The Business Council welcomes bipartisan support for taking action against the CFMEU to stamp out the concerning culture that has been exposed by media reporting.

These amendments will strengthen the transparency of how the administration process will be delivered and its effectiveness in addressing very concerning allegations.

The BCA continues to call for a Royal Commission to fully and publicly investigate the extent of the problem. 

The BCA supports the following amendments:

• Power for the Administrator to investigate past practices of the Construction and General Division of the CFMEU.
• Certainty about what the scheme of administration must deal with.
• Regular public reports by the Administrator to the Parliament. 
• An administration period of up to five years.

BCA Chief Executive Bran Black said administration was a good first step, but more scrutiny is needed to ensure unions are working within the law.

“Allowing the Administrator to investigate past practices and giving assurances about what they must deal with to fix up the union provides some confidence that the administration process will shine a light on very real cultural problems,” Mr Black said.

“Regular reporting to the Parliament will also provide greater transparency, while the increase in the administration period for up to five years will give certainty that the Administrator has sufficient time to reform the CFMEU.  

“Administration is a good first step, but due to the broader cultural environment in which this alleged conduct has occurred, a Royal Commission is still needed to investigate what the full extent and impact of the behaviour by the CFMEU and its officials has been.

“If we are to stamp out this rotten culture, which is holding back productivity and adding additional costs on critical projects, then we also need an industry specific regulator with teeth that can keep the union in check, and so we welcome the move by the Opposition to move Bills to reinstate such a regulator.”