Ministers and their staff should be forced to cut up their Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) cards in the wake of a corruption report that forced the resignation of the deputy chief minister, the ACT opposition says.
The Canberra Liberals renewed their calls on Friday for Labor minister Michael Pettersson to cancel his declared CFMEU membership and for all ministerial staffers who are members of the troubled union to do the same.
"The Campbell Primary School modernisation project cost ACT ratepayers nearly an extra $1 million because of CFMEU pressure. Most Canberrans don't believe this was a one-off," Opposition Leader Mark Parton said in a statement.
"The text messages between the minister's chief of staff and the CFMEU suggest that these were not the first interactions of this nature. Union influence goes deep, and it is one of the reasons everything costs more than it should in Canberra."
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he would be surprised if any member of the ministerial staff was a member of the CFMEU, because they did not work in construction.
"There's a little bit of McCarthyism, I think, creeping into this particular approach and this call," Mr Barr told ABC radio on Friday.
The ACT Integrity Commission released the Operation Kingfisher report on Thursday, revealing the former head of the Education Directorate and Education Minister Yvette Berry's former chief of staff had engaged in serious corrupt conduct in the handling of a primary school expansion tender.
Ms Berry was cleared of wrongdoing by the corruption watchdog but resigned from cabinet, taking responsibility for her staffer's actions.
The corruption investigation found Joshua Ceramidas, the former chief of staff, and Katy Haire, the former Education Directorate director-general, had "dishonestly provided a back door by which the strategic interests of the CFMEU were given priority". The report noted Mr Ceramidas was not a member of the CFMEU.
Mr Parton said the Liberals also wanted immediate changes to the Secure Local Jobs Code, a procurement system with an advisory council that features government, union and industry figures.
Mr Barr on Thursday said a person's union membership was essentially a private matter in a country where individuals enjoyed freedom of association.
"But clearly organisations that have the potential to cause reputational harm to individuals, it would be up to individuals to make the decision in that regard," Mr Barr said.
"I don't believe given the type of work that is undertaken in the Legislative Assembly that there is a lot of construction-related activity or membership of the CFMEU. In fact, I think most members of the Assembly, Labor members, are members of what might be described as white-collar professional unions."
Industrial Relations Minister Michael Pettersson's declaration of interests indicates the member for Yerrabi is a member of the CFMEU, which has been deaffiliated from Labor and put into administration in the wake of damaging allegations about corruption, coercion and the union's links to organised crime.
Mr Pettersson worked for the CFMEU as an industrial officer before his election to the Assembly in 2016 and the union backed him for preselection and supported his campaign. Mr Pettersson's links to the union in 2018 forced the then backbencher to sensationally swap his membership of Labor's Right faction for the Left.
Mr Pettersson, who is on medical leave, was contacted for comment. A spokesperson in his office confirmed he was a member of the CFMEU and the Community and Public Sector Union.
Mr Barr apologised on behalf of the government and said the findings served as a warning to current and future ministerial staff of all political persuasions.
"Unions, of course, have a legitimate voice in public policy and in debate and in occupational health and safety, but clearly a line was crossed here that was unacceptable, and the Integrity Commission has findings that reflect that," he said.
