The workplace relations minister, Murray Watt, has blasted the Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather for addressing a CFMEU rally that featured banners labelling the prime minister a Nazi and likening him to Adolf Hitler.
Watt told ABC Radio National that some of the banners at the rally in Brisbane did not reflect well on either the construction wing of the CFMEU or on Chandler-Mather and that it was “very, very disturbing” the Greens MP was prepared to appear.
“When you share a stage with a group, you make a choice, and you’re endorsing the culture and behaviour of that organisation,” Watt said on Wednesday. “That’s exactly what Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather did yesterday.”
Watt condemned banners calling Anthony Albanese “Alba-nazi” and depicting him as Hitler and said he also saw a coffin being carried in the crowd with the prime minister’s face on it.
“I mean, what does it say to people that a Greens MP puts grandstanding in front of a crowd above making a statement about what’s respectful or not?”
In a statement to Guardian Australia, Chandler-Mather said Watt had led “the most anti-union attack in decades” and had been “boasting about working with the Liberals on union-busting legislation that may as well be written by Margaret Thatcher”.
“Of course I don’t agree with those signs, they’re offensive,” Chandler-Mather said of the Nazi references at the rally. “However, it’s ridiculous to expect a speaker to audit every sign that appears at a rally with thousands of people in attendance. It is an indictment on the media and political class that we are talking about random offensive signs, rather than fundamental questions about draconian anti-worker legislation, natural justice and the rule of law.”
Chandler-Mather said Watt was “desperate to focus on a game of gotcha” to distract from criticism of the government and what the Greens MP alleged was its flagrant disregard for the rule of law and separation of powers in forcing the CFMEU into administration.
Tens of thousands of unionists rallied in capital cities around Australia on Tuesday in support of the CFMEU, which has been forced into administration under legislation the Albanese government rushed through parliament last week.
At least 270 CFMEU officials have also been removed from their positions in the union in the wake of reporting by Nine newspapers and the 60 Minutes program alleging the union had links to organised crime and had been infiltrated by bikie gangs.
At Tuesday’s rallies, union officials vowed to disaffiliate from and pursue the “absolute destruction” of the Labor party.
On Wednesday morning, Watt took aim at the Greens and Chandler-Mather in particular for addressing the Brisbane rally.
“The fact that we’ve seen a Greens MP share a stage with an organisation that has condoned violence, organised crime and misogyny, I think says a lot about him and about the Greens party – that they’re prepared to do that for their own political advantage,” Watt said.
In a personal attack on the Greens MP, who won the seat of Griffith from Labor frontbencher Terri Butler at the 2022 election, Watt said Chandler-Mather was simply “trying to get his profile up” and “it doesn’t seem to matter what the cause is”.
“The most dangerous place you can possibly be is between Max Chandler-Mather and a TV camera,” he said, challenging the Greens to distance themselves from the allegations of violent and extortionate behaviour levelled against some members of the CFMEU construction wing.
Speaking on the ABC’s 7.30 program on Tuesday, Chandler-Mather said the union had not been afforded natural justice in relation to the allegations against it.
“For us this is about principles and the thing about principles is you should stick to them,” Chandler-Mather said. He said the Greens opposed seizing control of a union without “giving them the presumption of innocence”.
The MP was asked for his view of media allegations of standover practices, misogyny and thuggery.
“It’s shocking, and the Greens oppose any misogyny, intimidation or corruption,” Chandler-Mather said. He said allegations of wrongdoing should be prosecuted and Australia did not practice “trial by media” but upheld the presumption of innocence.
The Greens MP said the government’s forced administration set “a dangerous precedent” and pre-empted the usual processes of justice.
“This should be alarming for everyone in this country,” he said. “… They now have a blueprint to override the courts and impose themselves on that civil society institution if they do not like them. Now that is a really dangerous precinct.”
Chandler-Mather said he was proud to stand with construction workers demonstrating their collective strength and “we should have solidarity with those workers because they deserve a free and democratic union”.
Chandler-Mather’s office has been contacted for comment in response to Watt.
