THE HON BILL SHORTEN MP LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION MEMBER FOR MARIBYRNONG

STATEMENT TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TUESDAY, 25 FEBRUARY 2014 PRIVILEGE *** CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY *** For health workers who were members of the Health Services Union, Crai !homson"s actions are a #ee$ an# %nfor ivable betra&al' For all of %s in the Labor Part&, Crai !homson"s actions, as o%tline# b& the (elbo%rne (a istrates" Co%rt on )* Febr%ar& this &ear, are a #ee$ an# %nfor ivable betra&al' !hese actions were contrar& to the f%n#amental $rinci$les of +%stralia"s tra#e %nion movement an# ever&thin it stan#s for' !hese actions were contrar& to ever&thin that the +%stralian Labor Part& stan#s for' I have s$oken to $eo$le who ha# the $rivile e to know ,ill -obell, after whom the seat of -obell is name#' ,ill -obell was a sta%nch Labor man' He wo%l# have been horrifie#' !hese actions are a violation of the stan#ar#s that +%stralians e.$ect of their $arliamentar& re$resentatives' ,%t, worse than that, as I sai# at the o$enin , Crai !homson"s actions are a betra&al of har#workin +%stralians whose ri hts he was #%t&/bo%n# to $rotect' !here is no 0%estion that the members of the Health Services Union s%ffere# as a res%lt of Crai !homson"s actions, an# he owes the members of the %nion an# all those involve# with the %nion that he falsel& attacke# a #ee$ an# heartfelt a$olo &' (r !homson ab%se# the tr%st of this $lace, his constit%ents, his collea %es an# tho%san#s of har#workin +%stralians in the health services sector' !o#a& this $arliament e.$resses o%r re ret for the contents of (r !homson"s s$eech in this $lace' I ho$e that this motion can assist the members of the Health Services

Union, who have been let #own an# betra&e# b& (r !homson' 1e s%$$ort this motion witho%t 0%alification or reservation' 1e s%$$ort this motion witho%t e0%ivocation, beca%se we on this si#e of the $arliament take o%r res$onsibilities as $arliamentarians serio%sl&' It is a $rivile e to re$resent +%stralians in this $lace' Parliamentar& $rivile e is an im$ortant, ancient ri ht that m%st not be ab%se#' (islea#in the Ho%se is a rave an# serio%s matter' It is inc%mbent on all of %s who stan# in this $lace to %$hol# the hi hest tra#itions of res$ect an# the hi hest levels of res$ect for those that we re$resent, for those who rel& %$on this instit%tion, an# the hi hest tra#itions of res$ect an# the hi hest levels of res$ect for each other an# for this instit%tion, which is f%n#amental in the e.ercise of +%stralian #emocrac&' (r !homson faile# this most f%n#amental test an#, in #oin so, he faile# all of those who $lace# their tr%st in him' +%stralia"s tra#e %nions are overwhelmin l& member foc%se# an# $rofessional or anisations' It is a terrible shame that Crai !homson"s re$rehensible behavio%r has besmirche# the re$%tation an# cast #o%bt on the motives of a movement that is #e#icate# to $rovi#in safe work$laces2 $ro#%ctive, $rofitable an# com$etitive enter$rises2 an# #ecent con#itions for so man& har#workin +%stralians' 3o instit%tion in +%stralia o%tsi#e of the $arliament has #one more to lift the stan#ar# of livin for workin $eo$le than %nions' +s a former %nion re$resentative an# as a member of $arliament, I have alwa&s s%$$orte# meas%res that fi ht corr%$tion' !wo &ears a o, as work$lace relations minister, I s%$$orte# $lacin the HSU East ,ranch into a#ministration' !hat ste$ was e.tremel& serio%s an# %n$rece#ente#' !he co%rt a ree# that the level of #&sf%nction within the %nion meant that it sho%l# be $%t into a#ministration' !he co%rt #i# so beca%se the members of some branches of the HSU were victims of a $oisono%s c%lt%re of #&sf%nction an# corr%$tion amon their lea#ershi$ an# it nee#e# to sto$' (an& HSU members #o not earn a lot of mone&, b%t the& $a& their %nion #%es' !he en# of this torri# cha$ter in the histor& of the Health Services Union has come' 4%st as Labor will alwa&s stan# %$ for low/$ai# workers an# com$etitive b%sinesses an# fi ht for 5ob sec%rit&, we will alwa&s coo$erate with the a encies that are res$onsible for %ncoverin the tr%th an# fi htin corr%$tion' 1e s%$$orte# the reference to the Privile es Committee on these matters $revio%sl&, 5%st as we

s%$$orte# the reference to the Privile es Committee &ester#a&' I have committe# $%blicl& that the Labor Part& will coo$erate with the ro&al commission' !wo weeks a o I $ro$ose# a $olice task force le# b& the +%stralian Fe#eral Police, workin with state $olice a encies, to tackle criminal behavio%r an# corr%$tion, incl%#in in the b%il#in an# constr%ction in#%str&' !o#a& I welcome the overnment"s new in#ications of s%$$ort for o%r $ro$osal' 1e are $lease# that the& are a#o$tin o%r $ro$osal an# will now be allowin o%r $olice officers in the +%stralian Crime Commission to #o what the& #o best6 catch an# $rosec%te criminals' 1e are $lease# that, as a res%lt of the work of this task force, those en a in in criminal behavio%r, whosoever the& ma& be, will feel the f%ll force of the law' 1e are $lease# that 5%stice will be #one' +ll of %s in the Labor Part& have no tolerance for corr%$tion wherever it occ%rs' It is a $rofo%n# ins%lt to ever&thin we believe in an# ever&thin we stan# for' Corr%$tion cannot o %n$%nishe#' 3o/one is above the law, not %nion re$resentatives, not b%siness $eo$le, not $oliticians' It is a clear messa e an# a stron lesson for all of %s' Labor will be s%$$ortin this resol%tion witho%t e0%ivocation, witho%t reservation' 1e will s%$$ort this resol%tion beca%se what ha$$ene# in (a& 78)7 was an ab%se of the $rivile e of $arliament in o%r o$inion' ENDS