Peter Hendy (Eden-Monaro, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

) ( ): My question is to the Minister for Education, representing the Minister for Employment. Will the minister update the House on the progress of the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment Bill? How will the passage of the bill help protect the interests of members of registered organisations?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can inform the member for Eden-Monaro that the government is progressing the Registered Organisations Commission bill, but not with the support of the opposition, unfortunately. It is surprising, and unfortunately I have to report back to the parliament that Labor is not supporting the protection of workers' dues under the Registered Organisations Commission. There is almost nothing worse than stealing from low-paid workers to fund living high on the hog for union bosses—almost nothing worse. What we have seen over the last few years is example after example of some unions and some union bosses deliberately setting up organisations or structures that steal from the workers that they are supposed to represent. I think the worst example has been the Health Services Union in recent times, where the former president of the Australian Labor Party, Mr Williamson, pleaded guilty to four very serious charges of defrauding his members by $1 million. And, of course, the former Labor member for Dobell is in the courts right now defending charges that he defrauded members of the Health Services Union.

I know that there are very good members on the other side of the House, and this side of the House, who are as appalled as I am by the behaviour of Mr Williamson, the alleged behaviour of Mr Thomson—

Mr Conroy interjecting—

Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I ask that the member for Charlton withdraw that comment.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that the member withdraw.

Pat Conroy (Charlton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unfortunately, it goes to the sensitivity of the new member for Newcastle that he would be seeking to interrupt a very serious answer about a very serious issue. There are good people on the Labor side from the union bosses, from the union party, who do recognise that stealing from workers is the worst crime of all. We have seen it with the Health Services Union, the Transport Workers Union, the CFMEU and the National Union of Workers. All of their slush funds have been under a cloud—IR21, Industry 2020, Building Industry 2000.

All of these organisations' slush funds, examples of stealing from the workers that the union bosses are meant to represent, would be dealt with by the Registered Organisations Commission. The Registered Organisations Commission would stand up for workers. What this proves to me is that, yet again, it is the Liberal and National Parties that are the friends of the workers. It is the Liberal and National Parties that seek to protect the workers against rapacious union bosses who steal their money and use it to live high on the hog, and I am proud to be part of a party that genuinely stands up for workers—that does not just use them to win preselection and to get elected.