The Coalition will introduce new racketeering laws next week in a bid to stamp out “union corruption”, after fresh media reports of violence and organised crime within the embattled CFMEU.
The changes, modelled on American mafia-style laws, would allow criminal charges to be laid on the “bosses and kingpins” of organisations engaged in law-breaking, in addition to the person who committed a crime, said Shadow Workplace Relations Minister Michaelia Cash.
The opposition has also promised to deregister the union, re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission and stand up a new Australian Federal Police taskforce to target organised crime in the building industry if the Coalition forms government after the upcoming federal election.
A joint investigation by 60 Minutes and The Age Newspaper published on Sunday accused the Victorian government of failing to act on allegations of violence and intimidation by union members on state government worksites.
The CFMEU’s construction division was put into administration in August last year after an earlier media investigation alleged that outlaw motorcycle gangs had infiltrated its branches.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton told reporters he would write to the prime minister on Monday to request resources to draft the bill, calling for it to be dealt with when parliament returns for three days next week.
“This is the biggest corruption scandal in our country’s history, because we are talking about billions of dollars, billions of dollars that have been paid by, ultimately, Australian taxpayers through the Victorian government,” Mr Dutton said on Monday.
“I will be seeking a mandate from the Australian public to stamp out union corruption.“
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act — often referred to as RICO — was introduced in the United States in the 1980s in a bid to crack down on mafia bosses who escaped persecution because other members of their organisation actually committed the crimes.
Ms Cash said currently, Australian police only had the ability to target the individual responsible for a criminal act — not the organisation they were a part of.
“What these laws will do will ensure that the police are able to go after the criminal organisation itself, if it is shown to have a pattern of behaviour in law-breaking,” she said.
“The organisation itself, regardless of who committed the offence, is able to be prosecuted … in particular, the leadership who sit back and keep their hands clean.”
Victoria Police will launch an operation to investigate the new allegations.
“What we saw last night with further revelations and information was again shocking and completely unacceptable,” Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said.
