Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you. The government have been consistent in our approach to the Fair Work Australia investigations into the Health Services Union. It is our position that all registered organisations, whether trade unions or employer associations, should not misuse the money of their members for any reason—full stop. We consistently stated our view that the Fair Work Australia investigations must be allowed to conclude without political interference, that Fair Work Australia is an institution independent—I stress 'independent'—of the executive and we did not resile from the fact that the reports into the Health Services Union Victoria No.1 Branch and the national office contained serious and disturbing material, which we have said should be tested in the courts.

Those opposite have tied themselves in knots and repeatedly contradicted themselves in an unedifying spectacle of amateurish politicking. They accused us of political interference but then called for us to intervene.