Politics latest: CFMEU administration bill passes Senate after parties strike deal

As the Coalition talked up changes strengthening the 'crackdown on the rogue union' and Labor hailed its own strong action, the CFMEU's Zach Smith said it was a 'dangerous descent into partisan politics'.

The CFMEU bill is set to pass parliament. Picture: Glenn Campbell/NewsWire

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7:41 pm August 19, 2024

CFMEU bill is nation's most 'anti-worker laws': Greens

Staff writers

Greens spokesman Max Chandler-Mather has condemned the CFMEU bill as “the most draconian, anti-worker laws this country has ever seen”.

Labor’s bill to force the union’s construction division into administration passed the Senate after days of wrangling and negotiations.

The government and Coalition eventually joined forces to attack the Greens for not backing the bill, which has undergone key changes tabled by the opposition to secure its passage.

Labor & Libs are going to pass the most draconian, anti-worker laws this country has seen. Whatever you think of the CFMEU this worry u deeply. Labor has set a precedent where parliament can seize control of a civil society group opposing the gov & suspend their basic rights🧵

— Max Chandler-Mather (@MChandlerMather) August 19, 2024

Mr Chandler-Mather wrote on Twitter/X: “Labor [and Liberals] are going to pass the most draconian, anti-worker laws this country has seen.

“Whatever you think of the CFMEU this [should worry you] deeply. Labor has set a precedent where parliament can seize control of a civil society group opposing the government and suspend their basic rights.

“If we are going to build a movement capable of taking on multinational corporations and the political establishment then eventually we will be big enough to pose a real threat to their interests. Well now we have a preview of what they could do to us.”

– Jack Newman

7:22 pm August 19, 2024 Highlight

CFMEU administration bill passes the Senate

Ewin Hannan

Labor’s bill to force the CFMEU's construction divisions into administration passed the Senate on Monday night after a deal between the government and the opposition.

Under the bill, the CFMEU’s construction divisions will go into administration for up to five years, officials from the union can be banned for life and political donations from the union will be prohibited for years.

After days of negotiations, the government agreed to set a minimum administration period of three years and a maximum period of five years, and to lift the potential disqualification period for CFMEU officials from a maximum five years to life.

The Coalition dropped its demand that the political donation ban be legislated after the proposed administrator Mark Irving wrote to Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt, stating he would change the CFMEU rules to prohibit the making of party political donations or the funding of party political campaigns.

Mr Irving will be required to report every six months to parliament but will not have to appear before Senate estimates as originally requested by the Coalition, with Fair Work Commission general manager Murray Furlong to give evidence about the administrator’s work.

Opposition employment and workplace relations spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said the opposition had secured key changes to the bill that would strengthen the “crackdown on the rogue union”.

Senator Watt said he hoped no assets had been shifted by the CFMEU in recent days while the Coalition refused to back the bill, which he said represented the strongest action taken by any government against any union or employer in Australia’s history.

CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith said the government’s “targeted attack" on construction workers was a “dangerous descent into partisan politics over democracy, fairness and justice”.

“The deal cut by Labor and the Coalition is as shameful as it is unnecessary – an act of political expediency at the expense of fundamental tenets of Australian democracy and our legal system,” he said.

After Labor and the Coalition joined forces in the Senate to attack the Greens for not backing the bill, the Greens leader Adam Bandt said the rushed legislation was an "unprecedented attack on the rule of law", ensuring Senator Cash could appoint a new CFMEU administrator if there was a change of government.

"This bill means that if there is a change of government, Michaelia Cash could appoint Tony Abbott to be administrator of one of Australia’s most significant unions," he said.

4:58 pm August 19, 2024 Highlight

Higgins won't give evidence at Reynolds' defamation trial

Paul Garvey

Brittany Higgins with her husband David Sharaz.

Brittany Higgins’ lawyer says the former political staffer will no longer be called to give evidence in the defamation action brought against her by Senator Linda Reynolds.

Rachael Young SC made the bombshell revelation on Monday afternoon, citing Ms Higgins’ medical conditions and their expectation that they do not believe they need to call Ms Higgins to mount a successful defence.

Ms Higgins had been scheduled to spend a week giving testimony from Monday onwards, and was due to fly to Perth from her home in France.

Read the full story here.

