Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. Will the Deputy Prime Minister outline to the House how the ABCC will benefit the agricultural sector and restore the rule of law on construction sites around the country? What hurdles stand in the way of achieving this reform?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Flynn for his question and note the promise that was made at the election for the $215,000 preliminary study to connect Gladstone to Toowoomba, connecting it up to the inland rail and extending that corridor of commerce from Melbourne all the way through to Gladstone. I also note the $45 million Gladstone boardwalk project that the CFMEU did their very best, in their thuggish way, to threaten workers and try to extend this project to extort money out of the people—the taxpayers. What we always realise, of course, is that the people building the project just put that on the price and the people who pay are the taxpayers. The people who pay are the mums and dads who have to buy the houses. The people who pay are everybody else. It is almost like there is a cultural cliff within the Labor Party that believes that the CFMEU has a right to extort this money from other people, and you can see this in their actions.

Opposition Member:

An opposition member interjecting—

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

An article in The Sydney Morning Heraldand this was definitely said outside the parliament—published on 24 May 2015 said that:

Hadgkiss gave evidence that a CFMEU official, Shaun Reardon, had made late-night threatening phone calls to a female Fair Work inspector

At the time, Reardon was a White Ribbon anti-domestic violence ambassador.

The pattern of intimidation goes back a long way.

Ms Chesters interjecting—

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

The member for Bendigo will cease interjecting.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The article goes on:

In March, Justice Tracey of the Federal Court found that several CFMEU officials, including John Setka, Shaun Reardon and Craig Johnston, had engaged in acts of intimidation in 2012 during a dispute in the Melbourne central business district with construction company Grocon.

The judge found that workers were met by protesters, led by Setka, Reardon and Johnston, hurling abuse and threats including "scabs", "dogs", "rats", "you will die", and "I am going to kill your family".

This is the sort of culture in the CFMEU. It goes on. In the Financial Review we find a wonderful and very interesting—

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his seat. The member for Grayndler on a point of order.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You will not be surprised that my point of order is on direct relevance. The question was about extending a non-existent railway line to somewhere else in Queensland.

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

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. I am listening to the Deputy Prime Minister carefully. The question was about that and other matters as well.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Luke Collier called a female inspector an 'f'ing s-blank-t', asking her if she had brought kneepads as 'you're going to be sucking off these f'ing dogs all day'. That was in the Financial Review. And, of course, there are no bounds to this. We see back—

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his seat. If members were to look back several months ago on language that was used whilst it was being quoted, a quote does not, of itself, obviate the need for proper parliamentary language. This matter has been addressed in the Senate. I am practical on the matter, but the Deputy Prime Minister has now strayed beyond what is acceptable.