Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Hansard source

Well, hallelujah! The Labor Party has finally seen the light. I've been trying to fix this for six months now. In early February, I brought an amendment to the Senate so that the manufacturing division of the CFMEU, which include textiles, clothing and footwear workers, timber workers and furniture workers, could hold a secret ballot to demerge from the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union. The textile, clothing and footwear sector, the TCF sector, is currently part of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union, or the CFMEU, after a merger in 2018.

My amendment was knocked back, so in late February I brought forward a private senator's bill that would do the same thing. The textile, clothing and footwear sector is part of the CFMEU, unfortunately for it, and it has greatest number of women. Many of these women are from non-English-speaking backgrounds, and many of them have had firsthand experience of exploitation, underpayment, unsafe conditions and abuse. I was absolutely gobsmacked that this was knocked back. Seriously, all they are asking for is a secret ballot. Isn't that the core of our own democracy?

The women in the textile sector probably know better than most what it's like to work for an organisation that is run by a bloke who likes to throw his weight around—putting it mildly. There are no prizes for guessing who I'm talking about: yep, John Setka, of course, the current state secretary of this Victorian branch of the CFMEU—you know, that bully boy who told a meeting that Rosie Batty's advocacy work had led to men having fewer rights. These women had to share offices with the CFMEU. As a union rep said to the Age newspaper:

Within the building there were jokes about domestic violence. It was very uncomfortable to the point where our division had to leave the building.

After these comments were leaked to newspapers, as usual Mr Setka, like the bully that he is, went after his critics and hired a private investigator, no doubt with members' money, to bug and follow them. That's what sort of man this bloke is. He is gutter trash and he is a bully! Many quit their positions and were forced out. Once reports of Setka's comments were out there Sally McManus, the secretary of the ACTU, and Anthony Albanese, then opposition leader, called for Setka's resignation.

Later in 2019, John Setka's attitude towards women, especially to his wife, was revealed when reports emerged of an incident that took place in 2018. Following this incident, Victoria Police charged Setka with 30 domestic violence charges including recklessly causing injury and a pattern of harassment by breaching court orders and making threats. The harassment included 45 texts in which he called his wife horrible names using the most hateful, violent language.

I brought that amendment and that private senator's bill so the women of the textile union could have some control over their own working lives without fear of harassment and intimidation. I thought it would be easy. Surely the modern Labor Party would support these women, especially as the current Prime Minister removed John Setka from the Labor Party years ago? But it wasn't easy because Labor was too scared of the CFMEU to do the right thing.

Worse are the Greens—the party that constantly talks in this place about gender equality and fighting the good fight against domestic violence. Guess what, you Greens supporters. They voted against my amendment and they voted against my private senator's bill. They voted against the women of the textile union having a secret ballot, which is all they were asking for, so they could decide who was in charge of them and so they could get bully boy Setka out of their lives and finally feel empowered. That's all they wanted. But the Greens weren't having any of it and are still are not having any of it today! This is a party whose leader proudly proclaims that he is a feminist! So a union with thousands of women, many of them from non-English-speaking backgrounds, were denied by the Labor Party and the Greens the right to be in charge of their own destiny. This is the Australian Greens who have a lot to say about women on their website including:

Women have the right to equal access and participation in decision making processes in all areas of political, social, cultural, intellectual and economic life.

How's that quote going on your website right now?

That's where we are at today. I was never going to back away from this fight—not ever, not for these women. I would have kept fighting for these women and also for the men in this sector so they could be free of John Setka and his intimidation and abuse. But then, just a few weeks ago, old Setka—he just can't help himself, that bloke!—started to bully the AFL, demanding that they sack their head referee because he previously worked for the Australian Building and Construction Commission. Seriously? This bloke is off the planet. He's incredibly dangerous! That was the last straw for Minister Burke. I'm glad we finally got you over the line for that, Minister Burke! God forbid that they would allow a man in an organisation like the AFL to be bullied. No, no, no, they couldn't be having any of that.

So here we are, the Labor Party has copied my private senator's bill and have finally brought it to the chamber today—hurray. Well done to Minister Burke for acting quickly, no matter his motivation. I am confident the coalition will back this in. They know very well how John Setka operates and what pressure he puts on people to make sure that he gets what he wants. No matter what methods John Setka wants to use, he uses them. He does not care about human life. He does not care if he plays standover man to get what he wants. He's a disgrace. He's nothing but gutter material. That's all John Setka has ever been and will ever be. The CFMEU and their behaviour have put a stain on the entire union movement. You are disgusting. The core of the CFMEU behave like thugs. They don't care about these workers. They just want to make sure they get all those big-city construction projects, no matter how they get them. They don't play in the law, because the CFMEU don't know what 'law' means. They just care about money: they care about money, and they care about power.

Let's see what the Greens do today—my goodness. Yesterday they refused to support a motion that I brought condemning the defacing of war memorials. You would have thought their standards dropped enough towards the gutter yesterday. But, oh, no. It's all about the CFMEU, instead of doing what they've said they'll always do—standing for the rights of women in this country. Here's your chance today. I have to ask: if you don't vote for these women, what are you getting out of the CFMEU?