Page 4899 - Week 13 - Thursday, 2 November 2017
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leaders”. We are seeing that play out through the corruption of particularly the CFMEU. What did Mr Stanhope say about that? He said:
The ALP—
as in this mob opposite—
will insist that it was ‘them’—
as in the unions—
that were at fault, not ‘us’, when in fact they are in reality ‘us’.
You only need to listen to the maiden speeches of most of those members opposite to see whom they are beholden to. Mr Stanhope has gone further. He said that the first investigation of our new corruption commission should be into the ALP and its links with the CFMEU. This is Jon Stanhope saying this. This is not Alistair Coe saying it; it is Jon Stanhope who said:
The CFMEU is not just affiliated with the ACT branch of the Labor Party, it is the most powerful and influential organ of the party.
I would imagine that at least half, if not more, of the Labor members of the ACT Legislative Assembly owe their preselection to the CFMEU.
I think it inevitable that the Assembly select committee into the establishment of an independent integrity commission will recommend such a commission be established. If so, I can see, particularly in light of the position adopted by the government in relation to Clubs ACT, that the first inquiry—
I repeat: the first enquiry—
it undertakes will be into the relationship between the ACT government and the Labor Party and CFMEU group of clubs.
That is what Mr Jon Stanhope, the longest serving Labor Chief Minister of the ACT, said.
It is not just through the pokies and the land deals that they are making money. It is not only Mr Wall raising concerns but also industry groups. The Master Builders Association have stated that they are deeply concerned about the integrity of the ACT government’s tendering processes. They have gone further and described the government’s set up of an MOU as looking to legislate for “a three-way process that involves a union tip off and pay off”. That is from a respected industry group. They go further:
Their huge wealth—
again, I hear scoffing from across the chamber—
and power has been built on forcing Canberra’s construction industry into the woefully anti-competitive pattern agreements that delivered $1.2 million in direct profits to the CFMEU ACT …
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