WEBVTT -  Premier’s giant blowup over union corruption

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<v Speaker 1>Today's biggest News from The Australian. I'm Claire Harvey with

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<v Speaker 1>the Front's afternoon headlines. Corruption in the union movement is

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<v Speaker 1>an awkward issue for the Labour Party and Victorian Premier

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<v Speaker 1>Jacinta Allen has lost her temper in a spectacular way

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<v Speaker 1>with journalists who were asking about allegations of rampant dodginess

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<v Speaker 1>in the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union the CFMEIU.

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<v Speaker 2>No, no, no, no, you're not. Could I ask that you

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<v Speaker 2>retract that last comment.

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<v Speaker 1>It's all about a giant taxpayer funded one hundred billion

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<v Speaker 1>dollar infrastructure program in Victoria called Big Build. Last week,

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<v Speaker 1>an investigation into the Victorian branch of the CFMEU found

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<v Speaker 1>the huge Big Build program was the root of criminality

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<v Speaker 1>involving the union. Jeffrey Watson sc said in his report

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<v Speaker 1>the union descended into rampant crime and violence, saying it

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<v Speaker 1>had become a violent, hateful and greedy rabble that consorted

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<v Speaker 1>with serious criminals, including outlaw motors gangs. Watson said physical

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<v Speaker 1>threats of violence or death were made to officials, including

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<v Speaker 1>the administrator of the Union, ACTU leader Sally McManus, and

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<v Speaker 1>federal ministers as well as journalists. He also accused the

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<v Speaker 1>union administrator, a barrister appointed by the Albanese government, of

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<v Speaker 1>ordering him to strip out criticism of the Victorian Labor

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<v Speaker 1>government from the report. That's descended into a slanging match

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<v Speaker 1>between Watson and senior Victorian government ministers, accusing one another

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<v Speaker 1>of unprofessionalism. On Thursday, Alan said at a media conference,

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<v Speaker 1>anyone who's been a victim of union wrongdoing should go

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<v Speaker 1>to the police, and a reporter asked why she sounded

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<v Speaker 1>uninterested if you look since.

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<v Speaker 2>I'll make two points on this and can I ask

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<v Speaker 2>that you retract that last point? No, I know you're not.

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<v Speaker 2>Could I ask that you retract that last comment? This

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<v Speaker 2>is an incredibly serious matter that I'm working incredibly hard on.

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<v Speaker 2>I'd ask for this press conference to continue us at

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<v Speaker 2>your track that last observation.

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<v Speaker 1>Victorian Opposition later Jess Hill said the right course of

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<v Speaker 1>action was clear.

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<v Speaker 3>Every single non government political party supported the Liberal National's

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<v Speaker 3>motion to call a royal commission into CFMME misconduct. Today

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<v Speaker 3>we've heard that Labor backbenchers and Labor ministers are also

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<v Speaker 3>calling on the Premier to call a royal commission.

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<v Speaker 1>Allan also denied her own Party wanted a Royal commission

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<v Speaker 1>into the issue.

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<v Speaker 2>I want to make it absolutely clear that no one

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<v Speaker 2>in the caucus has raised with me matters regarding the

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<v Speaker 2>calling of a Royal commission. A claims don't stack up.

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<v Speaker 2>There has already been a Royal commission that failed. And furthermore,

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<v Speaker 2>when Liberals call for a Royal commission, it's all about

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<v Speaker 2>wanting to clawback workers' wages.

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<v Speaker 1>This story is live right now at the Australian dot

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<v Speaker 1>Com dot ag and come back to the front first

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<v Speaker 1>thing in the morning for our close look at the

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<v Speaker 1>biggest story in the world right now, the giant American

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<v Speaker 1>armata preparing to attack Iran and what would happen next.

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<v Speaker 1>See you right here Friday morning.