The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has called for new legislation to deregister the CFMEU’s construction division, to reintroduce the Australian Building and Construction Commission and to increase penalties for breaches of the Fair Work Act.
In a press conference this afternoon, Dutton said he would push for the matter to be heard in parliament next week, calling allegations about the CFMEU “the biggest corruption scandal in our country’s history”. But Labor has rubbished his demands, claiming the Coalition’s approach would jeopardise ongoing investigations into alleged corruption and criminal behaviour, and hand back control of the union to criminal elements.
The calls followed further allegations of misconduct, corruption and violence towards women in the construction industry aired in the media on Sunday, with the industrial relations minister, Murray Watt, to refer CFMEU-linked allegations to police for investigation, and the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, announcing the creation of a police taskforce to investigate misconduct reports on construction sites.
Top news
ABC apologises after national radio services knocked off air
Body found in NSW bushland believed to be missing six-year-old girl
Climate activists to plead not guilty en masse under NSW’s controversial anti-protest laws
US astronauts stranded on ISS for nine months to return to Earth on Tuesday, Nasa says
US deports 250 alleged gang members to El Salvador despite court ruling to halt flights
In pictures
The Chicago River turned green for St Patrick’s Day celebrations over the weekend. Check out the other photographs from around the world selected by the Guardian’s picture editors.
What they said …
***
“Who are these dumb guys that agreed to this deal?”
The former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said he believed the US president would “like” the Aukus defence pact because it was “such a bad deal” for Australia. Turnbull pointed to Australia having already sent $3bn to support the US submarine base, but with “no guarantee that we will ever get any submarines”.
In numbers
Maximo Napa survived three months stranded at sea by eating cockroaches, birds and a turtle – and thinking about his mother. The 61-year-old was rescued from his small fishing boat after being spotted off the coast of Chimbote in northern Peru.
Before bed read
When the second season of Mike White’s hit TV show landed, wealthy fans flocked to the hilltop town of Taormina, Sicily. Now, Thailand – no stranger to pop-culture fuelled overtourism – is at risk of the White Lotus effect. Here are the Thai islands, places and temples to explore without the tourists.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: FID. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know with our Morning Mail newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.
