Labor blasts Greens for ‘grandstanding’ at CFMEU anti-Albanese protest

Labor has accused the Greens of grandstanding in front of thousands of angry union members in a power play for support at the next election, after the CFMEU took to the streets to oppose a federal intervention to stamp out criminal behaviour.

Greens firebrand Max Chandler-Mather infuriated the government by backing the Construction Forestry and Maritime Employees Union and accusing Labor of attacking “every worker in this country” by forcing the union into administration.

Chandler-Mather joined controversial Queensland official Michael Ravbar – fined last year for breaching workplace laws – at a Brisbane march after the peak construction union mobilised more than 60,000 members across the major capital cities.

The dispute over the protests intensifies the rivalry between Labor and the Greens over union support after the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) attacked the move against the CFMEU and said it would withhold $1 million in donations to Labor.

The Greens are targeting Labor marginal electorates at the next election after stunning the major parties with victories in three Brisbane seats in 2022, raising concerns in the government about union volunteers backing the minor party.

Melbourne had the country’s largest CFMEU rally, with up to 50,000 people marching against the forced administration, while 8000 rallied in Sydney and 4000 in Brisbane. The protests were peaceful and there were no reported arrests.

Chandler-Mather, who won the Brisbane seat of Griffith from Labor at the last election, accused the government of passing the harshest laws against unions that Australia had seen.

“This an attack not just on construction workers but on every worker in this country because Labor has set a dangerous precedent,” he told the crowd at Queens Gardens in Brisbane.

“What they have done is handed every future Labor or Liberal government a blueprint on how to seize control of any trade union or civil society association they don’t like and crush it, and that is disgraceful.”

At stake is control of the peak construction union after the Building Bad investigation by this masthead, The Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes aired allegations of corruption, standover tactics, threats of violence and links to organised crime within the union.

The CFMEU rally in Melbourne drew an estimated 50,000 to the city streets.Credit: Jason South

Workplace Minister Murray Watt hit back at the Greens and defended the government’s decision to pass laws through parliament last week – backed by the Coalition and some crossbenchers – to appoint an administrator to run the union for five years.

“I’m never surprised to see Max Chandler-Mather grandstanding in front of a crowd. It’s what he lives for,” Watt told this masthead.

The government noted the Greens MP was at the rally with Ravbar, who was ousted as Queensland CFMEU secretary after the appointment of the administrator and who lost a civil case in the courts last year about the union’s tactics.

The Federal Circuit Court ordered Ravbar to pay $9320 for breaching right-of-entry laws, while the union had to pay $204,000 and another organiser $12,000.

Chandler-Mather defended his appearance by saying he was not supporting any individual.

“I was at the rally to speak to the tens of thousands of union members outraged at Labor’s attacks on unions … not any specific official,” he said.

Ravbar drew cheers at the Brisbane rally by telling members he would launch a High Court challenge to the law that enforces the administration.

“We will be doing a High Court challenge as a matter of urgency, and I’ll be the applicant,” he said.

“This is going to be the biggest challenge and the biggest fight that we’ve ever had, but we’re all up for it. You’ve got to get control of your union back. You will never allow a government takeover again.”

CFMEU members protest in Sydney on Tuesday.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

The ETU confirmed it would withhold $1 million from Labor and use some of that money to fund legal challenges to the government intervention, but it has not given any indication that it would use the money to support the Greens instead.

“We have deep concerns about the legislation and deep concerns about trial by parliament,” said ETU national secretary Michael Wright, who was not at the protests on Tuesday.

While the demonstrations did not trigger violence or arrests, the Brisbane protest featured a placard depicting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as Hitler and calling him an “AlboNazi”.

In Sydney, sacked NSW CFMEU secretary Darren Greenfield, who faces charges of taking bribes from employers, urged the members to “vote these bastards [Labor] out”, while his former assistant secretary Rob Kera said, “We’re going to campaign for the absolute destruction of the Australian Labor Party.”

In Melbourne, former CFMEU official Christy Cain said the government had betrayed workers and said his friend John Setka – the former Victorian secretary of the union who was expelled from the Labor Party after a rift with Albanese two years ago – was there in spirit.

The crowd chanted: “Johnny Setka, here to stay!”

CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith, one of the few officials to stay on at the union after the administrator took charge, assured members at the Canberra rally that the union would survive the intervention.

Smith made no criticism of the government or the Labor Party but defended the union against the revelations by this masthead in detailed reporting over recent weeks.

“We are not a safe harbour for criminality, we are not a safe harbour for corruption,” he said.

“As long as you stick by and defend your union and defend trade unionism, defend your union, this is not the end.

“I’m going to continue to serve the members and put the best interests of the members forward on issues like Palestine, continue to be a good voice on issues like public housing, on taxation.

“I’m going to continue to be a voice for the working class on issues that relate to the future of this country, on taxation and the sort of country that we want.”

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