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

I thank Senator Bushby for his question, and disappointingly, yes, I can. I can advise the Senate that recently the CFMEU was fined $430,000 by the Federal Court for unlawful strike action. Disappointingly, the strike action included action that delayed the construction of a children's hospital in Brisbane. That's right—the CFMEU, in their complete contempt for the law, will actually hold up, quite deliberately, the construction of a hospital that is there to help sick children.

In relation to the $430,000, it now gives the CFMEU the dubious record of having in excess of $10 million in penalties imposed against it and its representatives. That's right, $10 million. And, in handing down its decision, the Federal Court found that there was a pattern of behaviour by the CFMEU by which it routinely flouted industrial laws. In fact, the Federal Court stated: 'The most significant point to emerge from the schedules of past cases is that the CFMEU is a recidivist when it comes to contravening industrial laws. No penalties that have been imposed in the past have appeared to reduce its willingness to breach the law. It continues to thumb its nose at industrial laws.' With the imposition of this latest fine and the comments from the Federal Court, it is yet again clear that the CFMEU—it does not matter what you do—believes it is above the law, unlike the rest of us, unlike the rest of Australia and Australians.