CFMEU: Application to implement independent administrator leaves off two branches 04:33

Now, there has been a lodgement of the Fair Work Commission's application to place the CFMEU into independent administration. So the paperwork has been lodged. However, I think this is very interesting. So the national branch of the CFMEU, as well as the Victorians, the Queenslanders, the South Australians, us here in New South Wales, all of those branches are

Well, the lodgement of the paperwork seeks to place an administrator into all of those branches. For some reason, the ACT and Western Australia have been excluded here. Well, Brian Seidler, he's from the Master Builders Association here in New South Wales, and he's on the line for us. Brian, what's the justification for the exclusion? Do we know?

No, we don't at this stage. And we're certainly calling that all branches should be included in the application. But at this stage, we don't have a clear view of why ACT and Western Australia are excluded. And the Fair Work Commission are the ones who have lodged the paperwork with the federal court. Is that correct? What's your best understanding of how all of this will work?

So, in very simple terms, an application is needed through a legal process

to bring in an independent administrator of a registered organisation, which the CFMEU is, and for argument's sake, Master Builders is as well. So there's about 100 organisations across the country that are considered registered organisations. And in this instance, due to all of the revelations over the last two weeks, and I understand more to come,

is about bringing in a better process for the way industrial relations is worked out in those states and across Australia. And I've got to say that in my...

a number of decades of looking at this industry, this is a terribly significant position for government to take. And we've had four Royal Commissions into our industry. We've had countless inquiries. We've had deregistration of the Builders' Laborers' Federation in the early 80s. And we're still...

We're at where we were 40 years ago. And so there has to be a different approach. And this is a major, major step, first step to, we hope, a different approach. Yes, indeed. It's all about cleaning this thing up. Because the administrator of the federal court grants the Fair Work Commission...

permission to introduce these administrators. It's not a small thing. So the administrator will have the power to remove officers, officials and employees from their positions within the CFMEU, take possession of all property and credit cards, exercise votes on the offices he holds, and it goes on, prepare financial accounts, keep and maintain the register of members. Effectively...

the administrator will be running the CFMEU. It's exactly right. So it's an extraordinary position to be in for a union or any organisation to find itself in, but it's about cleaning up the

and I do note that Mr. Zach Smith put out a statement back on Wednesday that there was suggestion that this is all about undermining their members' entitlements and conditions. It has got nothing to do with that. This is about having a proper procedure. It does talk about the process of enterprise bargaining that

a number of processes that we unfortunately experience in our industry that there is no bargaining and that there is no enterprise that gets involved. So our industry is simply told, this is what you will have and this is your outcome. Before, in many instances, it even goes to a vote to the employees. So it's...

It's an opportunity for industry and industry has to play a strong role in this as well to getting things in order. Well, it's a good start. It's going to take many, many years, but it's a good start regardless. Brian Seidler, thank you for coming on. Thanks a lot. That's Brian Seidler from the Master Builders Association of New South Wales.