Adam Bandt has ducked questions about donations the Greens have received from the CFMEU while indicating the party would not back federal legislation forcing the union into administration.
A series of revelations about the CFMEU’s ties to organised crime have prompted a federal move to stamp out corruption within the union. However, the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union has so far stopped the government from naming an administrator and has challenged the move in court, prompting Workplace Minister Murray Watt to introduce a bill on Monday to force the union into administration.
Greens leader Adam Bandt.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The push for legislation has been prompted by the Building Bad investigation by this masthead, The Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes. It revealed the CFMEU had been infiltrated by bikies and organised crime, and triggered the resignation of former CFMEU Victoria division leader John Setka.
Under the proposed law, Watt will be able to decide if it is in the public interest to appoint an administrator to take charge of all branches of the CFMEU. The legislation would include obligations for officers, employees and professional advisers at the union to co-operate with any administrator, who could be appointed for up to three years.
Bandt stopped short of supporting Labor’s plan to force an independent administrator on the union in an interview with ABC Radio National on Monday.
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“We note that there are several court proceedings on foot and our usual approach is to say, well, those court proceedings should play themselves out,” he said.
Labor’s federal executive has banned donations from the Victorian branch of the CFMEU, however Bandt would not say if the Greens would do the same and said his party has not received a donation from the union since 2013.
“Donations are a matter for the party … it’s about a decade ago that one branch received donations, over a decade ago, so this isn’t about donations from us,” he said.
