Interview with Sarah Abo and Charles Croucher, Today Show

Event: Interview with Sarah Abo and Charles Croucher, Today Show
Date: 28 August 2024, 6:20am AEST
Speakers: Denita Wawn, CEO Master Builders Australia
Topics: CFMEU administration and rallies

E&OE

Charles Croucher, host Today Show: Welcome back. Former CFMEU leaders have vowed to destroy the Labor Party as thousands took to the streets to protest the Government’s decision to put the union into administration.

Sarah Abo, host Today Show: Joining us for more is chief executive of Master Builders Australia, Denita Wawn, live from Canberra. Denita, thanks so much for your time this morning. There was quite a turnout in cities across the country, tens of thousands of angry members bringing sites and cities to a standstill. What did you make of it all?

Denita Wawn, CEO Master Builders Australia: The numbers were what we were expecting, a particularly large contingent in Melbourne. We understand the frustration of workers with the change, but it’s disappointing that union leaders, not just ex-CFMEU leaders, but leaders of other unions, have been defiant of the Parliament’s wishes, with both major parties supporting the legislation that has put the CFMEU into administration. We don’t, as an organisation ourselves, want to see the CFMEU deregistered. It’s important that union members are represented, but they’ve got to be doing so through a leadership that supports lawful behaviour, rather than unlawful behaviour.

Charles: Denita, many blue collar workers that were there at that march yesterday, said they feel abandoned by the Labor Party and the Parliament right now. If this keeps going, what will the effect be on the construction industry and on the construction of homes that are so crucial right now?

Denita: Yes, absolutely. We need to build 1.2 million homes, and many of those have to be high rise, which usually come under union oversight, with union members on high rise buildings. The issue around the administration of the CFMEU is one that we’ve been calling on for decades. We need a strong union, but one that is lawful. We’ve had so much disruption to the building of homes, of roads and so forth, to the extent that it’s cost us a massive amount of money, massive amount of disruption, at a time when we can least afford it as a country. So, we say the union is still there, it is under administration for lawful leadership, and that is what we’d like to see in working with the administrator going forward.

Sarah: I guess, Denita, the issue though, is that obviously those disgruntled workers that we saw in their numbers yesterday clearly have an issue with what the Labor Party is doing. Do you have any faith that things will actually improve? I mean, you need those within the union to come on board with this journey.

Denita: We do, indeed, and certainly, I think we’ve got to recognise that change is difficult. We saw similar types of outbursts when the BLF was deregistered in the 1980s and certainly, you know, it’s one of those things that will die down. We’re only in the third day of administration. The ALP have obviously not done this lightly, but they’ve shown some leadership to ensure that we have a lawful union, and making sure that building construction, which is a massive employer and is a massive provider to GDP, is working constructively, and it’s not at the moment. Productivity is down, costs are escalating, and we need to get control of our industry, and this is a good step towards ensuring that we are building for all Australians at a cost that is reasonable, and we’re not having the delays that we’ve been experiencing in the past.

Charles: Denita, we appreciate your time this morning.

Sarah: Thank you.

Denita: Thank you.

Media contact:
Dee Zegarac
National Director, Media & Public Affairs
0400 493 071
dee.zegarac@masterbuilders.com.au