Thursday, 23 October 2025

“By placing her full trust and confidence in the CFMEU Administrator, Amanda Rishworth has tied her future to the performance of Administrator Irving to clean up the CFMEU,” said Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Employment and Small Business, Tim Wilson.

“The Rishworth-Irving backing is now the strongest possible endorsement that could be offered from a Minister, and Minister Rishworth has tied her performance to the Administrator. 

“After a week we haven’t heard from the Minister, the Administrator, or the Fair Work Commission about the Gatto-Smith-Setka CFMEU connections, so today we have written to them seeking briefings.” 

With Parliament returning, the Coalition will seek further answers into what action has been taken over unanswered questions about the impact of the Administration and whether the Minister has acted to restore integrity to her process.

“The Administrator was appointed to clean up the CFMEU, not cover up corruption. Australians deserve to know who knows what and when.

“At best you could say the Minister is running interference for accountability, in truth she is increasingly circling the wagon to protect the CFMEU cartel kickbacks.

“When you establish a process, you should be following it. The Minister has stood by her Government’s process. If it’s not working, something needs to happen, and someone must be accountable for that and she’s the one who’s strapped her parachute to the Administrator.

“We have asked simple questions and are not getting any answers. Someone is not being forthright with the Australian people and it would be better for the Minister to act sooner than later.

“If the Administrator or the Fair Work Commission has information that points to misconduct, it must be transparent. If one does over the other, then her process has failed. The public expects accountability, not bumbling silence,” Mr Wilson said.

ENDS