Labor's national executive is deciding whether it will continue taking donations from the embattled CFMEU's construction division after state branches and the peak union body suspended links. The union's construction division has been under fire over a series of Nine newspaper reports alleging corrupt conduct and organised crime links. The national executive was set to meet on Thursday and would be "dealing with this in a fairly firm fashion," Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke said.
Minister Tony Burke warned he would introduce legislation if the CFMEU challenged proceedings. "A number of state branches have already done so," he said but wouldn't pre-empt whether the executive would cut ties or refuse future donations. While not wishing to breach that separation either, cabinet Minister Bill Shorten told the ABC's 7.
30 program he fully expected the executive "to make sure there's no more donations received from the CFMEU until their house is cleaned". Burke has moved to install an independent administrator to overhaul the construction arm of the union. He warned he would introduce legislation into parliament if the CFMEU challenged the proceedings.
The administrator would be appointed after a court application by the Fair Work Commission. "The government will ensure the regulator has all the powers it needs to appoint administrators, there can be no place for criminality or corruption in any part of the construction industry," Burke said. The commission's general manage.