ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr announced last night that ACT Labor would not accept any donations from any branch of the CFMEU (Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union).
He has not, however, suspended the party’s affiliation with the CFMEU, to which many of his MLAs have strong ties.
Labor premiers in Victoria, NSW, Queensland, and South Australia had committed to suspend their parties’ affiliations with the CFMEU, and not to accept donations, while police investigate allegations of corrupt behaviour, criminal infiltration, and links with bikie gangs, following revelations in Victoria.
Canberra Liberals leader Elizabeth Lee had called yesterday on Mr Barr to do likewise, to assure the public of the integrity of their government.
Mr Barr has stated that ACT Labor has received no donations from the Victorian branch of the CFMEU, and that the allegations do not include the ACT branch of the CFMEU.
Yesterday evening, Mr Barr said:
“ACT Labor condemns, in the strongest terms, the criminal activities alleged to have been undertaken by some members of the Construction and General Division, Victoria-Tasmania-South Australia and NSW Branches of the CFMEU.
“We support the Federal Government’s decision to have an independent administrator appointed to manage certain branches of the Construction and General Division of the CFMEU. We note that the Federal Government have indicated that the Fair Work Commission will determine where the administration actions apply.
“The allegations aired over recent days, which resulted in the Federal Government application to appoint an independent administrator, have not included the ACT Division of the CFMEU.”
Workplace relations minister Tony Burke has asked the Australian Federal Police to investigate the CFMEU for corruption, and will appoint an independent administrator.
“However,” Mr Barr continued, “if there are any serious concerns raised by the Fair Work Commission that impact the ACT Division, action will be taken against the ACT Division consistent with action taken against other branches of the union.
“As the implementation of the independent administrator takes place and the future of the union remains unclear, ACT Labor will not accept donations from any branch of the CFMEU, including the ACT branch.”
Canberra Liberals: Who is running the government – Mr Barr or the unions?
However, today, Ms Lee said that Mr Barr’s “failure to suspend affiliation with the CFMEU should ring alarm bells for Canberrans”. She called on the Chief Minister “to front up and answer questions that still remain”.
“Andrew Barr has gone missing this week,” Ms Lee said. “He has not fronted the public to answer questions on these serious issues; and he has failed to confirm if he will suspend affiliation with the CFMEU.
“After his weak response to the serious revelations about the CFMEU, Andrew Barr has now been shamed into confirming he will no longer be taking donations from the union.
“This only came after the Federal Government’s decision to intervene yesterday to appoint an independent administrator. Whilst other state leaders around the country took immediate action, Andrew Barr sat on his hands and went into hiding.
“There are a number of questions that remain for Andrew Barr including whether unions including the CFMEU are still attending the ACT Labor conference; whether they will still be putting forward their motions seeking unprecedented power over ACT government procurements and senior public service appointments?
“Canberrans also have every right to know how Andrew Barr and his Labor cabinet ministers will vote on these motions.”
Deputy chief minister / education minister Yvette Berry was a union organiser for 15 years with trade union United Voice (now part of the United Workers Union), and her election campaign was backed by the CFMEU, the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), and the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU).
The Integrity Commission last year heard claims that Ms Berry’s office exerted pressure to award a tender for the Campbell Primary School modernisation project to a company favoured by the CFMEU, rather than to the preferred tender, which was on bad terms with the union. Ms Berry has denied the allegations.
Health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith was a member of the CPSU and the Australian Manufacturers Workers’ Union, and the CFMEU, United Voice, and the TWU backed her campaign.
Police minister Mick Gentleman worked for the Transport Workers Union.
Likewise, backbenchers Michael Pettersson and Suzanne Orr also have CFMEU connections. Mr Pettersson was a former Industrial Officer of the CFMEU; Ms Lee is concerned by his statement to the effect that the union and the party were one. In 2017, Mr Pettersson said: “The codified links between the Labor Party and the trade union movement go back over a century. Trade unions are not external to the Labor Party. They are an intrinsic part of it. Our support for working people and their right to collectively organise are the key foundations of our party.” Ms Orr was a workplace delegate, and the CPSU, the TWU, the CFMEU, and United Voice backed her campaign.
Ms Berry, Ms Stephen-Smith and Mr Pettersson took part in a CFMEU rally against their own government in 2022, while Mr Pettersson also supported a strike that year.
“The lack of leadership from Andrew Barr this week regarding the outrageous revelations about the CFMEU and its push for even more power in the ACT should ring alarm bells for all Canberrans,” Ms Lee said.
“Andrew Barr must come clean, front up, and explain to the community who is actually running his government – him or the unions.”
