Page 3384 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 22 August 2018
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Ms Stephen-Smith: Point of order, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Point of order.
Ms Stephen-Smith: I understand that cartel behaviour is an offence, and the Leader of the Opposition appears to be accusing both the union and the Labor Party of committing an offence.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Coe, I ask that you withdraw.
MR COE: Happy to withdraw.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you. You have 35 seconds left.
MR COE: Those opposite have a gross conflict of interest. It is a conflict of interest with regard to money, with regard to power, and with regard to the organisations they belong to. That is why Mr Wall’s motion is so important. That is why I believe the Assembly should agree to the fact that all affiliations with the CFMMEU should be suspended.
MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development, Minister for Housing and Suburban Development, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Women and Minister for Sport and Recreation) (10.31): I was not going to speak today but I thought I would give it a crack because I find it quite remarkable—unsurprising, of course—that this motion has been brought today by Mr Wall. For anybody who is listening, it is a bit Captain Obvious: we all know how much Mr Wall hates unions, and this motion reaffirms that. Some would say it is an unhealthy hatred with a fair amount of venom directed towards unions in this town and the workers they represent.
It is not surprising, and it has been good to hear Mr Rattenbury and Ms Stephen-Smith talk about unions and the work they do representing people in this town. The allegations that have been made by the Liberals about the behaviour of unions in representing their members is quite remarkable as well. Mr Wall would not ever blink an eye at representing employers who might be doing the wrong thing in this town. Those employers who do the wrong thing and, if left unchecked, take advantage of vulnerable workers in this town.
In April last year Mr Wall was asking questions in here of me representing a particular contract cleaning company. He asked the question:
Minster, can you assure the Assembly that Rose Cleaning Service and Phillips Cleaning Service will continue to be paid directly for work undertaken to date for the cleaning of ACT government schools?
My response was:
If the two contractors are providing work and are operating within the law, of course they will be paid.
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