CFMEU Bill To Be Passed Soon As Labor, Coalition Agree On Administration Laws

The Coalition confirmed its support for the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) bill after the Labor government assured a three-year minimum period of administration for the union, opportunity to grill the administrator every six months in parliament and a ban on political spending while under administration.

Shadow Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash, who has been discussing the bill with Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt, confirmed receiving assurances from the federal government about blocking political donations or incurring any election campaign expenditure, while the union was under administration, reported ABC News.

The Senate is expected to pass the bill soon.

"We are now in a position to provide passage," Senator Cash said.

According to the Coalition, the Labor Party has received more than AU$6.2 million as donation from the CFMEU, after it assumed office in May 2022.

The government planned to implement the legislation binding the union after the latter intended to challenge it being placed under administration.

In addition to reigning in the construction union within the legal framework, the legislation will allow the Fair Work Commission to appoint an administrator.

Scandals hit the union after the media exposed its proximity with organized criminal gangs and corruption. After the exposure in July this year, Labor national executive and state branches suspended ties and banned donations with the union.

The government Opposition leader Peter Dutton argued that Labor was going soft on the union, SBS News reported. "We're having this debate because the government is running against common sense and logic in the views of the majority of Australians," he told the parliament.

Initially, the government proposed to extend the administrator's term from three to five years, but Liberals stressed on fixing a three-year term.

Senator Watt also stated that CFMEU will not campaign for Labor in the next polls. "And I can bet you, bottom dollar they're not going to be campaigning for us next time," he said.

Building groups have been pushing the government and the opposition to pass the law sooner as the delay was affecting the construction sites.

The Greens, however, opposed the bill, calling it an attack on the rule of law.

"Civil liberties groups have rightly said this bill is a threat to freedom of association and the rights of all unions and membership based organizations," Greens leader Adam Bandt stated.