Page 2349 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 5 August 2015
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published by Fairfax media. This is quite apart from the disputed $140,000 Australia Post debt. We have also seen a separate $20,000 Australia Post bill for the former Canberra Liberal leader, Mr Seselja, charged twice, both to Mr Seselja’s former Legislative Assembly account and to the office of former senator Gary Humphries. In late 2013 the Canberra Liberals were fined $16,500 for breaching the electoral disclosure laws by failing to report almost $40,000 that it received in gifts and donations. When it comes to political donations, the Canberra Liberals are not best placed to lecture us. Donations made to ACT Labor, including those from the CFMEU, are transparent and will remain that way.
It is to the CFMEU’s great credit that it has succeeded in working so hard to improve workplace health and safety practices on construction sites, and reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on worksites across the ACT. As minister for industrial relations and workplace safety, I will continue to defend the rights of the CFMEU and all trade unions in playing an active role in the protection of their members by promoting workplace health and safety and challenging unhealthy and unsafe workplace practices.
MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Minister for Housing, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Community Services, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Women and Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Social Inclusion and Equality) (4.05): I want to make a couple of comments about the CFMEU and some of the work the CFMEU has done in the ACT community. When Wayne Vickery was killed on a work site in west Macgregor, at the doorstep of his family home at the time when the police turned up to inform the family that Wayne had passed away, who was there? The CFMEU. When Kay Catanzariti’s son was killed during a concrete pour in Kingston, who was there? The CFMEU. When Jayson Bush fell into a void when the Nishi building was being constructed suffering lifelong injuries, who was there and who continues to be there for him and his family? The CFMEU.
The CFMEU has provided support for a number of different organisations across the ACT. In the last couple of years they have supported the Bosom Buddies organisation, which supports women who have experienced breast cancer. They organised a fundraiser at a cricket game in Manuka, and who was there? Brendan Smyth was there supporting the CFMEU. I note he is not here in the Assembly for this debate. Perhaps he is the only person in the Canberra Liberals that does support the CFMEU.
In many organisations there are bad eggs—even in the Liberal Party and even in some businesses. It is the actions of some of these individuals that can sometimes taint the good work of organisations in carrying out their lawful activities. Union organising is not a crime. Protecting workers rights is not a crime. Ensuring workers get home safely from their work sites is not a crime. I will be the first to condemn anybody who acts criminally or breaks the law, but I will always stand with the rights of workers and their unions to organise to protect their rights at work.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (4.07): Today we see a prime example of
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