The outpouring of protests in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on 25 August 2024 over the federal government’s ‘bold‘ decision to place the CFMEU in the hands of an administrator was by many, a political stunt and an abuse of the government’s powers likely to backfire on the government.
To the CFMEU, it was a scorpion that the ALP and its over confident, arrogant Prime Minister Anthony Albanese swallowed.
The Albanese government’s decision to place the CFMEU in administration has sent shivers down the spines of several members of parliament, the judiciary, lawyers, accountants and members of the civil service.
All of those who fall into this class it is claimed, benefitted in some way or the other from the largesse of the CMFEU over the years. Not always directly perhaps. Not always in cash either. But benefit from the CFMEU’s treasure chest they did. And the evidence it is said is damming.
Many of the recipients of the CFMEU’s gnerosity it is feared will go to jail if a Royal Commission is called and receives its letters of patent from the governor general to conduct an inquiry into the activities of the CFMEU providing of course, the Royal Commission is allowed to run its course.
The government cannot afford less than an adminstrator who like a willow tree will swing in the direction of governmental winds. No one in the insolvency business will dare go near a full investigation into the CFMEU. No one. And there is good reason for that. The horses head at the foot of their beds.
A union official -on condition of anonymity- said, “Albo has his people negotiating directly with the CFMEU right now so this matter does not get blown out of proportion and expose his government and its appointees and implicate them in criminality”.
It seems plausible if not likely, given the torrid history of labour governments and their relationship with unions of every variety, from the murderous Painters and Dockers, to the wharfies and Builders Labourers Federation under Norman Gallagher.
Another high ranking CFMEU official sitting an air conditioned 4 SUV monitoring the protests in Brisbane told me sitting next to him:
“the government can’t really do anything against us” referring to the union movement. In his words, “the union movement owns Australia. It is Australia”, a widely shared view by non-unionists, conservatives and in boardrooms across corporate Australia.
“Hammerhead” as he is known to his close associates went further by suggesting that:
“if Albanese wanted a fight, he’d have to go the way of a Royal Commission giving it the widest terms of reference and with powers to investigate and to subpoena witnesses and documents going back to the Hawke era. Albanese and his mates don’t have the spine for such a fight” he added. “they’re tainted. And so too are many others.” But he would not elaborate on who ‘the others’ are.
There is an internal rift emerging within the CFMEU as to who and how the void in the industries they represent will be filled. A labour front bencher, also on condition of anonymity, told us that the government would leverage that rift if the current leadership of the CFMEU turned nasty and played dirty.
Hammerhead suggested that there has long been a desire for change within the union movement in spite of divisions within. The CFMEU had always fought long and hard in its members for reform in the building and construction industries at every level.
“It is not the unions that are rogue. Its governments and big business that fit that description. They are a revolving door of unaccountable, seedy, treacherous, cunts! The lot of them” he said.
Hammerhead provided numerous examples of the government (ALP’s) treachery over the years from branch stacking, rape, prostitution, protection rackets, thuggery and protecting drug peddlers within the union movement by labour governments (Graham Richardsons infamous tryst with a prostitute in a boat in Sydney harbour paid for by a heroin dealer). He continuned with the infamous bashing of Peter Baldwin in the 1970’s -that paved the way for Paul Keating’s rise within the ALP- and other “black” events that are an integral part of contemporary Australian Labour political history. “
“The union movement was always used as the attack dogs, fall guys and hitmen against non compliant adversaries of the ALP. Because of the unions tough image and its readiness to fight the system, politicians including Hawke, Gillard, Rudd & Abbot, could live like kings and saints looking clean at the expense of the working classes. Without public consent, Gillard, Rudd and Abbot, gave away nearly $300 million to Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful campaign for the American presidency. So tell me who it is that are the baddies and corrupt ones in Australia?”
He kept reiterating and repeating the challenge, that if government was serious about corruption and criminality it should call a Royal Commission into unionism, (not just the CFMEU) and give the commission the widest and broadest terms of reference possible. Only that will clean up the place and bring in reform. “There are too many silver tails about calling the shots in the government, civil service and yes the unions too” he concluded.
There is no morality in politics. No matter how much Albo and the other labour leaders spew out their gospels of worker protection in parliament, they know it is only rhetoric. Some people accept it and are content to be fooled by them. Others like those in the CFMEU will fight for what is rightfully ours using all means available at our disposal.
Albo and his government is finished. He tries to do a Bob Hawke in the house whilst his side kick tries so hard to be the new Keating. They are simply a bunch of wankers.
“Our hand in government is felt from our force and influence from behind the scenes. The union movement is the largest political party in Australia. No government can survive without our support in money or without our muscle”.
Geoff Traynor and Lim Swee Onn
