Topics: Passage of CFMEU legislation; Gaza visas; Deep fake porn legislation;
07:45AM AEST
20 August 2024
Simon Birmingham: Thank you. I start by welcoming the passage yesterday of legislation that will place the CFMEU into administration. It’s important that this legislation has passed. It’s critical that it passed with Coalition amendments to strengthen it and to make it a more effective process. We would have preferred to see the CFMEU deregistered and the type of strength from the Albanese Government that Bob Hawke showed when he deregistered the BLF. But we ultimately accept that some progress is better than none, and our amendments, driven by Michaelia Cash, have ensured that we have a really stronger position in relation to that administration. But the great mystery out of the passage of the CFMEU legislation yesterday is the position of the Australian Greens. On 14 occasions yesterday alone the Greens voted to protect John Setka and the CFMEU. What is behind the silence of the Greens when it comes to the CFMEU? Why are the Greens, who are usually the moral arbiters, judging everybody on this occasion, happy to protect and cover up for the CFMEU? Why did the Greens senator after Greens senator sit in complete silence during the CFMEU debate? There are clearly relations, there is clearly support. There is clearly something that joins the dots between the CFMEU and the Australian Greens, and they ought to be honest and transparent about it. The excuses being given by Adam Bandt and David Shoebridge that somehow the Greens were standing up for principle and that these were unprecedented legal interventions, stand absolutely no scrutiny. When you think about the way the Greens approached, for example, the NACC legislation or the way the Greens approach things such as scrutiny in the parliament. They’re happy to throw legal principles overboard all the time when it suits them. So why on this occasion? Were the Greens running a protection racket for John Setka and the CFMEU?
Can I say on international matters very seriously, that the news of a ceasefire agreement being reached with the US and other partners that has been accepted by Israel is very welcome, and the ball is now very clearly in Hamas’s court. If the suffering in Gaza is to end, Hamas terrorists should accept this ceasefire, should release hostages that have been held for more than ten months, and should put Gaza on a pathway to peace. If Hamas terrorists do not accept this ceasefire, it will be very clear that they believe their political interests are best served by allowing the suffering to continue and the bloodshed to continue. And that will demonstrate yet again just how repugnant their ideology is, their tactics are, and that they are to blame for the huge human suffering that we’ve seen occurring.
Journalist: Senator, if as you suggest the Greens are on a promise from the CFMEU. Does it assure you the undertaking from the administrator, given that Michaelia Cash, that she accepted on political donations, that they won’t get any dough out of them, at least for three years?
Simon Birmingham: It was really critical that we secured clear undertakings and commitments in relation to political donations. We know that the CFMEU are happy to hand out truckloads of cash to political parties. They’ve given more than $6 million to the Labor Party just under Anthony Albanese’s leadership. And so, getting a firm commitment that the cash would stop from the CFMEU to political parties is important. But the suspicions remain about why it is that the Greens were so protective of the CFMEU, and what links exist between CFMEU leaders and leaders of the Greens? What relationships exist, and what other type of practical campaign support that may not be cash has been offered to the Australian Greens.
Journalist: On the Palestinian visas and Australia being more generous than the other Five Eyes nations. What’s your response to that? And do you not see the need for urgency when innocent lives are at stake in Gaza?
Simon Birmingham: Tragically, there are, right across the world, far more refugees and people seeking humanitarian resettlement then there are places in any of the countries of the world that are available. Australia is one of the most generous, as we always have been on a per capita basis in resettling people. But we have people in Myanmar in a conflict that has raged for many years, right in our own region. Of course, wars continuing in parts of Africa, in Ukraine and elsewhere around the world. And with so many people seeking places, it’s important that we ensure as a country that we are generous, but that we also take steps to ensure that people who come to Australia will contribute to the Australian life and place no security threat in relation to Australia. That we do dot all the I’s cross all the T’s and assure ourselves, particularly where there are terrorist threats, that will not transfer to Australia and undermine the social cohesion here. What we see from the Albanese Government is the typical chaos and dysfunction when it comes to their management of migration and the way in which they handle it or almost anything to do with borders, detainees or the war.
Journalist: On revenge porn. How concerning is the issue of deep fakes being shared, and will the Coalition support the government’s legislation?
Simon Birmingham: We are very serious about seeing genuine action on deep fakes and revenge porn. We want to see strong legislation pass. We have amendments that we think will make this legislation even better in terms of the rights of women, the protection of women who are so often victims of revenge porn. And we would urge the government to give positive consideration to our amendments, but we will be constructive in seeing this legislation pass to provide stronger protections for all Australians, particularly young Australians, who are at such great risk from deep fakes and revenge porn. Thanks, guys.
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