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

I thank the senator for her question and acknowledge that her home state of Victoria has unfortunately suffered the worst excesses of thuggery and intimidation in the building industry.

I am sure that all honourable senators will remember the unlawful Myer Emporium picket for which the CFMEU was fined a record $1.25 million for criminal contempt of court. And yet the Victorian leader of the Labor Party, Daniel Andrews, continues to embrace the CFMEU with his own socialist-left faction. Not only did he share centre stage with the union at the ALP state conference but he continues to accept record amounts of money from that union—over $5 million in donations from the CFMEU.