Ensuring Integrity Bill Vote
MEDIA RELEASE
One Nation senators Malcolm Roberts and Pauline Hanson have today voted against the Morrison Government’s Ensuring Integrity Bill.
Following weeks of consultation with the Government, unions and peak bodies, the final vote was 34 – 34.
Senator Hanson said, “Despite One Nation putting forward 11 amendments to the Ensuring Integrity Bill, there was a quantity of non-amendable changes that prevented our full support.”
The One Nation leader said that the Bill provided unfettered powers to administrators should they be appointed over registered organisations.
Once appointed, administrators could perform any function, or exercise any power that the organisation or its officers can perform.
Senator Hanson said, “We have seen the highly questionable behaviour of administrators, liquidators, receivers, and managers exercise unlimited powers on their appointment by the banks in the One Nation Senate Inquiry into Rural Bank Lending Practices.”
“Under no circumstance was I going to unleash their unlimited power and zero accountability on Australian unions or other registered organisations.”
Senator Hanson lobbied the Morrison Government to expand the Banking Royal Commission in 2018 to investigate administrators, liquidators, receivers and managers, with no beneficial outcome.
“Over recent weeks we have seen rampant white-collar crime exposed, involving tens of millions of breaches by Westpac, with no effort from the bank or this government to deal with their illegal actions.”
“This week we also saw the Registered Organisations Commission called into question by the Federal Court over what appears to be an illegal raid on the Australian Workers Union.”
“When you’re asking Unions to act in accordance with the law, you need Government departments to lead by example.”
“Let this be a warning shot across the bows to all Union bosses to get their act together and a second shot across government bows to clean up the white collar crime.”
One Nation has thanked the Government, Chambers of Commerce, the Master Builders, the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Institute of Company Directors, CFFMEU, ACTU, and affiliated unions and the countless phone calls from workers across Queensland and Australia who have all been considered in this outcome.
