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

My question is the Minister for Employment, Senator Cash. Will the minister update the Senate on recent incidents of lawlessness in Australia's construction sector?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for her question. Just a few weeks ago I stood in this place and advised the Senate that, disappointingly, there were 73 representatives of the CFMEU who are currently before the courts. Unfortunately, the update today is that in that short period of time there are now 100 representatives of the CFMEU, one of the most militant unions in Australia, who are now facing charges before the courts. In fact, the number of charges now being faced totals 1,000.

Many of them are actually in their full glory on the front page of today's The Australian newspaper. Let us just have a look at what some of them have been fined. Gareth Stephenson, an organiser, has already been fined $118,000. Remember that it is the union members who end up paying the fines. Shaun Reardon, who has been dumped by White Ribbon as an ambassador, has been fined $50,000. Ralph Edwards has been fined $53,200. Then there is a picture of the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, with Joe McDonald, notorious in Western Australia—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. I am concerned about the public display of The Australian that Senator Cash is reading from prominently in the chamber. I think it could possibly be used as a prop in this instance.

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

Thank you, Senator Moore. Minister, I ask that you do not wave the paper around. You were reading quotes or extracts from it. That is fine, but please do not display the paper.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Joe McDonald, notorious in Western Australia, particularly in relation to right-of-entry breaches, has been fined $105,580. There are so many more. In fact, as I said, 100 of them are now facing 1,000 charges before the courts. But what do we hear from those on the other side, in particular from the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Shorten? Deny, deny, deny. In fact, the very best that Mr Shorten's spokesperson, Mr O'Connor, can say is, 'Well, it's just a rough and tough industry.'

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister aware of anyone who continues to make excuses for this kind of behaviour?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As Senator Brandis said, really they are just some ordinary blokes having a good time. No, they are not. They are actually disrupting Australia's building and construction industry, in particular.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, those on the other side—you can hear the interjections now—continue to defend bullying, intimidation and thuggery on building sites in Australia. Those on the other side have no friends in this regard. They may hear no evil, they may see no evil and they certainly would not speak any evil regarding the militant construction unionists within Australia. Let us look at a former Labor luminary, someone whom I believe all of us in this chamber would actually consider to be one of the more reasonable members of the Labor Party. That is, of course, Martin Ferguson. What does he say? He says that the manner in which the former BLF conducted themselves is now rife within the CFMEU. (Time expired)

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

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given this deplorable behaviour, which results in thuggery and intimidation on construction sites, what is the government's response?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unlike those on the other side, the government does take this exceptionally seriously. We believe that there is one law for both employers and unions. We do not make exceptions like those on the other side do. We stand for enforcing the law equally, no matter who is accused of breaching it. This government will stand up for workers, whether or not they choose to be a member of a trade union. This government is not going to be afraid of calling out bullying, intimidation or thuggery whenever we see it. This is a government that stands for transparency and accountability in relationships with workers.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But, again, those on the other side—and you can hear all the interjections—are in a continual state of denial: hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil when it comes to the militant unions.