Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

We've already agreed to Senator Cash that the scheme of administration that would be applied under this legislation would ban donations to any political party for the period of the administration. We've already agreed to that. It's in a letter to Senator Cash saying it will be in the scheme of administration, which is part of the legislation. But that's not good enough for Senator Cash, because she wants to run political games.

The third point—this is actually the real dealbreaker for Senator Cash—is that Senator Cash wants the ability to haul the administrator, an independent administrator of a union, in to committee rooms in a Senate estimates hearing and play political football. What this is actually about is Senator Cash's desperate desire to get her face on TV, going after people in the way that she always does. It is important and vital that this administrator is independent of political interference. It doesn't benefit the government, the opposition, the union or its members to have the administrator brought into estimates hearings and treated like a political football. That's what Senator Cash wants.

The reality is the government's legislation is the strongest action ever taken by any government against any union or any employer group in Australia's history. It's not just us saying that. That is why the Master Builders Australia—they're not exactly friends of the Labor Party—have said that parliament must pass this bill this afternoon. It's why the Australian Constructors Association say now is the time to act. They are demanding action. These are employer groups. The ACTU national executive has also passed a resolution saying that the CFMEU construction division should be in administration. So the government agrees, unions agree, employer groups agree—who doesn't agree? It's the coalition, and, of course, let's not forget those little people over there, those friends of John Setka, who are going to back him this afternoon, rather than back the Australian people. Let's not forget about them in the process as well.

I really didn't expect after all the claims over all the years from Senator Cash and the coalition that John Setka would be the coalition's best friend. That is not something I had on my bingo card for 2024, but that is the point we have got to with their refusal to back legislation that is supported by the government, the peak union movement of Australia and the employer groups in the building and construction industry.

It's time for the games to stop and it's time for the politics to stop. It's time to take strong action against the CFMEU construction division. It is time to pass this bill.