Question regarding awareness of corruption allegations within the CFMEU and the government's response, criticising the Labor Party's stance on the building construction industry task force.

AnsweredQoN 381Legislative Assembly
Asked
23 November 2000
Portfolio
Labour Relations

QuestionView source ↗

Is the minister aware of an article in The Australian Financial Review, dated 22 November 2000 and titled “CFMEU promises clean-up” and is the minister aware of the allegations of corruption within the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union to which the article refers? Mrs EDWARDES

AnswerView source ↗

I am aware of the article and read it with great interest. The article suggested that at a recent meeting the national executive of the CFMEU resolved to root out any officials and job delegates implicated in graft or corruption, to deny union sanctioned enterprise agreements to companies that use enforcers to perform standover tactics - where legally possible - and to establish an anti-corruption committee. It is amazing that the union must do this, but at least it is taking steps to root out corruption and the problems that it has identified within union ranks. It is the Labor Party’s attitude that the Government must worry about. The Labor Party has said, in its labour relations direction statement, that it will get rid of the building construction industry task force. That indicates that the Labor Party supports the types of practices that the national executive of the CFMEU has identified as those it wants to get rid of. By getting rid of the task force, the Opposition is saying that it supports that type of activity. The Labor Party should reflect on its commitment to the union movement in Western Australia. Members have heard of the 60-40 rule. Carmen Lawrence, in a recent address to the Sydney Institute, said that that rule was an unreasonable level of influence over the pre-selection process. The Labor Party must rethink its move to abolish the task force.
Mrs EDWARDES replied: I am aware of the article and read it with great interest. The article suggested that at a recent meeting the national executive of the CFMEU resolved to root out any officials and job delegates implicated in graft or corruption, to deny union sanctioned enterprise agreements to companies that use enforcers to perform standover tactics - where legally possible - and to establish an anti-corruption committee. It is amazing that the union must do this, but at least it is taking steps to root out corruption and the problems that it has identified within union ranks. It is the Labor Party’s attitude that the Government must worry about. The Labor Party has said, in its labour relations direction statement, that it will get rid of the building construction industry task force. That indicates that the Labor Party supports the types of practices that the national executive of the CFMEU has identified as those it wants to get rid of. By getting rid of the task force, the Opposition is saying that it supports that type of activity. The Labor Party should reflect on its commitment to the union movement in Western Australia. Members have heard of the 60-40 rule. Carmen Lawrence, in a recent address to the Sydney Institute, said that that rule was an unreasonable level of influence over the pre-selection process. The Labor Party must rethink its move to abolish the task force.
I am aware of the article and read it with great interest. The article suggested that at a recent meeting the national executive of the CFMEU resolved to root out any officials and job delegates implicated in graft or corruption, to deny union sanctioned enterprise agreements to companies that use enforcers to perform standover tactics - where legally possible - and to establish an anti-corruption committee. It is amazing that the union must do this, but at least it is taking steps to root out corruption and the problems that it has identified within union ranks. It is the Labor Party’s attitude that the Government must worry about. The Labor Party has said, in its labour relations direction statement, that it will get rid of the building construction industry task force. That indicates that the Labor Party supports the types of practices that the national executive of the CFMEU has identified as those it wants to get rid of. By getting rid of the task force, the Opposition is saying that it supports that type of activity. The Labor Party should reflect on its commitment to the union movement in Western Australia. Members have heard of the 60-40 rule. Carmen Lawrence, in a recent address to the Sydney Institute, said that that rule was an unreasonable level of influence over the pre-selection process. The Labor Party must rethink its move to abolish the task force.

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