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

I thank Senator McKenzie for her question. Just a few weeks ago I stood in this place and advised the Senate that, disappointingly, there were 73 representatives of the CFMEU who are currently before the courts. Unfortunately, the update today is that in that short period of time there are now 100 representatives of the CFMEU, one of the most militant unions in Australia, who are now facing charges before the courts. In fact, the number of charges now being faced totals 1,000.

Many of them are actually in their full glory on the front page of today's The Australian newspaper. Let us just have a look at what some of them have been fined. Gareth Stephenson, an organiser, has already been fined $118,000. Remember that it is the union members who end up paying the fines. Shaun Reardon, who has been dumped by White Ribbon as an ambassador, has been fined $50,000. Ralph Edwards has been fined $53,200. Then there is a picture of the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, with Joe McDonald, notorious in Western Australia—