Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to take note of the response to the question from Senator Cash about the CFMEU and Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Withdrawal from Amalgamation) Bill 2024, which the Senate passed yesterday. Yet again, while listening to the answer on this issue and this legislation, I couldn't help but think of the old but very true saying, 'You are the company that you keep.' If people don't trust the company you keep, they cannot trust you. The company you keep is a reflection of who you are and who you aspire to be. There's one man who's never been elected to this Senate or to the other place yet who, until yesterday, may as well have been sitting on the government benches. That is, of course, the odious John Setka. His name has come up many times in this chamber. On our side of parliament, it's because of his odiousness, because he is a bully, because he intimidates women and because he does the bidding of the trade union movement—but who does the bidding of whom? He may as well have been sitting over there when the government repealed our legislation on the demerger. Then, astonishingly, he moved to the Greens benches, because they are now his biggest advocate. It is inexplicable to those on this side of the chamber. It is inexplicable how those opposite, including now the Greens, can keep company with and do the bidding of John Setka. Why don't you just nominate him as a candidate for your party? He may as well be here in this room. But the question is why? Why on earth would those opposite keep doing the bidding of somebody who courts have described as a criminal, a bully, a standover merchant and as someone who treats women, including his own wife, with the utmost disrespect? That is hardly setting the standard. In fact, it is anything but setting the standard.

What we have seen with the introduction and passing of this legislation is nothing of astonishing. Minister Burke, the Prime Minister and all of those opposite have admitted that they failed, that they were wrong to do the union bidding in February when they repealed the demerger legislation. Guess what? They had to come back here in this chamber yesterday and reverse that legislation. They admitted they made a mistake. And, yet, the Greens supported this most odious of standover merchants, who has been threatening the AFL and whose conduct is again under consideration by the Fair Work Commission. We have heard the chants, as has everybody opposite, many times: 'Union power. Solidarity forever.' But we have seen it's not just a remnant of the bygone Communist era. It is alive and well today. 'Solidarity forever, comrades. The union makes us strong'—but it makes you weak and it makes you vulnerable to people like John Setka. Each and every one of you who repealed that legislation and now have your tails between your legs should hang your heads in shame. It should not be 'solidarity forever'. It should be, 'Support the unions that support their members and that respect their members and stand up for them.' There are ones that do it in a legal way. There are unions and representatives who respect women, who respect the law and who treat the rest of us with dignity.

Shame on all of you on that side of the parliament who are still doing the bidding of John Setka. 'Solidarity forever' should never be uttered again, because for you, and now the Greens, it means solidarity with John Setka and the CFMEU.