Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz. Will the minister inform the Senate about the government's efforts to protect honest, hardworking union members from the activities of rogue union bosses?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left!

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government's registered organisations reforms will establish a Registered Organisations Commission with only the powers necessary to protect honest members and introduce new standards to ensure rogue union leaders are held to account. These will safeguard against the kind of corruption and impropriety identified on numerous occasions and most recently by the Heydon royal commission.

Our reforms reflect the coalition policy announced in April 2012 and in our policy in May 2013. In opposition, the coalition tried to increase penalties applying to rogue union leaders. Those opposite opposed those reforms. The party of the unions rejected those reforms and has since delayed our reforms in this place not on one occasion but on two separate occasions.

Interestingly, our reforms will decrease red tape. Let us not forget that our proposals will actually cut Mr Shorten's ridiculous requirement that now requires shop stewards to disclose their partner's and family's income and imposes huge disclosure requirements. This is good news for the honest shop steward on the shop floor who believes that they should not be subjected to this sort of requirement that was so foolishly introduced in an overreaction by Mr Shorten when he was the minister.

Can I remind those opposite of what the former respected Labor Attorney-General said in this area: 'Unquestionably, a case for further legislative reform' exists in this area. Also, there needs to be effective and expeditious remedy when this conduct does occur. This currently is not— (Time expired)

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why did you give Kathy Jackson your phone number?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left! Senator Conroy!

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And Godwin Grech.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And Senator Collins!

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate of the views of former union leaders on the government's reforms to the governance of registered organisations?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, just before you answer the question, the standing orders provide for questions not to anticipate matters currently on the Notice Paper. I will just give you that warning before you answer the question so that you do not anticipate debate.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not. Many senior union officials support the need to ensure the financial integrity of trade unions. Now, I wonder who said:

If you're a crook, you're a crook …

…   …   …

I can't understand why the penalties in the Corporations Act weren't pushed through when the government—

the Labor government—

legislated …

…   …   …

I have no issue with the coalition policy.

Now, I wonder who said that? Everybody on that side knows who said it: none other than the former national secretary of the Australian Workers Union, Paul Howes. And I wonder who said this in relation to registered organisations:

… where an individual is found to have done the wrong thing and it's established in court, then there should be appropriate penalties commensurate with a breach of trust that these actions represent.

And you know who said that? Mr Shorten. (Time expired)

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why did Kathy Jackson phone you so many times?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Conroy!

Government senators interjecting—

And on my right. Order!

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate of any other support for the government's approach to ensuring good governance and behaviour by trade unions?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is wide support for the need to clean up corruption within unions. Indeed, former ACTU president and Labor minister Martin Ferguson said:

There is an absolute obligation on the union movement to clean up its house. There is an obligation on the unions to put their house in order.

You would have thought Labor might actually agree with that instead of interjecting.

Another former Labor leader and ACTU president, Simon Crean, said of the CFMEU: 'They need to get their house in order; they need to control the rogue elements.' And, indeed, Dave Oliver has said: 'There is no place in the union movement for the gross misuse of members' money.' I quote Mr Paul Howes again: 'Those who act dishonestly from within the union movement are worse than crook bosses'—yet the penalties are a lot less. This needs to change.