LNP demands Palaszczuk ‘stick it’ to union bullies
The Opposition wants Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to follow the lead of her South Australian counterpart and return donations from the CFMEU in the wake of bad behaviour.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is under pressure to take a tougher line with the CFMEU. (AAP Image/Darren England)
Donation records show the Queensland Labor Party has benefited from more than $400,000 in donations from the union representing construction, forestry and mining workers since the last state election.
Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie has today called for that money to be handed to an anti-bullying charity after union members caused a ruckus in a Brisbane CBD Transport and Main Roads building on Tuesday.
The protest resulted in alleged assaults, distress to staff and parts of the building to be locked down.
Palaszczuk has condemned the CFMEU’s action as “appalling and disgraceful”.
Bleijie told a media conference this morning her words were ”lip service” and that if she were serious she would immediately return the union’s donated money over to an anti-bullying charity.
“If the Premier truly condemns the storming of the TMR building, the Labor Party cannot keep CFMEU donations,” Bleijie said.
“There are serious allegations; the law has been broken.
“Does the Premier value the CFMEU money more than sticking to her word and proving Queensland doesn’t stand for this disgraceful behaviour?”
Bleijie said Palaszczuk should follow the lead of South Australian Labor Premier Peter Malinauskas, who ordered his Labor Party to return $125,000 in CFMEU donations after the CFMEU allegedly put stickers on the cars of the Master Builders Association, suggesting that matter was trivial in comparison to this week’s events in Brisbane.
“Here in Queensland the CFMEU stormed a government building which was placed into lockdown,” he said.
“There are allegations of assaults. This incident is incredibly serious.
“The CFMEU already has a history of breaking the law, but the storming of the TMR building crosses a new line.”
Palaszczuk told reporters this morning that she would await the outcome of a police investigation before offering further comment on the incident and that decisions on donations were a matter for the Queensland Labor Party executive.
“I stand by my comments that this was disgraceful and that the CFMEU should apologise to the workers who felt unsafe and threatened,” she said.
