Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Ruston for the question. Yesterday Minister Abetz highlighted four very serious cases of abuse and aggression by CFMEU officials directed at female staff members of the industry watchdog. There was the official who reportedly spat at a female inspector. The Heydon royal commission found Luke Collier used lewd expletives to refer to the same female inspector. At Senate estimates we learnt that Victorian assistant secretary Shaun Reardon made late-night threatening phone calls to a female inspector. And we learnt of another official who threatened to bring seven mates over to gang-rape a female staff member.

Late yesterday the Federal Court handed down another decision finding against the CFMEU, finding several of its officials responsible for the 2012 Grocon blockade in Melbourne. One of the respondents found to have committed these unlawful acts of intimidation was the same Shaun Reardon. Another who was also found to have acted unlawfully was one Craig Johnston, who was described by the court as a member and officer of the CFMEU and a branch council member. Mr Craig Johnston has a history when it comes to workplace thuggery. This is the same Craig Johnston who, as Victorian secretary of the AMWU, smashed his way into Melbourne offices, leading 30 balaclava-clad thugs, hurled chairs through windows, up-ended filing cabinets, flung computers to the floor and threatened staff, including a woman who was five months pregnant. This woman was left cowering from the fumes of a fire extinguisher released by Johnston and his thugs, which she feared would harm her unborn baby and which led to the need for counselling. For his deplorable actions, Johnston was convicted of riot, affray, criminal damage and aggravated burglary and served nine months in prison. He was expelled from his union but, when he was released, the CFMEU took him on as an organiser. I call on senators opposite to stop the spread of this subculture of disrespect and abuse against women. (Time expired)