4:56 pm August 19, 2024 Highlight

Greens slam 'flawed, draconian' CFMEU bill

Rosie Lewis

Greens leader Adam Bandt. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

The Greens have accused Labor and the Coalition of cutting a deal on the CFMEU administration bill that will see “flawed and draconian laws” rushed through parliament, warning if the Coalition wins the election Michaelia Cash could appoint Tony Abbott as administrator.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said the amended legislation was an “unprecedented attack on the rule of law”, noting the NSW Council for Civil Liberties had cautioned it established a dangerous precedent for the trade union movement and the rights of individuals to natural justice and procedural fairness.

“The Greens will always oppose sexism, corruption, thuggery and bullying, but Labor and the Liberals have just cut a deal to ram through flawed and draconian laws that threaten fundamental rights,” Mr Bandt said.

“Civil liberties groups have rightly said this bill is a threat to freedom of association and the rights of all unions and membership based organisations. This bill means that if there is a change of government, (opposition employment and workplace relations spokeswoman) Michaelia Cash could appoint Tony Abbott to be administrator of one of Australia’s most significant unions.

“The Greens told the government we were prepared to negotiate on the legislation and seek to address some of the serious concerns in the bill, but instead Labor has worked with the anti-union, anti-worker Liberals.”

4:00 pm August 19, 2024 Highlight

Lifetime bans, minimum three-year administration for CFMEU: Cash

Rosie Lewis

Senator Michaelia Cash holds a press conference to announce the deal on the CFMEU bill. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

The administrator of the CFMEU will be able to ban officials forever and all construction division branches will be put into administration for a minimum of three years “unless the administrator was to advise otherwise”, after a deal was clinched between the Coalition and Albanese government.

Opposition employment and workplace relations spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said she also had a copy of a letter from the administrator to Industrial Relations Minister Murray Watt setting out his goals, including that while the CFMEU is in administration it cannot donate to political parties or incur any form of campaign expenditure.

The administrator will have to report every six months on where he’s at, whether he is facing any issues and the financial records of the CFMEU’s construction divisions.

Branches will be able to be put into administration for a maximum of five years, up from the three years maximum period proposed by the government.

“The Coalition has secured, after much discussions with the government, a series of very significant amendments to the CFMEU administration bill and we are now in a position to provide passage of that bill,” Senator Cash said.

“The bill that was tabled by the minister in the parliament four sitting days ago looked like, quite frankly, it could have been drafted by John Setka.”

The Coalition had wanted to legislate a CFMEU donations ban but there were concerns that it could be unconstitutional. Senator Cash said she was prepared to accept the administrator’s goals, saying it was possibly the most significant part of what the opposition wanted.

“We have said from the outset that the level of criminal activity, bullying, thuggery and intimidation within the CFMEU would take a significant amount of time to address. It is good that Minister Murray Watt has finally accepted what is obvious to everyone else,’’ Senator Cash said.

“The government rushed this legislation into the parliament without adequate consultation and were dragged kicking and screaming to make sensible changes suggested by the Coalition. But this is only the start of the process of controlling the rogue union and cleaning up the construction sector in Australia.

“Peter Dutton moved two bills in the House of Representatives today, one which would restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission and a separate bill which will enhance integrity measures and combat criminality on our nation’s building sites. We call on the government to support the bills.”

If the administrator is satisfied that a CFMEU construction division that isn't facing criminal allegations is clean, it will be able to get out of administration earlier.

3:52 pm August 19, 2024

Cultural change ahead for construction industry: Master Builders

Staff writers

Master Builders Australia chief executive Denita Wawn says the building and construction industry is finally on the road to meaningful cultural change after the announcement that the CFMEU bill is set to pass.

“The industry has been at a standstill with a great cloud of uncertainty on the current operating environment and the future of the CFMEU," she said.

“We thank the government and coalition for working in a bipartisan way to reach an agreement on a series of amendments while not delaying the Bill’s passage beyond this sitting period.”

– Jack Newman

3:37 pm August 19, 2024 Highlight

CFMEU administration bill set to pass as parties reach deal

Staff writers

Senator Michaelia Cash holds a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

The CFMEU bill is finally set to pass after the parties struck a deal to force the embattled union’s construction division into administration.

Opposition workplace relations spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said the initial bill tabled by Labor “could have been drafted by John Setka” but the parties have now agreed to a number of amendments.

