ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has taken the extraordinary step today of not ruling out donations from the embattled Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) despite Channel Nine’s newspaper division uncovering widespread criminal behaviour and corruption within the Victorian branch of Australia’s most powerful union.
Other state and territory leaders have said they will not be taking donations or support from the CFMEU until a deep and thorough investigation is carried out by an independent auditor.
On a Federal level, Mr Albanese said he doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions.
“I mean, we’re talking about Nine Entertainment Co’s newspapers here,” said the Prime Minister.
“We all know they’ve had an axe to grind against the unions and Labor especially. I don’t want to throw the bikies out with the bathwater. This whole thing could be a bit overblown. There are a lot of good people in the CFMEU. They are all good, in fact. Unless there is some fire where this smoke is coming from, then, uh, I would say that they are 99.99% made up of fair and reputable Australians that have fought hard for the rights of working people. While you, have, uh, the, uh man-booded elite eating their sushi lunches and working in air-conditioned offices. They’re the real crims,”
“What, uh, a lot of people don’t know about outlaw motorcycle gangs is that they have these businesses that they use to wash cash with and these enterprises often pay a large amount of tax, which is good for everyone. So again, I’m unwilling to label the CFMEU as a ‘crime-linked and corrupt organisation’. I would say far from it. I have enjoyed countless Yum Chas with my friends from the CFMEU. Suffolk Street is a second home to me, the first being Parramatta Road Camperdown. I am from there.”
The Prime Minister said he wouldn’t be taking anymore questions on the matter and left.
More to come.
