Page 140 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 February 2016
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Late last year, there was yet another example of unions having significant influence over the ALP. In pre-selection, the ACT’s longest serving minister was relegated to fifth on the ticket because the left faction of the Labor Party was controlled wholly and solely by the unions. This turn of events was enough to see the second-most senior Labor member of the Assembly, the deputy leader of the government, the Deputy Chief Minister, pull the pin, because he knew he would not be pre-selected.
Since Mr Barr has been in charge, one by one ministers around him have seen their political careers ended. It can be argued that this is all as a result of union influence. Despite the utter incompetence of Ms Burch as a minister, the final nail in her political coffin was her office’s involvement in backgrounding union officials about police business.
It is also a well-known fact that the CFMEU have provided, and will continue to provide, substantial financial largesse to try to throw up the electoral prospects of Labor and Green members in this place. The royal commission evidence and subsequent criminal activity that has been uncovered should surely be enough for the ACT Labor and Greens government to distance itself from the unions.
A hint of the devastating effect corrupt union influence could have on a government is slowly seeping out. This influence has already effectively claimed the scalp of two ministers. The question remains: what more will we see before the year is out? Left faction or right faction, it does not really matter in the ACT Labor Party if the union movement is all-prevailing.
I have spoken before in this place about the courage shown by local businesses that have put much on the line to give evidence at the royal commission. These businesses should be applauded for doing so. They risked their livelihoods and their reputations in doing so. These risks are real because a culture of fear has been cultivated and allowed to take hold in the ACT construction sector, a culture of fear perpetrated by standover men, a culture being perpetrated by price fixing and by threats being made to businesses that they will not work in the ACT unless they toe the union line.
I believe the motion before us today reflects wider community expectations when it calls on the government to cease its involvement with the CFMEU, to stop taking its money and to stop letting the union movement decide how the territory’s elected officials should run government. Such a standard would reflect on the government’s commitment to be honest to the worker, to be honest to businesses and to overall fairness, honesty and integrity. I commend my motion to the Assembly.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Racing and Gaming and Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations) (12.22): I thank Mr Wall for bringing this motion today. Andrew Wall and his opposition will look for any opportunity to further their right wing agenda. They will use any opportunity to attack the union movement and its workers, whether it is to support the reduction of penalty rates or oppose the introduction of a portable long service leave provision, amongst many others. This motion is no different—just another mud-slinging exercise. The government will not be supporting it.
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