Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the Senate. The Greens-ALP alliance have just voted against a motion that was as innocuous as 'noting' the findings by Fair Work Australia that Mr Craig Thomson misused Health Services Union members' funds and 'condemns' the misuse of union members' funds as found by Fair Work Australia.

Can I clear up an issue: Fair Work Australia are empowered to make findings. Indeed, their report talks about findings—181 separate findings and then, when one reads through the legislation, section 336, following, it says:

… If, at the conclusion of an investigation, the General Manager is satisfied that the reporting unit concerned has contravened—

certain matters, then the 'General Manager' may do a number of things, and then it states that the 'reporting unit must comply'. So this is not a situationof allegations only being made by Fair Work Australia; Fair Work Australia has made findings. We did not ask the Senate to agree with the findings; all we did, very innocuously, was say 'note' the findings. The fact the Greens-ALP alliance cannot bring themselves to 'note' the findings tells us everything we need to know about the Greens-ALP alliance deliberately seeking to cover for Mr Craig Thomson, the member for Dobell. To refuse to 'note' is completely and utterly unacceptable and is indicative of the game the Greens-ALP alliance are playing with this very importantpublic interest matter.