The CFMEU is set to be placed into administration following an agreement between the Coalition and the federal government on new legislation targeting the controversial construction union. The Coalition has pledged to support the bill, which will enforce a three-year administration period for the CFMEU.
Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash announced that the Coalition would facilitate the passage of the bill. In addition to placing the CFMEU under administration, the legislation will prohibit the union from making political donations and require the administrator to report to Parliament biannually.
Cash described the move as “the strongest action taken by any government against a union or employer in our nation’s history,” criticizing the initial bill as overly lenient and attributing its original draft to John Setka. However, she noted that the Coalition’s amendments had improved the bill, positioning it as just the beginning of a broader effort. The Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton, has introduced additional bills to restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission and enact the Ensuring Integrity Bill, aiming to hold rogue union members accountable.
The building industry has welcomed the development, anticipating that it will lead to faster and more cost-effective construction projects. Nicholas Proud of the Civil Contractors Federation expressed optimism that the changes would increase confidence in the industry’s efficiency.
The legislation will need to pass the Senate and be approved by the government-controlled House of Representatives. This decision follows recent reports that over 20 CFMEU members have been suspended due to allegations of criminal infiltration within the union.
