Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Johnston for what is an extremely important question. Senators will be aware that this government has previously introduced legislation to ensure greater accountability and transparency in the operation of registered organisations. It is also a fact that Labor and the Greens have consistently opposed this legislation. In short, we on this side of the chamber are seeking to provide transparency in the decision-making process and the disbursement of union members' funds. We believe that, if money is secretly changing hands between an employer and a union, surely common sense dictates that the union members have a right to know.

What we do know based on the evidence from the Heydon royal commission this week is that approximately $300,000 secretly changed hands between the builders of the East West Tollway in Melbourne and the Australian Workers Union. This happened when the current Labor leader, Bill Shorten, was the top Victorian union boss in the AWU, and the AWU's members had no idea at all that a secret deal was in place. The royal commission has also heard very strong evidence to suggest that Mr Shorten was present at the negotiations where it was decided that the large sum of money should change hands. Any union official worthy of the responsibility that is entrusted to them by the membership would not be taking part in these kinds of shady backroom deals. There is clearly an urgency to introduce greater transparency for these sorts of deals when workers are kept in the dark and an employer pays a union mysterious payments. (Time expired)