Miles commits to state CFMEU laws this week in fiery parliament return

Queensland laws to “ensure that there is no refuge in the state system” from a looming federal CFMEU crackdown will be introduced this week, Premier Steven Miles says.

State MPs returned to parliament on Tuesday for a fiery start to the second-last sitting week before October’s election, as the LNP pushed for stronger action against the union facing imminent administration.

While Miles appeared to commit to removing CFMEU members from state government boards, he strongly rebuked another suggestion from deputy opposition leader Jarrod Bleijie.

Premier Steven Miles, pictured in February, and Queensland’s state MPs have just six sitting days until parliament rises for the October 26 election.Credit: Jamila Toderas

Bleijie asked during question time whether Labor would support the reintroduction of laws requiring union officials give 24 hours’ notice before entering Queensland worksites.

In his response, Miles said Bleijie “might want to see construction workers die, but ... we do not”. He was forced to withdraw the comment under parliamentary rules.

“My mother was a workplace health and safety inspector. There is nothing more important than workers being able to call upon a representative immediately where there is an imminent risk,” he said.

“The answer to the question is yes”.

Steven Miles’ response to one question in parliament about whether he would remove CFMEU members from Queensland government boards.

“I will act on the CFMEU, but I will not use it as a stalking horse for bosses who want to run unsafe workplaces. I will not use it as a stalking horse to target unions or workers.

“We will take appropriate action, while we also keep Queensland workers safe.”

Union figures could be banned from their roles for life after federal Labor and the Coalition struck a deal to place construction divisions of the CFMEU under administrator control for years.

The action came as part of what Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt touted as the “strongest action a government has ever taken against a union or an employer”.

This followed a series of reports by The Australia Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and 60 Minutes revealing organised crime links and corruption allegations.

The federal laws will bypass Fair Work Commission court action to appoint its own administrator, which the CFMEU was expected to fight.

Greens leader Adam Bandt has said the court process should have been allowed to play out, labelling federal parliament’s move “an unprecedented attack on the rule of law”.

Civil liberties groups and the global peak body of construction unions warned the moves could breach Australia’s International Labour Organisation obligations.

While reports made allegations against figures Victorian and NSW figures, the Queensland CFMEU’s hardline approach has also sometimes broken laws and frustrated the building sector.

But it was allegations of CFMEU links to a worker’s assault, still under police investigation, that sparked Miles’ commitment to fast-tracked laws.

Labor MPs used parliament to seize on reports LNP leader David Crisafulli paid $200,000 in a settlement related to a collapsed company of which he had been the sole director after it secured Newman government funding.

Deputy Premier Cameron Dick labelled the payments – which Crisafulli says contained no admission of guilt – “hush money”. One Labor MP called Crisafulli “dodgy”, as LNP figures goaded the government to “say it outside” beyond parliamentary privilege.