Page 3383 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 22 August 2018
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The charges are being prosecuted by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP).
The first mention of the charges before the ACT Magistrates Court is scheduled for 27 September 2018.
The Competition and Consumer Act requires any trial of such offences to proceed by way of indictment in the Federal Court of Australia or a state or territory Supreme Court.
The ACCC is unable to comment further as this is a criminal matter now before the Court.
It goes on:
Reporting conduct of concern in the construction industry
The ACCC has recently set up an anonymous reporting portal where members of the public can report and communicate anonymously with an ACCC investigator about anticompetitive practices in the construction sector. The portal can be accessed at www.accc.gov.au/CCUreports
I reiterate the words of the ACCC and call upon Canberrans who want to anonymously report to the ACCC and contribute to any ongoing or potential investigation to visit that website: accc.gov.au/CCUreports. I do not know how extensive the alleged cartel behaviour could be. But one way or another the sheer fact that it is before the courts right now and the sheer fact that charges have been laid suggest to me that there are some very serious things taking place in the ACT. And I, for one, and I am sure many other people in Canberra, will be keeping a close eye on the courts on 27 September.
Mr Pettersson: Why were the other charges dropped?
MR COE: It is interesting we should get interjections from Mr Pettersson. I note that Mr Pettersson and Ms Cody were frantically nodding their heads as Shane Rattenbury, their partner in crime, was there giving a vigorous defence of the CFMMEU. It is interesting I should use the words “partner in crime”, because that is, of course, a special term saved for Minister Stephen-Smith, the partner in crime herself.
It is really quite extraordinary that you would have this bullying organisation put out a flyer to tens of thousands of households calling a Labor minister a “partner in crime”. But the amazing thing is that she is called a partner in crime and does not even defend herself. She does not even go public and say that it is outrageous. She does not come into this place and claim to be misrepresented. She does not come into this place and say it is all a sham. Quite the opposite; she simply cops it on the chin, seemingly apologises, and then puts forward proposed legislation to appease her accusers.
It is outrageous, and it shows just how strong the cartel behaviour is between the Australian Labor Party and the leaders of the CFMMEU. It is absolutely outrageous.
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