She said the government and Coalition have now secured a minimum three-year administration period for all CFMEU construction and general division branches after days of negotiation, and secured an agreement to ban officials forever.

The administrator will also report to parliament every six months and political donations have been banned.

Ms Cash said: “I send a very clear message to Labor. Yes, we have strengthened the bill. Yes, it is a better bill as a result of the Coalition securing these amendments.

“However, stakeholders and the Coalition have made it very, very clear. This is but the first step in the process.

“The leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton, has this morning introduced into the House of Representatives the bills to stand back up or restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission and our Ensuring Integrity Bill, which will ensure that rogue union members and officials are able to be held to account.

“So whilst yes, we will secure passage of the administration bill based on the significant changes to the bill that we have been able to secure, the government is on notice.”

– Jack Newman

3:26 pm August 19, 2024

Tehan trying to expose ASIO information: Burke

Staff writers

Dan Tehan during question time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

Immigration Minister Tony Burke has shot down his opposition counterpart Dan Tehan for trying to expose intelligence agency information during question time.

As part of an ongoing row over visas being extended to Palestinians fleeing from Gaza, Mr Tehan first asked Mr Burke if any who have entered from the warzone subsequently had their visas cancelled.

Mr Burke replied: “A lot of attention is being given to when visas are first issued, where the process is the same as it's always been.

“But the government continues to collect information and we never stop collecting information on this caseload or anyone who has visas. If at any point in time we're presented with information that had grounds for visa cancellation, we would cancel the visa.”

In a follow-up question, Mr Tehan asked the minister if he was “aware of any concern from security or intelligence agencies about the 1300 people who have arrived in Australia from the Gaza war zone”.

Mr Burke responded tersely: “Mr Speaker, if I could understand the question he's asking, just here in the privacy of question time, where no one else is listening, just between you and me, let's have a conversation about national security conversation and ASIO information.

“No, if you want to be irresponsible, that's on you.”

– Jack Newman

3:20 pm August 19, 2024

Coalition trying to 'start a culture war': Chalmers

Jack Quail

Treasurer Jim Chalmers during question time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

Jim Chalmers has poked fun at his opposition counterpart Angus Taylor who on Monday did not lob a single query during question time.

Instead, the Coalition has been solely focused on the security checks facing Palestinian refugees fleeing Gaza to come to Australia, leaving no room for Mr Taylor to ask a question about Labor’s management of the economy.

Speaking during question time, the Treasurer chastised Mr Taylor for not providing a single costed economic policy after more than two years on the opposition benches.

“The shadow treasurer sits there. They won't even give him a turn on the dog whistle, Mr Speaker,” Dr Chalmers said.

Accusing Mr Dutton of stoking culture wars, Dr Chalmers claimed the opposition’s strategy was deliberately designed to distract from its lack of policies.

“He thinks if he starts a culture war and divides our community, nobody will notice that we're in the third year of a three-year parliamentary term and he still has no credible or costed economic policies whatsoever,” Dr Chalmers said.

“He hopes that if he starts a culture war, nobody will notice that the shadow treasurer just isn't up to it.”

3:06 pm August 19, 2024 Highlight

Burke accuses Dutton of doing 'favours' for CFMEU's Setka

Jack Quail

Leader of the House, Employment and Workplace Relations and Arts Minister, Tony Burke, during question time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

Labor frontbencher Tony Burke has accused Peter Dutton of offering a helping hand to disgraced former union leader John Setka. Mr Setka quit the CFMEU last month after allegations emerged that its construction division had engaged in criminal conduct, including links to bikie gangs.

In response to the criminal allegations, Labor has attempted to force the CFMEU's construction division into administration. But legislation needed to complete the administration process remains blocked in the Senate.

“Kerry Packer said you only get one Alan Bond in your lifetime, I think John Setka has worked out you only get one Peter Dutton in your lifetime,” Mr Burke told question time.

“They get one leader of the opposition in a lifetime. That is all you get.

After vision emerged of Mr Setka with a new collarbone tattoo that read “GOD FORGIVES THE CFMEU DOESN'T”, Mr Burke said the union leader would soon get body art that read “LOVE PETE” brandished across his knuckles.

“Because no one has done the worst part of [the CFMEU] leadership any favours more than the Leader of the Opposition is doing to them right now,” Mr Burke said.