What you said about CFMEU Qld-NT as Jarrod Bleijie vows crackdown after damning report

Tougher laws to stamp out the CFMEU’s culture will be considered – and many Queenslanders are already on board. HAVE YOUR SAY

Tougher laws to stamp out the CFMEU’s culture of violence and intimidation will be considered – and many Queenslanders are already on board.

Militant members of the union could face further investigation, Deputy Premier and Industrial Relations Minister Jarrod Bleijie have also said.

The state government will not deregister the union despite a 45-page report by Geoffrey Watson SC labelling it a violent, cruel, and misogynist organisation.

Mr Bleijie said the government would not dissolve the union, but flagged further action through the Productivity Commission or the Office of Industrial Relations.

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“The problem with dissolution of the CFMEU is they will then be unregulated, and government need to regulate them, because if they’re unregulated, they will be a law unto themselves,” he said.

Mr Bleijie also launched a blistering attack on Labor ministers, accusing them of protecting the CFMEU and turning a blind eye to a culture of misogyny and coercion.

“If (former industrial relations minister) Grace Grace and any former Labor minister come out today and claim that they were the victims of bullying in the CFMEU, I’m sorry, cry me another river,” he said.

“They enabled it. They protected the CFMEU.”

The man accused of transforming the CFMEU into a cruel, misogynist and violent organisation — former CFMEU Queensland secretary Michael Ravbar — rejected the findings against him by Mr Watson.

Former CFMEU boss Michael Ravbar has rejected the Watson review.

However many readers took issue with the CFMEU, some claiming it was time to shut it down for good.

Others, though, reserved their anger for Labor’s lack of action in the past, while some insisted there remains wider issues.

See what you had to say below and join the conversation >>>

WHAT YOU SAID

Time to go

IknowNuthin

There is no place for the CFMEU in Australia, just like the BLF in the 70s. Please be strong Mr Bleijie.

Ewan Mee

Finally a Government with some strength to do what we all know needs doing. Now have a word in our PMs ear about his close relationship with the CFMEU.

Geoffrey

It’s time all the union flags came down from the construction towers and cranes.

Western Rod

Just shut them down, fine union the amount of assets they have, victims aren’t going to front up and then have to go into witness protection for the rest of their lives living in fear for their family’s. only have unions that represent their workers.

Opposition Leader Steven Miles. Picture: Brian Cassey

There’s a bigger picture

Marita

This is about the basics and basis of society. You cannot have an entity of any kind behaving as if they are above the law. This has been enabled by Labor both state and federal for too long and they do not have what it takes to govern democratically. They should be ashamed of what has occurred. Children and families are absolutely off limits for reprisals, as are reprisals of any kind.

Blackstar

Bob Hawke went all the way and de registered the BLF when he was PM, only trouble was that the BLF morphed into the CFMEU we see today, so if they are de registered they will only reappear again with a different name.

Owen

So refreshing to see our leaders standing in front of the state and national flags 👌🙂 no racial division, just unity. Excellent work continues!

Tony

Good government runs toward the fight, not away from it. Hawke took on the BLF all those years ago & brought about real reform to the building industry

Labor stuffed up

Saying It As It Is

Totally back Mr Bleijie especially when Miles still tries to deny all knowledge of the CFMEU’s involvement in Labor.

Roger

Go get them tiger! Show Miles what he should have done!

Emmett FitzHume

If the CFMEU is not deregistered and the union broken up into 15 to 20 much smaller unions then the next Labor government will simply unwind LNP legislation to hand power back to the CFMEU union bosses.

issy

Why can’t Miles accept responsibility?

jackie

Who is the bigger joke this union or Giggles trying to lie his way out of this????

Originally published as What you said about CFMEU Qld-NT as Jarrod Bleijie vows crackdown after damning report