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

I thank the distinguished Chair of the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee for that question. The government is deeply concerned that a company with extensive criminal links, KPI labour hire, is being awarded substantial work on the $1 billion Melbourne airport redevelopment. KPI employees have been reportedly charged with or convicted of a long list of serious offences: armed robbery, threats to kill, assaulting police and drug cultivation. The company's own director, Mr Ramsay, has an extensive criminal record including a conviction for unlawful assault. But KPI's links to the CFMEU are concerning.

According to an audit conducted by the Victorian Construction Code Compliance Unit, KPI was improperly awarded a labour hire contract as a direct result of pressure applied on the head contractor to give the job to KPI. And guess who applied that pressure on behalf of KPI, Senator McKenzie? None other than the CFMEU. Investigations also reveal that KPI employed a relative of Mick Gatto and other individuals with links to bikies. Let us be under no illusion: this is not an isolated incident. Over this past year, we have witnessed not a drop, not a trickle but a flood of disclosures revealing corruption, criminality and thuggery by the CFMEU. The culture of lawlessness identified by the Cole royal commission well over a decade ago continues to shamefully plague the building industry in Australia today. The government is wholly committed to restoring the rule of law to building sites across Victoria and the nation, and we call on the Senate to support us in that endeavour.