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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-06-19 Daily Xml
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Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (16:30): I rise today to address a matter of grave concern to the construction industry, small business and the broader South Australian community: the aggressive and overreaching unionism embodied by John Setka and the CFMEU. The CFMEU Victorian State Secretary is synonymous with tactics that defy the principles of fair industrial relations and resemble a gangster's playbook. His approach, marked by intimidation and blatant lawlessness, has no place in our state.

While I note the reporting in The Australian today regarding the federal government's move to allow the CFMEU to demerge, I have no doubt we will see a response to this from John Setka similar to what we have seen in the news over the last few days. When Setka threatened sabotage against the AFL, our PM's strategy was to ask journalists not to question him about Setka, as if silence would solve the problem. Setka's reply? 'Albo should just focus on the polls and running the country, not worry about me and the AFL.'

Setka also responded to the federal industrial relations minister Tony Bourke's description of his tantrums as merely 'odd', suggesting that Bourke should 'sit down and shut up'. No matter what piecemeal response that ultimately comes from the Albanese government, it is clear who is pulling the strings in the Australian Labor Party.

Setka's threats are nothing new. In 2017, he threatened and doxed Australian Building Construction Commission inspectors and he dragged their kids into his menacing schemes. Despite clear warnings, the Malinauskas government has done nothing to curb militant unionism in South Australia. The Premier talks tough against aggressive union tactics, but his actions tell a different story. Instead of debating our state-based Construction Industry Commissioner Bill, this government has rolled out the red carpet for the CFMEU, betraying South Australian workers and businesses who deserve fair and lawful industrial environments to work in.

With the federal body maintaining law and order on construction sites now axed, we need a South Australian building construction industry commissioner. New South Wales has had a successful scheme since 2019 and it is high time South Australia followed suit to protect our industries from the CFMEU's disruptive influence.

Union memberships in Australia have steadily declined from 40 per cent in the early nineties to just 12.5 per cent in 2022, reflecting disillusionment with union tactics and a desire for constructive industrial relations, yet as union membership dwindles, their powers perversely grow.

The recently passed Work Health and Safety (Review Recommendations) Amendment Act enables union representatives to enter workplaces and film workers if they suspect safety breaches, exemplifying the intrusive power handed to unions like the CFMEU. We must not allow South Australia to become a playground for John Setka's brand of unionism. The Premier's rhetoric has been hollow. His actions non-existent. Real leadership requires real action, not just tough talk.

Just this week, the CFMEU members endorsed an above inflation 21 per cent pay rise over four years, complete with absurd conditions like mandatory union flags on all projects. Master Builders SA's Will Frogley warned the state government, saying:

If the state government doesn't act, within weeks John Setka will have won and the Victorian CFMEU will control our industry forever more, with millions of our dollars funnelled into Victoria.

I have previously spoken about these millions of dollars funnelled into Victoria via CFMEU's Incolink redundancy scheme. A year ago, on 13 June 2023 in this place, I questioned the Attorney-General about the South Australian housing construction and building sectors' growing concerns over the CFMEU plans. Setka dismissed this negative reaction from South Australia as 'nuts', claiming SA builders who raise concerns are 'whingeing'. Well, look where we are now.

I call on this government to take a stand for the South Australian construction industry against the CFMEU and their standover tactics, cost blowouts and delays that will come. The Premier and his government must support the opposition's call to establish a South Australian building construction industry commissioner. South Australians deserve better than to have their workplaces turned into battlegrounds for militant unionism.

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