CFMEU

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (14:52): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier endorse the member for King attending CFMEU events? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TEAGUE:TheAdvertiser newspaper reported on 2 August that, and I quote:

Just before Premier Peter Malinauskas asked for a police investigation into the rogue construction union, Labor MPs were praised at a CFMEU [event].

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:52): I thank the—what's your job now? The shadow—I can't remember. It's hard to—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: In general, that's right. I thank the member for Heysen for his question. The member for King, along with every member of the parliamentary Labor Party, firmly believes that working people in all their forms deserve professional, thoughtful representation. That's why we have an unapologetic position of supporting industrial organisations that are committed to professional representation and the workers who seek to benefit from that. The member for King, from memory, attended an event that was supporting women in the construction industry, and that's very important because we want to see more women participating in construction trades.

The member for Heysen would be well aware that there is a big infrastructure program happening around our state driven by state government investment. There is also a big private sector explosion in construction activity, which is one of the reasons why we are the number one performing economy in the country according to the Commonwealth Bank.

The trouble and the challenge that we have in the construction industry in South Australia is that we don't have enough labour to be able to meet all the demand. It is entirely rational that we seek to engage more female participation within the construction sector, because it is a good job and it is a well-paid job, and they may help contribute to the realisation of all that growth in construction activity around the state, whether it be in residential, commercial or civil construction that the government is investing in. That is the context and the reason for the member for King's attendance at that event. I welcome her advocacy in that regard; long may it continue.