Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Justice and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Counter-Terrorism. Will the minister update the House on the efforts of the Joint Police Taskforce into Industrial Criminality and Corruption. How is the task force tackling corrupt practices in the union movement?

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for that question and the interest that he takes in these issues. Late last year the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption found that criminality is rife amongst union officials and the trade union movement. Commissioner Heydon stated:

… a lot of the criminal conduct for which unions and union officials are responsible arises … out of a culture of defiance of all laws—

Ms Butler interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Griffith is warned.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Allegations heard by the royal commission included bribery, extortion, kickbacks, blackmail, intimidation and collusion with organised criminals in the construction industry. This behaviour has either been ignored or allowed to flourish in a culture of fear, intimidation and coercion.

We on this side of the House are not going to tolerate lawlessness in any section of the Australian economy. That is why we established specialised joint police task forces—Federal Police working alongside their state police counterparts—to investigate and expose potential illegal activity uncovered during the royal commission. This has so far led to 93 referrals against nine unions. This has led to a significant number of investigations, arrests and charges. As an election commitment in the lead up to the last election, we have allocated another $21 million to uncover union malfeasance.

Now, we need look no further than the extraordinary criminal record of one of the country's most powerful and disgraced unionists—John Setka, Victoria's state secretary of the CFMEU. He has either been charged or convicted in relation to 40 separate charges, and the latest on this long rap sheet includes blackmail. Yet, of course, the Labor Party are completely silent on the wrongdoing of the CFMEU—the bikies of the union movement. They are completely silent because they are in receipt of over $2.1 million of political donations, specifically from the CFMEU.

Just late last month police charged Kathy Jackson, the former head of the Health Services Union, with 70 counts of theft and deception in relation to offences. These offences totalled over half a million dollars. This is a great example of the work that the police have been doing.

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left!

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Interestingly, Kathy Jackson, the former Secretary of the Health Services Union is from the same union as Labor's new senator-in-waiting, Kimberley Kitching; she is also from the HSU. She has not come in with Kathy Jackson, but the fact is that the royal commission referred her on four charges— (Time expired)