Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I note that the Labor Party didn't want to take note of the questions in their grubby attack on Senator O'Sullivan. Perhaps they are reflecting on their grubby tactics when it comes to that. But when it comes to these questions before the Senate at the moment, let's be clear about the difference in standards between this government and the coalition and the Labor Party and their union mates. We've got, on the one hand, Mr Hadgkiss, who has been forced to resign as a result of activity. I understand allegations were confirmed of failing to update a website. There is no doubt that we take the law very seriously and, be they minor breaches or more serious breaches, we have shown the kinds of standards that we will hold officials to. But let's be clear about the alternative and the absolute contrast in the way that the Labor Party treat criminals and law-breakers, the very people who put them in this place.

Let's have a look at some of those people who we are talking about who have breached the Fair Work Act and, in fact, all sorts of other legislation. Labor Party senators here owe their spots in the Senate to some of these criminals and some of these organisations which have engaged in criminality, corruption, standover tactics and violence. They will never condemn them, because they own them. The modern Labor Party is but the subsidiary arm of groups, criminal organisations, like the CFMEU, led by people like John Setka. John Setka is supported by Labor senators in this place and of course the Leader of the Opposition. John Setka has twice been jailed for contempt of court. He is currently facing serious charges of blackmail. In 2015, the Federal Court found him guilty of coercion. Recently, in front of cheering crowds at a CFMEU rally, he said there was nothing wrong with breaking the law before saying disgraceful things about the police and threatening ABCC inspectors.

These are the kind of people that those opposite are close to. They are not just close to them; they are funded by them. They are funded by groups like the CFMEU and by Mr Setka and Joe McDonald, the National President of the CFMEU. He has been found by the courts to have breached industrial law 53 times. He has criminal convictions for assault, trespass and contempt of court. Luke Collier is the labour hire and youth organiser for the CFMEU in Western Australia. Luke Collier has been jailed for violent assault. In 2016, Mr Collier was found guilty of attempting to intimidate an FWBC inspector at the Barangaroo site, using disgraceful language. I am not going to repeat that language, Deputy President, because it is too disgraceful to be quoted in here. It is the lowest level of language.

But of course it goes well beyond that with some of those criminals that I have mentioned. We saw during the royal commission some of these standover merchants and some of this extortion. We have seen violence from the Labor Party's mates. They are not just their mates; they are the people who put Labor senators into this place and Labor members into the House. They are the people who support Bill Shorten and keep Bill Shorten in his role.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: A point, Senator Seselja—

That is, Mr Shorten. They are the people who keep the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Shorten, in his role—the likes of John Setka.

Mr Hadgkiss has paid a heavy price for failing to update a website. There is no doubt about that. He has paid a heavy price and he has lost his job. I compare him to his opponents, for whom there is no accountability from the Labor Party, such as the likes of John Setka. This is what John Setka had to say in a tweet:

Good riddance to the rat that is Nigel Hadgkiss. From the widows and families of construction workers, may you rot in hell.

I am going to table this tweet from Mr Setka. That is disgraceful; it is disgusting. I table the document.