Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senators Cash and McKenzie, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes recent reports and evidence of aggression and abuse towards women by Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) officials, including that:

(i) CFMEU organiser, Mr Luke Collier, abused a female Fair Work Building and Construction (FWBC) inspector using expletive and misogynist swear words,

(ii) CFMEU Assistant Secretary, Mr Shaun Reardon, made threatening late night phone calls to a female staff member of the building industry watchdog,

(iii) a CFMEU official spat at a female FWBC inspector when she was called out to a worksite to inspect a union blockade,

(iv) a CFMEU official made a late night phone call to a female staff member of the building industry watchdog, threatening her with gang rape, and

(v) on multiple occasions female FWBC officers have had to be moved off inspection duties because of the threats and aggression expressed towards them;

(b) condemns such behaviour directed at female FWBC inspectors;

(c) condemns CFMEU Secretary, Mr Dave Noonan, for attempting to defend Mr Collier's verbal intimidation of a female FWBC inspector and similar cases of intimidation, by saying that swearing on building sites is nothing new; and

(d) expresses its gratitude to FWBC inspectors, including the 31 female FWBC inspectors, who work to maintain the rule of law on Australia's building and construction sites.