Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the Senate for allowing me to table the tweet. On the tweet he smeared Assistant Commissioner Fontana on his Twitter account as, 'Abbott and Napthine's number one soldier.' One would think that the union's crude attack on the assistant commissioner should be reason enough for any decent leader or aspirant to be shamed into taking action.

Given the CFMEU's record of retribution against courageous whistleblowers, I am very concerned at what an Andrews ALP government may have in store for the assistant commissioner at the behest of its favourite union. Why does Mr Andrews continue to support this corrupt union? Is it because the CFMEU is the second-largest union donor to Labor? Or is it because Mr Andrews relies on its factional support to remain in power?

At the 2013 Labor state conference, Mr Andrews shared centre stage with Mr Setka and his lackey, Shaun Reardon. This is the same John Setka who was described as a 'good man' by Mick Gatto. This is the same Shaun Reardon who marched alongside Comancheros Sergeant-at-Arms Norm Meyer. A vote for the Labor Party is a vote for the CFMEU, the Carlton Crew and the Comancheros, who would love nothing more than to have a weak Labor government giving them free reign over Victorian building sites.

Victorian Labor has no moral compass when it comes to union rorts, rackets and rip-offs, even when they extend to clear criminal behaviour. Once upon a time Labor leaders knew where to draw the line. John Cain got a lot of things wrong as Premier. But he had the political integrity to deregister the BLF when it was clearly involved in corrupt behaviour. Mr Cain famously said that he 'removed this rogue organisation from the Victorian industrial scene'. And we thank him. But Mr Andrews would give this union the keys to No. 1 Treasury Place. If Dan really is the man, he needs to man up. No glossy photo-shoot can whitewash the dirty stain of union slush funds from him; and no new haircut or pair of new, hipster glasses can distract Victorians from Dan's 'Dirty Half Dozen'.