00:00Well, the state government today has announced that they'll introduce a fit and proper person
00:06test for people working in the construction industry in labour hire jobs.
00:10So this would involve checking that people haven't been convicted of serious crimes and
00:14also checking whether they have links to organised crime and with the aim of weeding those people
00:20out of the industry.
00:22And now this is all in connection and follows on from those allegations that were levelled
00:26against the CFMEU, allegations of bullying and intimidation within the union.
00:31And also that the union had been infiltrated by organised crime and bikies.
00:35The Premier here in Victoria, Jacinta Allen, commissioned an independent report done by
00:40Greg Wilson that was handed to government three weeks ago and made public today.
00:44And that includes recommendations including for that fit and proper person test and other
00:49recommendations aimed at cleaning up the industry, particularly looking at big build sites around
00:55Victoria.
00:56We're looking at a major government building sites around Victoria worth multi-billions
01:02of dollars.
01:03We're talking the Metro Tunnel here in Melbourne due to open next year and the Westgate Tunnel
01:08as well.
01:09These changes are big.
01:10These changes need to happen and they go to the fact that we have zero tolerance, zero
01:15tolerance for this behaviour and we'll work incredibly hard to pull this rotten culture
01:20out by its roots as we continue to strengthen the work here in Victoria.
01:26The government has committed either in full or in principle to these eight recommendations
01:30and on top of the fit and proper person recommendation, Greg Wilson has also recommended compelling
01:39building companies to report any illegal or suspected illegal behaviour.
01:44There'll be a regulatory process set up around that and also an alliance between state and
01:49federal governments, which comes into where they've accepted some of these recommendations
01:54in principle.
01:55So we'll have to obviously work with other governments to get that across the line, Ros.
01:59And when will the changes be made, Nicole?
02:01Parliament has broken up for the year already, so it won't be sitting again until February
02:06next year, but the government has indicated that they're working towards that they will
02:10require legislative changes.
02:13We've just heard from the opposition leader, John Persuto, here, who's indicated that he
02:17sees the report a deeply unserious response to a very serious problem.
02:23He was speaking a few moments ago.
02:24Let's take a listen.
02:26This report is pathetic, it is a hopeless attempt to address a very serious problem
02:32affecting not only the delivery of major projects, but our economic performance as a state and
02:38our soaring debt levels.
02:40But it's precisely what Premier Jacinta Allen wanted.
02:43That's the regrettable fact about this.
02:45This whitewash of a report is exactly what the Premier ordered.
02:50A Premier who did not have what it takes, either herself or her government, to tackle
02:55this very serious problem of misbehaviour, coercion, intimidation and blackmail by the
03:01CFMEU on Victorian taxpayer funded worksites.
03:05Now the Premier has indicated that it will take some time to prepare legislation.
03:09She's expecting some time next year, indicated maybe towards the end of next year.
03:13Greg Wilson has also recommended that there is a review of how far these regulations have
03:18gone and the difference that they've made within two years.
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