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Deregistering CFMEU would be ‘counterproductive’, says ACTU secretary
By Angus Thompson
While Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke considers deregistration of the CFMEU’s Victorian branch, McManus warned deregistering the union could be counterproductive.
McManus said there would be criminality in the building industry regardless.
ACTU secretary Sally McManusCredit: Alex Ellinghausen
“We need a strong union in the building industry and a strong union that will stand up against this,” she told a press conference.
“The idea of deregistration, I believe, would run counter to an outcome that would deliver a union that’s in the construction industry that’s functioning well, and that stands up to criminal elements,” McManus continued
“I would say that we all need to be focused on having a union that is well functioning, that keeps people safe. It looks after their wages and conditions.”
McManus calls on CFMEU to stand down leaders subject to criminal probes
By Angus Thompson
ACTU head Sally McManus has called on the CFMEU’s national leadership to stand down all union officials who are subject to criminal allegations.
If the ACTU’s call were to be heeded, it would mean CFMEU NSW secretary Darren Greenfield, who is facing bribery charges, would be made to step aside.
CFMEU NSW secretary Darren Greenfield.Credit: Kate Geraghty
“The ACTU calls on the national leadership at the CFMEU to stand down those subject to criminal allegations whilst investigations occur, including relevant police investigations,” McManus told a press conference this morning.
“We also call on the CFMEU, to take all necessary steps to rid the union of any and all criminal elements.”
McManus said the ACTU executive would meet later this week to consider the CFMEU’s response to the union peak body’s calls.
‘I stand by Derek’: CFMEU boss backs Setka’s replacement despite police probe
By Madeleine Heffernan
CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith says he stands by Derek Christopher, the Victorian CFMEU boss positioned to replace John Setka.
Smith also said the union’s decision to put its Victorian branch into administration was not an admission of criminality and defended the integrity of the union’s planned investigation into the troubled branch.
Derek Christopher.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
“I’ve read the allegations, like your listeners have. I watched last night’s [60 Minutes] segment. They are allegations,” Smith told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Monday morning.
“People are entitled to procedural fairness. A proper process will be conducted, a process independent and robust enough to deal with all these allegations. But I can’t, and I won’t, just hang people on mere media speculation alone.”
Setka resigned on Friday ahead of the publication of a months-long investigation by The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, AFR and 60 Minutes, which uncovered unprecedented details of senior bikie figures and criminals being parachuted into lucrative union roles.
The reporting revealed that Christopher, the Victorian CFMEU boss positioned to replace Setka as leader of the union’s most powerful branch, received an estimated $200,000 in free labour and supplies from major building companies and remains the subject of an ongoing police corruption probe.
Smith said the allegations against Christopher were first made six years ago and no charges had been brought against him or anybody else. He said the union conducted its own investigation and found no wrongdoing.
“The union and Derek have fully co-operated with any requests from police, and information that was in possession of the union was turned over to police. They, too, haven’t initiated any charges against Derek,” he said.
“I stand by Derek. And I stand by the process and the integrity of ... that outcome.”
Watch: Trade unions boss Sally McManus addresses the media
Wine industry abuzz as bottles flow into China
By Kat Wong
Australia’s wine sector is thriving as millions of litres of alcohol flow into China.
After four years of heavy tariffs, Beijing lifted trade sanctions on Australian wine at the end of March, in a sign of thawing tensions between the two nations.
As a result, 9.8 million litres of bottled wine – valued at $142.2 million – was exported to China in May.
Agriculture Minister Murray WattCredit: Rhett Wyman
This was the fourth-highest monthly figure for bottled wine exports to China since 2019 and is almost $50 million higher than the average monthly export value before the pandemic.
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt is celebrating the recovery, saying it will bring joy to both winemakers and consumers.
“We know the past few years have been incredibly tough for Australia’s wine sector, so to see these figures come through is just fantastic news for the whole industry,” Watt said.
“This demonstrates the importance of the Albanese government’s work to stabilise our relationship with China. That work is now delivering real dividends to Australian farmers and the whole industry.”
Tariffs on a raft of Australian items were imposed at the height of diplomatic tensions in 2020 and made it unviable for producers to export goods to China.
Australian wine exports to China were worth $1.1 billion in 2019.
In the two months since trade has resumed, the value of wine exports to China has reached $228 million.
AAP
Allegations serious, demand unprecedented response: CFMEU boss
By Madeleine Heffernan
The Victorian branch of the CFMEU has been placed into administration, following days of explosive reports by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes alleging criminal activity by parts of the union.
CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith said on Monday the national office would assume all senior executive powers and an independent process would be established to investigate “credible allegations of wrongdoing”.
