Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee, , 7:54:24 to 8:01:12
The General Manager of the Fair Work Commission details ongoing regulatory activities, including investigations into former CFMEU officials and civil penalty proceedings.
Topics: Workplace relations, Integrity
Speakers: Murray Furlong, Senator Jess Walsh, Senator Marielle Smith, Senator Maria Kovacic, Senator Jane Hume
Furlong.
Yes, I would like to respond. Uh my response is going to take probably two minutes. So since we were last year, an estimates in June, um, as I started, we progressed four investigations into alleged conduct of former construction and general division officials, uh including matters that refer to us from the administrator. We've participated in meetings with the joint agency working group, men members of the Victorian Police Task Force, the Department of Infrastructure and other government departments and law enforcement bodies. I've met with industry participants who represent the interests of employees, employees, builders, subcontractors, and government. I have met with officials from the CFM administration on many occasions about many matters, uh including current and future strategic and operational priorities. I've conducted operational activities in relation to the anti-abortice provisions of the RO Act, including including commencing an investigation, the first of its kind that goes to the conduct of Mr. John Secker to determine if Mr. Sector or any other person has contravened the anti-avoidance provisions of the RO Act. I have engaged former official Fairworth Commissioner, former sorry fairwork commissioner, Julius Rowe to work with the CMFU, CFMU and AWU to resolve the long-running demarcation dispute between major civil on major civil construction works. We have updated our anti-avoidance fact sheet to reflect that Mr. Crosby is the administrator. I provide a correspondence to minute to Mr. Crosby about and obviously this is just after his uh his appointment. We have commenced federal court civil penalty proceedings against four former Victorian Tasmania branch officers following my um following an investigation that we conducted and the proceedings seek to disqualify the seek the disqualification compensation and civil penalties to those former I'm considering at the moment whether or not to commence an investigation into the Victorian Tasmania branches financial relationship with Building Industry 2000, PTY LCD, including alleged transfers from that fund with or without proper approval. I've participated in the NCIF regulatory regulator consultation on potential commonwealth standards for the construction industry following release of the discussion paper on the 21st of August 2026. We have concluded an investigation into former New South Wales branch offices about the payment of legal expenses of two of those officers, and I continue my fortnightly meetings with the administrators, chief of staff. That is since the last time we're at this table. And I'd have to say for every activity I I've just disclosed there's probably four or five others that I could easily have to.
Mr Furlong, I'm not um challenging the work that you do and the difficulty of the work that you do, um simply stating that the numbers I provided were out of your report. Thank you, Chairman.
And to be honest, we would have loved to have asked you questions about all of those activities. But because this was tabled so late, your minister threw you under a bus.
Well, I mean I have to respond uh to that and say that you know once the once the as I understand the process, the these annual reports are provided, Mr. Furlong is obviously doing um a mountain of work. He's described that the report was provided later than usual. Senator Hume cited the date that the report was provided. I understand that there's another process that goes uh that occurs before these documents are tabled. Uh and I'd also like to just put on the record that following multiple referrals from our government. Um there are 129 active investigations that we know of ongoing into the construction sector through the Fairwork Commission, the AFP and the Fairwork Ombudsman, uh and that's in addition to state and territory police investigations that are underway as well.
Okay, thank you, Minister. I believe that does conclude the committee's questions for the Fairwork Commission. So Mr. Furlong and the officers, thank you. If reader depart, and we'll just suspend for a few minutes whilst um the Ombudsman joins us at the table. Thank you. And after I preemptively called you before, I now welcome you officially and appropriately, Ms.