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Statement on Supporting Integrity

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MEDIA RELEASE

The overarching consideration for any decisions made by One Nation in Parliament is this: is it good for Australia?

It was exactly this that guided our decision on the Ensuring Integrity Bill.

As I have said countless times, One Nation’s decision does not absolve the union movement of its responsibility to take genuine steps now to stamp out thuggery, corruption, standover actions, and unreasonable demands from employers. But I also have made clear that business groups also need to work with government to stamp out white collar crime and make sure they deliver fair wages and conditions for their employees.

Senator Hanson and Senator Roberts speak to the media after the defeat of the Governments Ensuring Integrity Bill

It is only fair that all sides of the work and employment sector all improve their behaviour.

The Government has made a number of allegations about me since the vote last Thursday, and all of them are false.

They suggested I had given a guarantee that I would support the bill. I never did that. This lie was also picked up by the media, which kept repeating it to the point that some people believed it. 

Headlines that suggest that One Nation “flip flopped” are also not true. And to suggest that we “blind-sided the Government” is actually an issue for the Government, which apparently has believed its own hype and the media’s desperation for a scoop.

There have also been allegations that my vote was directly related to the Westpac money laundering fiasco, which revealed that Westpac had allowed around 23-million international cash transactions that may have aided child exploitation crimes; that it was somehow connected to the Government’s cash ban bill, which proposes to limit any cash payments by consumers to a maximum $10,000; and another allegation was that I had made a deal over the Bill with the CFMMEU. All these claims are false.

And, most recently, the Government also suggested I had given a written guarantee and had even texted Ministers that I would support the Bill. I never did that, and I’ve followed up that with a request for the recipients of those so-called texts to prove their allegations by releasing them publicly. 

No doubt they will find any excuse as to why they won’t reveal those texts, but the truth is they don’t exist.

As I said at the outset, One Nation’s vote against the bill was based on the belief that it is a poor law and it was not in the interests of Australia.

One Nation is a mature and growing party. It operates only for what is best for Australia and the Australian people. Any suggestion that we function any differently is false.


Senator Pauline Hanson
Senator For Queensland
National One Nation Leader

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One Nation’s Senator Hanson’s changes aim for fair Union integrity bill

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MEDIA RELEASE

One Nation senator Pauline Hanson has revealed her Integrity Bill amendments that improve the operations of unions, but better safeguards union executives over being sacked for very minor issues.

Senator Hanson has released her amendments for the Ensuring Integrity Bill, which aim to improve the fairness of guidelines for the ongoing operation of unions.

“I won’t stand for union bashing and therefore I won’t support the de-registration of organisations for misdemeanour offences like late paperwork submissions,” Senator Hanson said.

“I have however forewarned union bosses that bullying and thuggery must be stamped out in accordance with public expectations.”

The One Nation amendments to the Bill require higher levels of offence before deregistration action can be considered against a union and its executives.

In summary, the amendments replace the requirement of merely “a finding” of wrongdoing for action to be taken, with the requirement of an order for a civil offence or a conviction for a criminal offence.

An adviser for Senator Hanson explained that “a finding” may count against a union official, but it was neither a conviction nor an order taken out by the courts. The amendment means a higher level of breach is required before a matter can be referred to the regulating body, the Registered Organisations Commission.

Equally, One Nation has requested the removal of “strict liability” for a breach being sufficient to trigger action, which it regards as a reversal of the onus of proof that is the accepted standard in a court of law.

It was also agreed the bill would be amended so that a conviction offshore would not count as an offence under the bill.

The changes provide a better balance between the Government’s position and that of the Unions and their members, for the protection of volunteer union officials.

Senator Hanson noted that she had consulted widely over the Bill, including with the unions.

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Statement – Ensuring Integrity Bill 2019

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I have asked the Attorney General to release all amendments surrounding the Ensuring Integrity Bill ASAP.

My office and I have worked constructively with a number of Unions over recent months, who have raised a quantity of genuine concerns about the original draft of this Bill.

I have released One Nation’s amendments for the sake of transparency after listening to the Unions and their members who took the time to consult with my office.

I won’t stand for Union bashing and therefore I won’t support the de-registration of organisations for misdemeanour offences like late paperwork submissions.

I have however forewarned Union bosses that bullying and thuggery must be stamped out in accordance with public expectations.

Senator Pauline Hanson
One Nation National Leader
Senator for Queensland

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