Labor’s Grace Grace condemns CFMEU actions after Brisbane protests

Labor’s former industrial relations minister Grace Grace has rejected taunts from LNP rivals over her support for the CFMEU, condemning the union for protests in Brisbane last week.

Labor’s shadow industrial relations minister Grace Grace. Picture: Lachie Millard

Former Labor industrial relations minister Grace Grace has condemned the CFMEU after two days of strike action in Brisbane last week.

But Ms Grace stopped short of calling out former leaders Michael Ravbar and Jade Ingham by name.

Members of the union rallied in Bowen Hills and Fortitude Valley last Thursday and Friday in response to the High Court’s decision to uphold the federal government’s administration of the CFMEU’s construction arm.

The large CFMEU protest outside the QLD headquarters of the union at Bowen Hills. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

On Friday, one journalist covering the protest was labelled a “media b-tch”.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie on Monday used an interview with 4BC’s Peter Fegan to accuse Ms Grace of backing the union.

“Grace Grace and the Labor Party backs the CFMEU. I sack the CFMEU, so I’m not intimidated by the CFMEU,” Mr Bleijie said.

“I’ve seen Grace Grace as the Industrial Relations Minister and I’ve seen a lot of misbehaviour and thuggish fear and intimidation by the CFMEU for 10 years, and I’ve never seen Grace condemn the CFMEU once.”

Appearing before Ms Grace on 4BC on Tuesday, Premier David Crisafulli said he would be listening to see if she condemned the union’s leaders.

“I’ll be tuning in as she condemns those two individuals and says that neither of them have a place in the modern union movement, because a couple of them are hiding and continue to influence the union movement, and one of them at a very senior role,” Premier Crisafulli said.

“So we look forward to it and I’ll be tuning in with great interest.”

Channel 7 journalist Georgie Chumbley surrounded by CFMEU protesters. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

When asked if she condemned the behaviour of Mr Ravbar and Mr Ingham, Ms Grace said she condemned any actions that were unlawful and disrespectful.

“I condemn any actions that are not respectful, that are not lawful, and that are not peaceful, and there is no place to attack journalists or anybody in today’s modern union movement,” she told Mr Fegan.

“I think it puts a blight on the union movement when we see this type of behaviour, and of course, this behaviour is condemned by anybody who operates in that manner.”

When asked if Mr Ravbar and Mr Ingham have any place in the CFMEU, Ms Grace said the pair had been removed.

“Well, of course not, they’ve now been removed from the CFMEU because of the laws that we have put in place,” she said.

“We have an administrator both at the federal level and the state level.

“The High Court has now said that that is well and truly within the rights of the governments to have implemented those laws.”

Ms Grace added that it was a Labor government that implemented the laws to force the CFMEU into administration.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie slammed the CFMEU protest action and called on Grace Grace to condemn the union’s actions. Picture: John Gass

“It was a Labor Albanese government, and I worked very closely with Minister Murray Watt at the time we put in complementary legislation in this state to do that,” she said.

“The administrator has spoken, the High Court has spoken, and we now need to get on with the job of ensuring that the CFMEU operates both lawfully, legally and, of course, to the best interest of their members.”

She labelled comments made by Mr Bleijie on Monday as “absolute nonsense” and that “actions speak louder than ridiculous words”.

“This is the kind of nasty personal attacks that are made publicly without any foundation,” she said.

“Let me tell you who took the strongest action, it was the previous Labor government that put the CFMEU into administration, complementing what the federal government did.

“That is the action that we took and I think actions speak louder than ridiculous words.”

Originally published as Labor’s Grace Grace condemns CFMEU actions after Brisbane protests