Mr SHORTEN (Maribyrnong—Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation and Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) (15:01): I have been asked a question about some comments in the media. What I have done to ensure that unions and employer organisations are complying with the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act is: I was proud to sponsor the strongest laws that have ever been passed in the history of the Commonwealth. Let me just remind the House. Those opposite need to be reminded because they voted against what I am about to say. Of course they do not want to say that they voted against it, but the record reflects that. What I have done to approve accountability of registered organisations is, first of all, in the legislation passed on 29 June this year, improved the Fair Work Australia investigation process. We have increased the civil penalties. We have required that registered organisations disclose remuneration and board fees paid to officials. We have required that officials disclose material personal interests. We have required that officials of registered organisations undertake training in financial management. Ms Julie Bishop: Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question was: what steps has he taken to ensure Paul Howes complies with the request to waive legal professional privilege? What steps has the minister taken? He should— The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms AE Burke ): The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. Mr Melham: Completely improper! The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Banks is being improper as well. Mr Albanese: Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. With every single question asked by those opposite, they stand and raise a point of order—seeking to repeat the question, to change the question or to add to the question. It is quite disorderly and it is done as a conscious strategy by those opposite to break up question time. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Leader of the House will resume his seat. Mr Pyne: Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will not enter into a long debate. The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. We have now introduced a very stringent time for question time, and continual points of order eat into that. I believe the Deputy Leader of the Opposition's question warrants an answer. Mr SHORTEN: Those opposite are more predictable than the outcome of a race between Black Caviar and Mr Ed. All they ever want to do is attack trade unions. Those opposite are notorious union baiters. Why do they hate unions? Because they hate anyone who stands up for workers. They have never voted to improve the standard of registered organisations. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The minister will return to the question before the chair. Mr SHORTEN: I have been asked about registered organisations and what I have done to make sure that good, strong organisations like the Australian Workers Union comply with registered organisations rules. What I have to hand—because my crystal ball did tell me that the opposition would do their usual union baiting—is a quote about registered organisations and what the government has been doing: The Government’s changes to the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act are clearly warranted and industry is supportive of the reforms. Registered organisations play a very important role … but recent events have highlighted deficiencies in the current laws. Memo to self: the 'current laws' were the Abbott laws. So we have increased the penalties. They say it is appropriate. What is really good is that the person who said it is not— Ms Julie Bishop: Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I put it to you that the minister is defying your ruling. He has not answered the question. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question was a very long one. You raised many issues to respond to, including issues about union registration and the like. The minister will conclude his answer. Mr Albanese: Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I back up my previous point of order. There have been a number of occasions where, contrary to the standing orders, those opposite raise points of order for one of their questions not once but twice. That is clearly out of order. It is clearly designed just to disrupt question time. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Leader of the House will resume his seat. Mr SHORTEN: In my answer about registered organisations and what I have been doing, I refer not only to the legislation. It is only the people on this side, plus the crossbenchers, who did anything; those opposite cried crocodile tears about registered organisations but, when it came to actually voting for reforms, did they? No. They could not do that. But we know that they don't do their homework, don't we? I was quoting from Innes Willox. But we do not need much reminder about the homework they don't do. Who is going to forget National Lampoon's Vacation last night on 7.30? Not only don't they do their homework on registered organisations; the Leader of the Opposition could not even read BHP's statement.