The embattled CFMEU and its branches, including the Western Australian arm, will be forced into administration and any officials found to have committed offences will receive a lifetime ban under laws the Coalition said it would support.
The embattled Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union and its branches, including the Western Australian arm, will be forced into administration and any officials found to have committed offences will receive a lifetime ban under new legislation the Coalition said it would support.
The laws will introduce a minimum administration period of three years for all the construction union branches.
It could last up to five years and will need to secure recommendation of the administrator to end it. The administrator will also face questions in parliament every six months.
The government had hoped the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 amendments would pass on Thursday last week, but they were held up in the Senate with the opposition saying the proposal was too weak.
The Opposition's industrial relations spokesperson, Michaelia Cash said the Coalition was prepared to support the Bill after Labor provided a letter from the administrator saying no political campaigning or donations would be made during the administration period.
It has been a turbulent few months for the union since allegations surfaced of outlaw motorcycle gang involvement in its branches.
The scandal involved the CFMEU’s east coast divisions, with the CFMEU WA hitting out at critics and accusing them of a ‘witch hunt’ of the WA branch.
In a post to social media, CFMEU WA secretary Mick Buchan slammed the media and conservative politicians for “throwing bricks” at the union and said the union had no tolerance for criminality.
Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA chief executive Chris Rodwell said the decision to place the WA branch into administration alongside other state branches was a commonsense outcome.
“Although the focus has rightly been on the bombshell allegations of corruption and links to organised crime on the east coast, the fact is that problems with the CFMEU don’t stop at the Nullarbor," he said.
“Ensuring the CFMEU is placed into administration nationally will mean WA won’t risk being a safe harbour for corrupt union officials who could simply move interstate.”
Mr Rodwell’s support for the outcome comes after several housing groups warned continued delays to the Bill could have created uncertainty for the industry.
Neither the WA branch of the CFMEU nor its secretary, Mr Buchan, have been accused of wrongdoing.
