Page 1133 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 6 April 2016
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Mr Barr representing? He has given a whole bunch of information to UnionsACT. I think it is reasonable that that information be provided to the Assembly. If it is claimed that that information is commercial in confidence, why on earth was it being provided to the unions? Why would they get access to information that could not be provided to elected members of the Assembly? It can be provided to people who are facing charges but it cannot be provided to Assembly members: if that were to be provided as a defence, it would be outrageous. If he does refuse to provide that information to the Assembly, essentially Mr Barr is freely admitting that the true loyalties of this government lie with the CFMEU and their allies and not with the people of this city.
I have asked the Chief Minister to provide a copy of all correspondence relating to the drafting, enforcement or operation of the MOU between the ACT government and UnionsACT. That information should be freely available. If it is as innocuous as Mr Barr says then all of that information in the correspondence and email traffic can be provided to this Assembly.
Finally, I have said that this MOU should be terminated. I have called on Mr Barr to terminate this MOU. Given the extraordinary nature of this document, the charges that have been laid against CFMEU members, the fact that the CFMEU has been donating so much money to the Labor Party over the years and the fact that this document can be used by the union movement to coerce industry, this document should no longer be in effect in this government.
I have heard Andrew Barr and others insist that this is about worker safety. I debunk that. My colleagues will debunk that. It is not about worker safety; it is anything but. It is insulting, in fact, for it to be cloaked behind worker safety. It is disingenuous, and those opposite know it. To use the safety or deaths of workers in construction or any other industry as a smokescreen to try to cover up this unethical, corrupted power-sharing agreement is contemptible. It is about power. It is about power that has rotted the integrity of this government, and at the heart of that is this corrupt MOU.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Tourism and Events and Minister for Urban Renewal) (10.16): I move the amendment circulated in my name:
Omit all words after “That this Assembly”, substitute:
“(1) notes that:
(a) the ACT Government is committed to ensuring fair wages, sound industrial relations practices and safe working environments for all ACT Government works;
(b) the ACT community rightfully expects the ACT Government to procure the use of labour in an ethical manner, and from contractors who meet industrial relations and workplace safety obligations;
(c) on 28 March 2015, the Chief Minister signed an Agreed Memorandum of Understanding on Procurement of Works and Shared Services by the ACT Government (MOU);
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