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Opposition Leader Sussan Ley accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of failing to clean up corruption in the construction union, alleging an administrator appointed to reform the troubled CFMEU is now facing bribery charges.
Speaking at a Gold Coast press conference Thursday, Ley said the government’s year-long effort to address misconduct in the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union has collapsed. The allegations mark a sharp escalation in political attacks over union corruption ahead of the federal election.
“Under Anthony Albanese’s workplace arrangements, corruption is walking through the front door,” Ley told reporters. “Somebody who was put in place to address this corruption is the subject of allegations for taking bribes.”
Ley did not name the administrator or provide specific details about the bribery allegations. The opposition leader’s office did not immediately respond to requests for additional information.
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Labor’s CFMEU Crackdown Under Fire
The Prime Minister announced a major CFMEU reform effort more than a year ago following revelations of widespread corruption, bullying and intimidation on construction sites. The government placed the union’s construction division into administration and promised sweeping changes to workplace conduct.
Ley referenced previous allegations of mistreatment of women on building sites, saying the incidents remain “writ large in my memory.” She argued workers and the broader construction industry continue paying the price for ongoing corruption.
“The people charged with addressing this corruption on building sites are clearly not doing their job,” Ley said. “But Anthony Albanese is clearly not doing his job.”
The opposition leader said corruption within the CFMEU and its successor organizations continues adding costs to building projects across Australia. She called for immediate action to protect construction workers and reduce project expenses.
Environmental Approvals Become Political Flashpoint
Ley also attacked the government’s proposed environmental reform legislation, accusing Labor of blocking sensible changes to Australia’s approval system while remaining beholden to environmental groups.
The opposition leader revealed she previously presented Albanese with a proposal for single-touch environmental approvals that would eliminate duplicate assessments between federal and state governments. Labor rejected the plan, she said.
“They walked away from a single touch approval system that actually took out reams and reams of red tape over regulation and bureaucracy by not repeating assessments at federal level, at state level,” Ley said.
The government’s alternative proposal ties “bureaucratic tape around every single process,” according to Ley. She criticized plans for an independent Environment Protection Agency that would operate at arm’s length from ministerial oversight.
“It doesn’t give proponents of projects the confidence they need to be able to go ahead,” Ley said. The proposed agency “can step in and take control of projects and make their own decisions at arm’s length from a minister.”
Local MP Angie Bell has raised questions about the legislation that remain unanswered, Ley said. The opposition continues reviewing draft and final versions of the proposed laws.
Critical Minerals Deal Hangs on Approvals Reform
Ley connected environmental approvals to a recent critical minerals agreement between Australia and the United States. The deal requires an efficient approval process to attract investment, she argued.
“Vital to that is an approvals process that backs in not just that project but every other project that similarly brings investment and jobs and a value added future,” Ley said. The current system amounts to “a red light to jobs and it’s a gift to our overseas competitors who are attracting this investment elsewhere.”
She described streamlined approvals as “vital to our national interest and our prosperity.”
Tax Reform Battle Continues
The opposition leader pivoted to tax policy, hammering Treasurer Jim Chalmers over his abandoned unrealized capital gains tax proposal. Ley said the government lacks interest in serious tax reform or reducing the burden on ordinary Australians.
“Jim Chalmers stood up day after day, week after week and said his unrealised gains proposal was the way to go,” Ley said. “Nothing would get in its way.”
The opposition successfully pressured the government to drop the plan, which Ley said “offends every principle of the taxation system in this country.” She promised personal income tax cuts under a coalition government.
“Every dollar that this government wastes comes from the pocket of a hard-working Australian taxpayer,” Ley said.
Energy Policy Under Development
Asked about community surveys on energy policy conducted by coalition MPs, Ley said the feedback shows costs rising and affordability worsening under Labor.
“Pretty sure the answers that are coming back through our surveys will be telling our team the costs are going up, that affordability is worse and that it’s getting harder and harder to pay your bills, your energy bills and balance your family budget,” Ley said.
She described the government’s energy policy as “a train wreck” and said the coalition holds Labor accountable daily in parliament.
The opposition is developing energy policy based on two principles, Ley said: delivering a stable, reliable grid with affordable energy for households and businesses, and playing a responsible international role in reducing emissions.
Ley praised Western Sydney MP Melissa McIntosh and Gold Coast MP Angie Bell as examples of politicians listening to community concerns. “Unlike the Labor Party, we actually are in touch with the concerns of our community,” she said.
Women’s Safety Across Workplaces
When asked about women’s safety in the Australian Defence Force, Ley broadened her response to all workplaces.
“I’m concerned about the safety of women in every workplace,” Ley said. “Wherever I meet women, wherever I walk into a workplace.”
She called on all employers to dedicate resources and establish confidential reporting systems allowing women to express safety concerns.
Childcare Flexibility on Policy Agenda
Ley addressed childcare policy after meeting with Gold Coast women who raised concerns about availability and flexibility. She described the challenges of juggling childcare, work and family responsibilities.
“When you bundle the children into the car, where you rush to the childcare centre, where maybe a place isn’t available, you have to pick one of them up,” Ley said, drawing on her personal experience.
She said women nationwide express frustration managing family, workplace and financial pressures under the current cost of living crisis.
“As Liberals, we believe in freedom, flexibility and choice,” Ley said. Coalition policy committees are considering proposals to increase childcare flexibility, she added.
Ley previously served as childcare minister, while Bell held the childcare spokesperson role.
Coalition Positions for Election
The press conference highlighted key opposition attack lines ahead of the federal election, expected within months. Ley positioned the coalition as the party of economic management, workplace safety and family support while painting Labor as beholden to special interests.
The CFMEU allegations represent the opposition’s sharpest attack yet on Labor’s union reform efforts. Ley’s comments suggest corruption scandals will feature prominently in coalition campaign messaging.
Labor has not yet responded to Ley’s allegations about the CFMEU administrator or her broader criticisms of government policy.
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