LNP plan to sideline CFMEU from Bruce Highway works hits roadblock

A major union has slammed Peter Dutton’s Bruce Highway funding caveat to exclude the CFMEU from future projects, warning that any move to ban workers from sites would be illegal.

Premier David Crisafulli on Thursday

• List: Our broken Bruce promises

The state government will not be able to sideline the CFMEU from Queensland worksites, despite Premier David Crisafulli backing federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s Bruce Highway funding condition to exclude the militant union’s involvement in all future projects.

Mr Crisafulli on Thursday vowed to exclude the CFMEU from all contract negotiations for government works related to the Bruce Highway.

While the Australian Workers’ Union dominates the civil construction industry, some head contractors such as John Holland, and many subcontractors, have existing agreements with the CFMEU.

The ETU's Peter Ong. Picture: Liam Kidston

Today, the Electrical Trades Union has slammed Peter Dutton’s Bruce Highway funding caveat to exclude the CFMEU from future projects, warning that any move to ban workers from sites would be illegal.

ETU state secretary Peter Ong said the Opposition Leader was taking workers rights back to the dark ages.

“Every worker in this country should be looking over their shoulder,” he said.

“This is not about the CFMEU, this is about Dutton the tin pot dictator setting a blueprint by which he and his rich mates can grind working people into the dirt.

“We should all ask ourselves when did it become OK for the rich and powerful to punch down on working families, CFMEU members today, who’s next?”

Mr Crisafulli would have to intentionally exclude third parties with existing CFMEU agreements from all government contract work in order to meet Mr Dutton’s demand.

Asked on Thursday whether the CFMEU exclusion was possible, Mr Crisafulli replied, “Of course.

“I’ve reflected on what Mr Dutton said, and we are extremely amenable to that.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has made funding by a federal Coalition government conditional on the CFMEU being excluded.

“Because in the end, if you have the CFMEU getting its tentacles into the next wave of projects on the Bruce, you will not deliver what we need to for Bruce, and my commitment to both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition is that we will drive value for money for their investment.”

A spokeswoman for Mr Crisafulli clarified the exclusion related only to the procurement of contracts through the removal of Best Practice Industry Conditions.

“The Crisafulli government has already ended the CFMEU sweetheart deal on government projects by pausing BPIC to allow the Productivity Commission Review to be undertaken,” she said.

“The BPIC pause means that all new Bruce Highway projects are free from Labor’s CFMEU tax.”

Both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Mr Dutton this week pledged $7.2bn towards bringing the Bruce Highway up to a minimum three-star safety rating.

Mr Dutton said a Coalition would “condition the funding to exclude CFMEU involvement”.

CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith condemned Mr Dutton’s statement, calling it illegal and dangerous.

Labor senator for Queensland Murray Watt

“Dutton appears to be willing to corrupt the tender process to make sure non-union contractors are awarded the job,” he said.

“Excluding workers from employment on the basis of their union membership is also illegal.

“The quickest way to get the Bruce Highway upgrades completed is for all stakeholders to work together.”

Mr Crisafulli said Mr Dutton’s caveat was a good condition and that the state government would not negotiate with the CFMEU.

“What individuals do, of course, is a matter for individuals, but I’m talking about when we negotiate agreements,” he said.

Queensland Labor senator Murray Watt said the funding caveat was a disappointing exercise in negativity.

“There’s barely a CFMEU member who works on these road projects, the highway projects north of the Sunshine Coast,” he said.

“This is just another really disappointing exercise in negativity from Peter Dutton, that rather than thinking about the big picture and thinking about Queenslanders, he wanted to try and turn it into some sort of meaningless political fight over nothing.

“He should have actually just committed to this straight away.”

Originally published as LNP plan to sideline CFMEU from Bruce Highway works hits roadblock