Labor move to force CFMEU into administration

Labor will move to force the CFMEU into administration to clean up the militant union, but has refused another significant measure.

Labor will move to force the CFMEU into administration to clean up the militant union after allegations branches have been infiltrated by criminals, but is refusing to reinstall the nation’s construction watchdog or launch a royal commission to investigate further.

After union officials declined to consent to an administrator, the Albanese government will introduce new legislation when parliament resumes this week allowing them to force the matter, in an effort Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt has described as proof Labor was willing to do “what’s necessary” to fix the culture of the CFMEU “without fear or favour”.

But the proposal, which would be expected to put the construction and general divisions of the union in all states and territories except Western Australia and the ACT into administration, with harsh penalties for any members or associates who attempt to interfere, has been criticised by the Coalition as not going far enough.

The Greens and other key members of the crossbench like independent Senator David Pocock are yet to indicate their position on the proposal, with most parties due to be briefed on the draft bill on Monday.

If Labor cannot secure their support it will require the backing of the Coalition, which is likely to attempt to amend the legislation to completely deregister the CFMEU despite not having the numbers in parliament to achieve this.

Senator David Pocock. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

Coalition employment and workplace relations spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said the Opposition would make decisions about Labor’s proposed bill when they had seen it.

“The detail matters and we will have a series of questions about how this legislation will work in practice,” she said.

“For example, will the legislation leave it open to the whim of the Minister to decide which parts of the CFMEU actually go into administration?”

Ms Cash said the Coalition had consistently called for the Albanese Government to introduce laws to “deregister” the CFMEU and admit their abolition of the Australian Building Construction Commission (ABCC) has been a “disaster” that must be reversed.

“Anything less would add to the already weak response this government has had to the crisis engulfing the CFMEU,” she said.

“The Albanese Government is desperately trying to fix a problem they created when they abolished the ABCC.”

Labor will move to force the CFMEU into administration. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

Mr Watt said while he believed there must be a union to represent workers in the dangerous construction sector, it must be “free from the constant allegations of violence, intimidation and criminality that have poisoned the CFMEU”.

“The Labor Party has a long and historic connection to the union movement, but we’re not going to tolerate the kind of consistent bad behaviour and allegations of criminality that circle around this particular union,” he said.

Mr Watt also cautioned those calling for a royal commission into the allegations against the union, which includes the placement of criminal figures in influential high-paying jobs and potential kickback schemes to members, saying it was time for “action” not more inquiries.

He also ruled out a return of the ABCC in part because the allegations against the CFMEU related to bikies and organised criminal activity “occurred when the ABCC was in power”.

Originally published as Labor move to force CFMEU into administration