Page 3191 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 23 August 2017
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(f) the multiple funding arms of the CFMEU that have been uncovered as a result of the Royal Commission;
(g) the number of special land deals struck between the ACT Government and CFMEU affiliated entities; and
(h) the ACT Government’s plans to enshrine the MOU between UnionsACT and the ACT government in legislation; and
(2) calls on the ACT Government to:
(a) cease any plans to legislate for any function relating to the procurement of goods and services that is currently performed by the MOU between UnionsACT and the ACT Government; and
(b) assure the community that all members of the ACT Labor/Greens Government are acting free from undue external influence in accordance with the Ministerial Code of Conduct and/or Members Code of Conduct.
I bring this motion to the Assembly today to once again highlight the relationship between the ACT Labor Party, the members of the ACT Labor government and the union movement in this town, a relationship that will always have the potential to create undue influence over the decision-making process of the current Labor-Greens coalition government. It is more than fair to say that the commitment that the two organisations have to each other is unwavering.
I have spoken on the issue of union influence, raised questions over union corruption and highlighted the influence the union movement has over this government on a number of occasions in this place. In fact, to some, I may sound like a broken record. However, I maintain that many Canberra business owners, workers and, most importantly, the taxpayers of the ACT continue to be concerned about this issue. The issue of the connection between the union movement and the ACT government is significant and, what is more, does not pass the pub test.
The most significant impact to the general public comes via the memorandum of understanding between UnionsACT and the ACT government on the procurement of goods and services. What this MOU does is effectively hand over decision-making power, should they choose to exercise it, to the union movement within the territory.
Senator Michaelia Cash, the federal employment minister, hit the nail on the head when she stated this back in 2016, when the MOU first saw the light of day:
I have to say in the ACT, it appears has now four levels of government. You have the legislature, the executive, the judiciary and then of course there are the unions. Labor want to put the unions at the very top of the structure. There is no doubt that, based on this document, the ACT government runs a closed shop. In the ACT, it is determined by the unions and at a cost to the taxpayer.
When the deal was uncovered in 2016, there were many in this town who cried foul.
The Property Council raised concerns over the MOU and said:
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