“The CFMEU has zero tolerance for criminality and anyone found to have engaged in criminal conduct while representing the CFMEU will be identified and removed,” Smith said.
“The CFMEU has one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to defend and advance the safety and conditions of workers. The Victorian branch has been hugely successful in pursuing this purpose, but the national executive also recognises that a number of recent allegations are serious and demand an unprecedented response.”
Smith said the national office would be “uncompromising in cleaning up whatever wrongdoing we find because we know that blue-collar workers depend on our union being strong and effective”.
Victorian branch of CFMEU placed into administration
By Josefine Ganko
ABC Radio Melbourne has just reported that the Victorian branch of the CFMEU has been placed into administration.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was being interviewed by Raf Epstein when the news broke. The PM responded live on air.
“That’s a good thing. That’s a good next step, but we need further action, and we need to make sure that that results in an isolation, and both action in terms of the law, but also action within the union,” Albanese said.
“This is an indictment of the labour movement. I know that over a period of time, the fact that unions within the CFMEU have broken away from them shows the isolation.
“I know the ACTU leadership, as well, will be shocked and horrified.”
Brittany Higgins announces pregnancy
By Josefine Ganko and Jesinta Burton
Former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins has announced she is expecting her first child with husband David Sharaz.
In a post to Instagram, Higgins and Sharaz wrote: “Can’t wait to meet you! Beyond excited to welcome a new member to our little family. Your parents are already obsessed with you and you aren’t even here yet.”
Higgins and Sharaz were married on the Gold Coast in June this year. They live in France.
In 2021, Higgins alleged she was raped by fellow staffer Bruce Lehrmann in the office of then minister Linda Reynolds in Parliament House. A defamation case brought by Lehrmann found that Higgins was raped, on the civil standard of a balance of probabilities.
Lehrmann has maintained his innocence.
Another legal case around the alleged assault, a defamation action launched by Reynolds against Higgins, has been listed for a six-week trial beginning on July 24 in Western Australia.
Reynolds has been pursuing Higgins and Sharaz for damages and aggravated damages for more than a year over several social media posts she claimed were defamatory of her.
Treasurer spruiks surplus as tax cuts take effect
By Josefine Ganko
Treasurer Jim Chalmers did the media rounds this morning to promote the government’s stage 3 tax cuts, with the relief coming into force for more Australians from today.
Chalmers also discussed the surplus forecast on Nine’s Today, confirming it is “coming in a bit bigger” than expected.
“This could be the biggest back-to-back surpluses on record. We expect a surplus in the middle teens of billions. It’s not actually because of more tax, it’s about less spending.”
“It’s really important in the fight against inflation, that we are managing the economy in the most responsible way, delivering those surpluses and providing cost-of-living help,” Chalmers said.
Chalmers then promoted the stage 3 tax cuts, which will be evident in the pay cheques of more Australians from today.
“Something like 750,000 people will get a tax cut today, about 9 million have already got theirs already, two million more in the next fortnight or so. And that’s just one of the ways that we’re helping people with these cost of living pressures.”
Coalition calls on Labor to stop accepting CFMEU donations
By Josefine Ganko
Coalition leaders have continued their calls for Labor to cease accepting donations from the CFMEU after an investigation by this masthead, the Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes alleged criminal activity by parts of the union.
The CFMEU donated nearly $2 million to the Labor Party before the 2022 election.
Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor told Nine’s Today that “Labor’s got to get serious about this”.
[Labor’s] been taking donations from the CFMEU for many years, and the behaviour we’ve seen on these construction sites is completely unacceptable.
Labor has joined at the hip with the CFMEU, got rid of the [Australian Building and Construction Commission], and last time I was on this program we were just talking about the intimidation and threatening behaviour towards the head umpire of the AFL, by the CFMEU.
So Labor’s got to get serious about this. Stop taking their donations, deregister and re-establish the ABCC [Australian Building and Construction Commission]. That is the right thing to do.”
Treasurer Jim Chalmers appeared on Today later in the morning and was asked about suggestions Labor should stop accepting CFMEU donations:
I think as [Industrial Relations Minister] Tony [Burke] made clear yesterday, and as I make clear again today, there are good reasons why ministers don’t get involved in those sorts of decisions, which are taken by party organisations.
Our focus is on dealing with and addressing the issues that were raised in those stories over the weekend.
I think if you take a step back for a moment,overwhelmingly the trade union movement is a force for good in our society and in our economy and union leaders in my experience, are overwhelmingly good and decent people who want to get good outcomes for their members.
And I don’t think you could say either of those things about the CFMEU under John Setka. And so we will take whatever steps are necessary to clean it up.”
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2024-07-15 00:12:06Z
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