Labor to reject union money
The Australian Labor Party's national executive is reassessing its relationship with the troubled construction division of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU).
A meeting has been called in response to mounting pressure following allegations of underworld infiltration within the union.
The CFMEU has recently been embroiled in controversy after allegations surfaced, reported by Nine newspapers, that its construction division had been compromised by criminal elements.
The Australia Council of Trade Unions has taken decisive action by suspending the construction and general division of the CFMEU, urging its leaders to support the appointment of an independent administrator.
Three Labor premiers have called for a halt to donations and affiliations with the CFMEU's construction division.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, NSW Premier Chris Minns, and Queensland Premier Steven Miles have all taken steps to distance their state parties from the union amid the ongoing investigations.
Victorian Premier Allan announced that her party would cease accepting donations from the CFMEU's construction division and plans to introduce stricter anti-bikie laws.
Queensland Premier Miles echoed this sentiment, confirming a suspension of both meetings and donations from the CFMEU during the investigation period.
Similarly, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has declared that ACT Labor will reject donations from any branch of the CFMEU.
Federal Labor is also feeling the heat.
Cabinet minister and former union leader Bill Shorten has publicly stated his expectation that the ALP will discontinue accepting donations from the CFMEU.
“We're not taking any CFMEU money anymore. The evidence has come out. It's there. We're putting a stop on it,” Shorten said.
“I fully expect the national executive to make sure that there is no more donations received from the CFMEU until their house is cleaned.”
Despite these developments, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not committed to an immediate ban, indicating that the decision lies with the party's national executive.
Albanese, who is also a member of the national executive alongside CFMEU national boss Zach Smith, has expressed his shock and outrage at the allegations, asserting that the conduct was not widely known among the party's leadership.
Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has confirmed the government's support for a Fair Work Commission bid to appoint an administrator to the construction division in Victoria and New South Wales.
He stated that if the Federal Court bid fails, the government will pursue new legislation to ensure the appointment.