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

One of the issues we have seen, ever since Labor slashed the penalties applicable to breaches of industrial law, is that you break the law—a little bit like a speeding fine—you speed, you get the fine and you pay it. And you just go into a circle: you speed, you get the fine and you pay it. That is what we now see on building sites within Australia.

The CFMEU are fully aware that the penalties no longer fit the crime and they have, quite literally, factored into their business model the penalties for breaching workplace laws. It is a fact that since 2003 the courts have imposed fines of almost $7 million on the CFMEU for proven breaches of workplace laws. Again, this does not seem to deter them. There are 109 officials currently fronting the courts in excess of 1,000 charges. The penalties are, clearly, not strong enough.