Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. It was reported today that the government's hand-picked administrator of the CFMEU, Mark Irving, has continued to employ Mr Joel Shackleton at the CFMEU, despite Mr Shackleton being charged with making death threats against the owner of an Indigenous labour hire firm. Among other profanities, Mr Shackleton is caught on video saying:

I'll f---ing take your soul and I'll rip your f---ing head off.

Minister, if the government is genuine in its campaign to clean up the CFMEU, will the Albanese government, today, intervene and instruct the administrator to terminate the employment of Mr Shackleton?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to Senator McKenzie for that question. I would say to Senator McKenzie: I share your reaction to the statements by Mr Shackleton which have been reported. I haven't seen the video that has been reported. I again say what Senator Watt as minister has said and what the Prime Minister has said: thuggery and violence have no place in Australia's workplaces and on Australia's building sites.

In relation to the decision by the administrator, I would make the point that the strongest possible action has been taken by the government in appointing an independent administrator. That person has removed over a dozen full-time officials permanently from office as part of the scheme of administration, as well as hundreds of other office bearers. Obviously, the decision of the administrator is a matter for him. What I would say is that we have taken stronger action than any government has to clean up the CFMEU, and that is because we do not believe that thuggery, corruption and violence have any place in our trade union movement or in Australia's workplaces.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, first supplementary?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the government believe that it can end the CFMEU's decades-long culture of law breaking, criminal activity, bullying, harassment, corruption, bribery and standover tactics when the administrator seems to be quite happy to continue the employment of those caught on video making death threats? From the minister's first response, it would seem the government is not of a mind to suggest he remove Mr Shackleton.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll try and answer parts of that question. In relation to the last part, I think I opened my answer, Senator, with a view that is similar to the view that you expressed about the inappropriate and aggressive language that was used, which I understand is reported to be the subject of a criminal investigation. I share the concerns you expressed in your question, so I don't agree with the last political point you made in your question. But I again go back to this point, Senator: for all of the talk and all of the attacks on workers, our government and this minister have taken stronger action to clean up the CFMEU than any other government in Australia. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, a second supplementary?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the minister confirm, given the answers today, that the government doesn't actually care about actually cleaning up the CFMEU because it is desperately trying to gain the CFMEU's support, their manpower and their donations for the upcoming elections and you refuse to have the conversation with the administrator about the acceptable employment of Mr Shackleton?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I absolutely reject those assertions. I think you might have seen some of the former CFMEU and their members make their displeasure at the government's actions clear, but we are focused on doing what we believe is the right thing, which is to clean it up. We don't believe Australian workers or the Australian trade union movement are benefited in any way by violence, thuggery and corruption inside trade unions. This minister and this government have taken stronger action than any government has to clean up the CFMEU, and that administrator has removed hundreds of office bearers and a dozen full-time officials. That is stronger action than has ever been taken. On that, I ask that further questions be placed on notice.