Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Senator Cash. Can the minister inform the Senate of any recent incidents involving CFMEU officials treating women in a degrading or aggressive manner?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for her question. I am disappointed to say that, yes, I can. There is a growing list of senior CFMEU officials who have treated women with absolute contempt and subjected them to abuse, intimidation and violence. The concerning circumstances of acts of brutish thuggery should, quite frankly, be of great concern to the CFMEU and to all senators. In May The Sydney Morning Herald reported that CFMEU official Luke Collier had been in court charged with assault for a violent attack on a woman in which he broke her arm. He had already been convicted for assault for another attack on a woman earlier this year. Then there was the recent announcement that police had arrested and charged CFMEU member Justin Steele with common assault on a 58-year-old female construction site owner in Brisbane.

In June a Senate committee heard evidence of a string of incidents of harassing conduct towards a female workplace inspector by CFMEU officials, including Victorian secretary John Setka and his assistant secretary Shaun Reardon. Conduct has included repeatedly swearing at a woman, calling her a dog, making sexually derogatory remarks towards her, throwing a firecracker at her feet and attacking a car she was driving with a 1.5 metre tree branch. It also included the distribution of a flyer showing her phone number and address. Shortly afterwards, she received a phone call in which the caller said, 'Me and my seven mates are going to come and eff you.' Mr Setka called this inspector and left a sexually derogatory message. Mr Reardon also repeatedly called her late at night. The CFMEU also, as we know, continues to deal with George Alex— (Time expired)

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister inform the Senate whether the CFMEU has provided a satisfactory response to these incidents of the mistreatment of women?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, I am disappointed to say that, far from acting definitively to end these outrageous acts of violence against women, the CFMEU—aided, of course, by the Labor Party, and Senator Cameron in particular, who continues to defend them—has pulled out every stop in order to defend these violent officials. When Luke Collier was reprimanded publicly for abusing a workplace inspector in expletive-laden—

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

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

On my right.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and sexually intimidating terms, CFMEU secretary Dave Noonan issued a press release defending the behaviour and saying:

Swearing on building sites is nothing new …

When evidence of Shaun Reardon's late-night harassing calls was revealed and White Ribbon Australia stripped him of his anti-domestic-violence ambassadorship, the CFMEU pushed White Ribbon to reinstate him. And, despite this, the CFMEU and the Labor Party—

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

Pause the clock.

Government senators interjecting—

Order on my right! Senator Wong, I also have Senator Cameron on his feet, but if—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Just—order! Senator Wong, do you have a point of order?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would ask the Acting Leader of the Government in the Senate to withdraw that interjection.

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

I did not hear it.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will not put it on Hansard, but, as the acting leader, he should do the decent thing.

Senator Brandis interjecting—

About Senator Cameron—you made a very disparaging remark about him.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I meant it, too.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's probably truthful.

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

Order on my right!

Honourable senators interjecting—

It does not help to have senators interjecting from both sides. Senator Wong?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have given him the opportunity. The Acting Leader of the Government in the Senate stated that Senator Cameron was a defender of violence against women, and I ask him to withdraw.

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order on my right and my left!

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like the member for Cook that Senator McLucas used to employ.

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

Order! Senator Macdonald!

Honourable senators interjecting—

This is not helping, Senators.

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

Time for some stress leave, Macca.

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

And you're not helping either, Senator Conroy. Senator Brandis, I did not hear the comment. Senator Wong has made that allegation. I will invite you to withdraw that comment if that comment was indeed made.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, if you wish me to withdraw it, Mr President, I will.

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

Thank you, Senator Brandis.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order. I am being accused of supporting and defending actions that I have never supported or ever defended.

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

Senator Cameron—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order!

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So those allegations are disorderly and should be withdrawn.

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

Senator Cameron—

Government senators interjecting—

On my right—you are not assisting. Senator Cameron, there is an opportunity, if you feel as though you have been misrepresented, to raise that at another juncture. So that was not a point of order for question time, Senator Cameron. The minister has five seconds in which to conclude her answer unless she has concluded her answer.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would ask Senator Cameron, then, to stand up and denounce each and every action and personally name all CFMEU members involved. (Time expired)

Government senators interjecting—

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

On my right!

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order. I have been asked to stand up and denounce violence against women. I totally denounce any violence, in any shape or form, and any violence against women.

Government senators interjecting—

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

Order on my right!

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! Senator Cameron, I understand the pressure that you were placed under then, but that is not the right place to make that remark and there are other places where that can be addressed, Senator Cameron.

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

She made the invitation!

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

Order! I will take Senator Bernardi next.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I do take a point of order on the fact that Senator Cameron is clearly trying to disrupt question time. I am really interested in the question, and I would like to hear—

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

There is no point of order, Senator Bernardi. And, Senator Collins, your interjection invites a response from me also. There is no cause for a minister or anyone for that matter to have to respond or withdraw a question asked of another senator during the answer.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister advise the Senate what more needs to be done to protect women from the derogatory and thuggish behaviour of union officials?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

On my left!

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order on both sides!

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, if the CFMEU fails to bring its own officials to account and condemn their actions then it falls to others to take action to ensure the protection of women. And that is why this government and those on this side of the chamber have proposed vital reforms to clean up the behaviour within the trade union movement. We have repeatedly brought legislation before the Senate to ensure the proper and transparent governance of unions and to increase the penalties that apply for breaches of those rules. Union bosses need to be held accountable for the actions of their members, and the bad behaviour that they indulge in needs to be addressed. It is a fact that the only people who need to fear these reforms are corrupt union officials. And, on that basis, each and every member of those opposite, if they truly condemn the corrupt actions of unions, should support our legislation. (Time expired)