The Coalition has announced a plan to crack down on crime within the construction industry.
In a statement, Peter Dutton likened the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) to a “modern-day mafia operation” and claimed the “thuggery” has only worsened under Albanese’s Labor Government.
“The culture of criminality and corruption is so entrenched, and it will never change – especially under the weak and incompetent Albanese Labor Government,” Dutton said.
“Bob Hawke had the courage and conviction to deregister the Builders’ Labourers’ Federation and Anthony Albanese should follow his strong lead and do the same with the CFMEU.”
In response to the CFMEU's behaviour, the Dutton Coalition government has promised to take extra measures against it if elected.
This includes the introduction of new offences that will allow police to target groups engaging in a pattern of criminal behaviour, that has been based on methods used in the U.S. against the mafia.
It will also include an Australian Federal Police (AFP) led taskforce, deregistering the militant construction division of the CFMEU through new legislation, reinstating the Australian Building and Construction Commission with increased powers, increasing penalties for breaches of the Fair Work Act and tightening the fit and proper person test for entry onto worksites.
In response to Dutton’s plan, federal industrial relations minister, Murray Watt said Dutton’s plan would “hand control of the union back to the very criminals we are beginning to remove”.
“Deregistering the union would allow it to operate without ANY regulation, with the worst elements free to run rampant on construction sites again,” he said in a post to X.
“Now the administrator is beginning to clean up the union, and police have established active operations with state police forces and are conducting raids, Peter Dutton wants to recklessly close it all down.”
“We don’t need to import an American racketeering law - we already have our own laws to go after “kingpins”, such as section 390.6 of the Criminal Code, which already deals with directing criminal organisation.”
Meanwhile, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has announced a new task force to investigate crimes within the CFMEU.
Operation Hawk has been running since early August to investigate crime figures, including bikies who have infiltrated big build sites.
The operation was recently expanded after fresh allegations, including assaults against female workers in the construction industry.
“The behaviour is of such concern to police that we have deployed additional detectives to help assess new intelligence and evidence as well as proactively target organised crime associated with the construction industry," a Victoria Police spokesperson said.
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