Thursday, 1 August 2024

Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:12): (599) My question is to the Minister for Corrections. Minister, the CFMEU has been unmasked as a gangster organisation that has taken over Victoria’s construction industry under Labor’s watch. I therefore ask, Minister: can you as minister provide an assurance to the house and the community that no CFMEU members who are also members of organised crime or bikie organisations have been employed or subcontracted to work on Victoria’s correctional facilities?

Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:13): I thank Mr Davis for his question and his interest in our corrections system. As a government we have been very clear: we are proud of our investments in modernising our corrections system across the board. We have made improvements – new units, new health facilities and new technologies to improve safety for staff. I am very proud of them, because it is a much better system than what we inherited 10 years ago. In terms of the membership or otherwise of workers that work on sites, that is a matter for those individuals. I am sure that some of the construction workers that worked on improving these facilities are CFMEU members; some are probably not CFMEU members. I do not have that information.

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:14): Let it be recorded that the minister appears to have no system or approach to assure the house or the community that there have not been such extraordinary CFMEU members onsite. Minister, I ask: have any allegations of misconduct by the CFMEU been raised with you formally or informally?

Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:14): No.