Labor says its response to the CFMEU allegations is strong as Coalition continues its attack and Teal MP calls for action

A Labor minister says most of the allegations against the CFMEU occurred while the Coalition was in government, while a key independent calls for tougher action.

Former ALP president and current minister Jenny McAllister has defended the Albanese government’s response to the CFMEU, saying most of the alleged misconduct happened during the Coalition’s term in government.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has said the government should deregister the union and return the millions of dollars in donations the construction union had made to the Labor Party.

And key independent MP Zoe Daniel says more needs to be done to clean up “the toxic elements of the CFMEU”.

The Albanese says an independent administrator would be appointed to overhaul the CFMEU following accusations that underworld figures and outlawed bikie gangs had infiltrated the union.

Senator McAllister said “it’s pretty difficult to take lectures from Peter Dutton about this.”

“ Most of the alleged behaviour that’s been reported over the past week occurred during the period when the Coalition was in office and the ABCC was in operation,” she told Sunday Agenda on Sky.

“There were plenty of opportunities for the government he was part of to deal with some of the issues that are now being addressed by the government.”

Senator Jenny McAllister, a former ALP President, says the alleged CFMEU misconduct occurred during the former government’s term. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The general and construction divisions of the CFMEU have been suspended from the ALP in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

In 2019, as then home affairs minister, Mr Dutton said outlaw bikie gangs “have their fangs into the CFMEU”.

“I don’t know the basis for Peter Dutton making that assertion at that time,” Senator McAllister said.

“But it asks the question doesn’t it – if he knew about it, why didn’t he do something about it. We are not talking about this issue, we are acting on it.”

She said the Albanese government was taking “strong action” to clean up the union by facilitating administrators for the general and construction divisions of the CFMEU in Victoria, Queensland and NSW and suspending them from the ALP.

Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor (left) and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (right) have both called for the deregistration of the CFMEU. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Earlier, shadow treasurer Angus Taylor repeated the calls for the former building watchdog, the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), be reintroduced.

The Albanese government abolished the ABCC in February 2023.

“The Prime Minister and the Labor Party need to take strong, decisive action against this cartel and against this kind of behaviour, but they haven’t,” Mr Taylor said on Sky.

“We have a weak Prime Minister who has absolutely failed to really take this seriously.

“The contrast is really stark. Bob Hawke, who was a serious Prime Minister who showed strength and deregistered the BLF (corrupt Builders Labourers Federation).

“(Mr Albanese) absolutely should deregister this organisation. He should reestablish the ABCC or a strong cop on the beat.”

Independent MP Zoe Daniel said she didn’t believe the return of the controversial ABCC was the right solution.

“ I think that the ABCC specifically has been so politicised that it has been impossible for it to be effective,” she told ABC Insiders on Sunday.

Independent MP Zoe Daniel says the CFMEU needs to be cleaned up, but returning the ABCC wasn’t the answer. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“There needs to be representation for workers in the construction sector obviously, but the toxic elements of the CFMEU absolutely have to be cleaned out.

“So maybe it is an administrator and a police investigation piece and then a form of watchdog as well.”

She said the issue had been going for too long and costing billions in blowouts for major infrastructure projects.

“Everyone has known to some degree that it has been going on and it does feel like it has been convenient to turn a blind eye,” she said.

“It is now Labor’s problem. There’s risk and they have to resolve this.”

Originally published as Labor says its response to the CFMEU allegations is strong as Coalition continues its attack and Teal MP calls for action