority of Australians. Of course, that chippy or the plumber or the electrician is going to go to the boss and say that—or he or she is going to take the job on the biggest CFMEU building site. We talk about productivity in this country, but certainly not enough. We need to have a productive economy. When people hail the reforms of the Hawke-Keating period—which was supported by John Howard in opposition—and the economic reforms of the period from 1996 to 2007 under John Howard and Peter Costello, productivity was key to many of those changes that were made to modernise our economy. It wasn't just floating of the dollar and it wasn't just the way in which our tax system operates, or that the old sales tax needed to be replaced by the GST; it was about industrial relations reform.

There are many good unions in this country, and they are besmirched by the activities of the lawless CFMEU. But, somehow, the CFMEU has gained legitimacy within the Australian Labor Party. They influence votes within preselections, so there are members here in the Labor Party—who have all got their heads down at the moment—who rely on delegates from the CFMEU at their conference or at preselections, and that's why they're remaining silent. Let's be very clear about it: they know firsthand what is happening within the CFMEU. They fully understand, and despite the points made by the Leader of the House, the minister knew full well what was going on here. Let's not fall for that pathetic nonsense that the first Tony Burke knew of this was—

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