Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) (15:08): Right now, at 3.08 pm on a Thursday afternoon, is the time for the coalition to put their money where their mouth is. For years you have been mouthing off about the CFMEU, mouthing off and making all sorts of claims and doing nothing about it. And right now you can do something about it! Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Birmingham was listened to in silence, and that same respect will be shown to Minister Watt. Minister Watt, please continue. Senator WATT: Thank you, President. They are worried that finally the game is up for the coalition. After years of mouthing off about the CFMEU, they are about to be tested on whether they are actually serious or not. Opposition senators interjecting— Senator WATT: It's very easy to get out there and make all sorts of claims about unions, as you have been for years, but you never once sought to put— Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Minister Watt, please resume your seat. I do not intend to keep repeating that you are to listen in silence. If you can't do that, leave the chamber. Minister Watt. Senator WATT: For years you had the chance to do something about the corruption and criminality that we now know is in the CFMEU. It was under your watch, under your ABCC, and did you ever do anything concrete about it? No, you did not. You never once sought to introduce a bill of the kind that we are seeking to introduce and pass right here today. You never did it, and now, on a Thursday afternoon, you're still squeamish about it, because you just want to run around— Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Minister Wong? Senator Wong: The opposition completely ignored your ruling then. Senator Cash: I don't think Murray needs your protection. Senator Wong: I'm not protecting him. I'm observing your discourtesy. The President asked for something. The PRESIDENT: Order! I remind senators once again I have asked for silence. Minister Watt, please continue. Senator WATT: For years we have seen Senator Cash and the coalition run around demanding that action be taken about the CFMEU. Even yesterday, Senator Cash was in the media agreeing that we should pass this bill this week, but the moment it comes, 'Oh no, we can't possibly do something about it,' because they would prefer to throw political sledges rather than do something about it. Now— Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Please continue. Senator WATT: Senator Birmingham, on Senator Cash's behalf, has tried to make the point that there are three really important things that the government won't agree to. We saw a ridiculous list of requests from Senator Cash the other day— Senator Cash: Ca-ching! The PRESIDENT: Senator Cash! Seriously! Senator WATT: most of which were already dealt with in the bill. Let's go very quickly through the three things that they say are unresolved. For starters, they want every branch of the CFMEU construction division to be in administration for at least three years, even when an administrator decides there's no corruption, no criminality. That means they would rather have the administrator working in branches where the administrator finds there's no corruption rather than targeting their efforts at a branch like Victoria where we know there are massive problems. Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Minister Wong? Senator Wong: President, I think what we are seeing today is persistent disorderly conduct. I would ask you to remind senators of standing order 203. I would ask you to remind them of that. I understand that this is a robust debate, and, during my contribution, I accepted quite a lot of interjections, but you have now asked on multiple occasions, and the deputy leader in particular is persistently and wilfully disregarding your direction. The PRESIDENT: I do remind senators. I don't particularly want to have to use standing order 203 which I'm sure you are all aware of, but, when I call for order, there needs to be order. You need to respect the direction of the chair. I appreciate it's a robust debate, but it needs to be done respectfully and in silence. Please continue, Minister Watt. Senator WATT: The second matter that the opposition says is still unresolved is the issue of political donations. You know what? We have already agreed in a letter to Senator Cash— Senator Cash: Because we don't trust you. The PRESIDENT: Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Cash, which part of what I just explained to the Senate under 203 have you failed to acknowledge or respect? As I said to senators, particularly those on my left, if you can't remain silent during the debate, leave the chamber. That's your choice; leave the chamber. But, if you're going to sit this chamber, you need to respect and acknowledge and follow the direction that I give. Minister Watt. Senator WATT: We've already agreed to Senator Cash that the scheme of administration that would be applied under this legislation would ban donations to any political party for the period of the administration. We've already agreed to that. It's in a letter to Senator Cash saying it will be in the scheme of administration, which is part of the legislation. But that's not good enough for Senator Cash, because she wants to run political games. The third point—this is actually the real dealbreaker for Senator Cash—is that Senator Cash wants the ability to haul the administrator, an independent administrator of a union, in to committee rooms in a Senate estimates hearing and play political football. What this is actually about is Senator Cash's desperate desire to get her face on TV, going after people in the way that she always does. It is important and vital that this administrator is independent of political interference. It doesn't benefit the government, the opposition, the union or its members to have the administrator brought into estimates hearings and treated like a political football. That's what Senator Cash wants. The reality is the government's legislation is the strongest action ever taken by any government against any union or any employer group in Australia's history. It's not just us saying that. That is why the Master Builders Australia—they're not exactly friends of the Labor Party—have said that parliament must pass this bill this afternoon. It's why the Australian Constructors Association say now is the time to act. They are demanding action. These are employer groups. The ACTU national executive has also passed a resolution saying that the CFMEU construction division should be in administration. So the government agrees, unions agree, employer groups agree—who doesn't agree? It's the coalition, and, of course, let's not forget those little people over there, those friends of John Setka, who are going to back him this afternoon, rather than back the Australian people. Let's not forget about them in the process as well. I really didn't expect after all the claims over all the years from Senator Cash and the coalition that John Setka would be the coalition's best friend. That is not something I had on my bingo card for 2024, but that is the point we have got to with their refusal to back legislation that is supported by the government, the peak union movement of Australia and the employer groups in the building and construction industry. It's time for the games to stop and it's time for the politics to stop. It's time to take strong action against the CFMEU construction division. It is time to pass this bill.