Greens leader Adam Bandt has defended his party’s stance on the CFMEU saga at the National Press Club on Wednesday, arguing the Labor government took the wrong approach.
Speaking from Canberra , Mr Bandt said the Greens had raised its concerns over “rushed laws” after the government’s banded with the Coalition to pass legislation to plunge the union into administration.
“We went to the government, raised our concerns about these rushed laws that they were bringing through, unprecedented laws, what it meant for natural justice for people,” Mr Bandt said.“We took a principled position to that piece of legislation, as we do to other pieces of legislation that come before us. We believe strongly in the rule of law.”
Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather told the crowd of protesters"the political class hate you," framing efforts to clean up the union as an attack on them. Picture: Steve Pohlner/News Corp Australia. Mr Chandler-Mather was accused of “grandstanding” by Finance Minister Katy Gallagher after his impassioned speech at the protest.
“If the government wants to deviate from the usual separation of powers and take over a court case … then you have to come up with a good reason for doing it,” he said. Mr Bandt was pressed on the prima facie nature of the allegations and the “overwhelming” volume of anecdotal and video evidence, along with “years of testimony”, and whether such evidence held any sway with the Greens' stance.
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