Maria Kovacic (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to acknowledge the powerful contribution of my colleague Senator Scarr. I thank you for sharing that very difficult story with the chamber. Here we are, debating the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Administration) Bill 2024, a bill that is going to put the CFMEU into administration. I'm sorry to say that those opposite have had their heads in the sand for far too long about the criminal behaviour of the CFMEU. That is why we must act.

There has been a lot of silence about the actions of the CFMEU, and we must ask ourselves why. Why have people in the chambers in this place been silent? Is that because of intimidation? Is there also intimidation in this place? I think about the tattoo that we've all seen this week that Mr John Setka has advertised across his social media: 'God forgives; the CFMEU doesn't.' We need to think about that. Who is that a message for? Is that a personal message, or is that a message very clearly and plainly demonstrated and publicised to ensure that anybody that might want to stand against him can be very, very clear about what the consequences will be? We need to ask ourselves if we accept that. As people that have been charged with leading this country, if we accept that somebody can do that—