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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2017/oct/25/labor-calls-australian-workers-union-raids-an-abuse-of-power-politics-live
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| Shorten accuses Coalition of using federal police to do 'political dirty work' – politics live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 10.35pm BST | |
| 22:35 | |
| He moves on to what he calls “the extraordinary events of late yesterday”. | |
| I am proud of having spent my adult life working and standing up for working people and the less disadvantaged of our society and I am frankly appalled at the Turnbull government hitting a new low yesterday, with their attempts to smear myself, Labor and unions. This is an increasingly desperate government who stands for nothing and their last resort is to smear their opponents. And this is not the first time the desperate Liberals have tried to smear me. A whole royal commission was set up in no small part to attack my reputation. $80m of taxpayer money wasted. I answered and attended that royal commission over two days and I answered nearly 1,000 questions and at the end of that massive waste of money, that political smear fest, there were no adverse findings made and yet again, yesterday, the government is wasting taxpayer money in an increasingly grubby effort, by a grubby government and quite frankly a grubby prime minister, who have been exposed for standing for nothing and all they have left is to try and damage the reputation of their opponents. I want to make this pledge to the Australian people: Turnbull can be as focused as he wants on smearing me, I am focused on serving you.” | |
| He said the use of “30 AFP officers to collect documents, which the union has said all they had to do is ring up, was an amazing waste of money”. | |
| But we understand what this is about – and I have the greatest respect for the Australian federal police and its serving officers. What I don’t respect is that the regulator, at the behest of the government, is conducting a political witch hunt designed to throw mud in the hope that some will stick. Now I know that this government can keep digging and digging and digging and they can keep wasting taxpayer money right up to the next election, there is nothing of substance or foundation and the royal commission established that. The royal commission had many more resources than this latest pitiful attempt. But the fact of the matter is, this is a government that has run out of anything positive to say, so all they can do is attack their opponents. | |
| The AFP just didn’t work this out on their own, no doubt they were directed by the Registered Organisations Committee. This is a little-known organisation which was set up in the last few months by the government to do exactly what we predicted they would do – hunt down and smear the reputation of the opponents of the government. I do think the government has serious questions to answer. I think Turnbull and his minister have serious questions to answer. How is it possible that journalists were able to be there in advance of the police visit and how on earth did the journalists know about the raid? I don’t think the AFP told the media, I am sure it was the government. | |
| The AFP have got a job to do. My criticism is with the government of Australia. They are using the Registered Organisations Commission and through them, the federal police to carry out the political dirty work of the government. I think it is a low use of high office. We all know why the police were there yesterday. They are looking at matters which the government want them to look at through through the Registered Organisations Committee. Does anyone think, that if I wasn’t leader of the opposition, any of this farce would have happened yesterday? | |
| I have the greatest of respect for the AFP, I don’t question the integrity of the AFP, I question the integrity of Turnbull and the government. Is this really the best use of scarce police resources, is this really the best use of the AFP, when we need them out there catching the drug criminals, going after the crime syndicates. Only yesterday morning, the commissioner of the Australian federal police made it clear that anti-crime operations were going wanting because there weren’t enough resources. I think the government should hang their head in shame in this matter. | |
| It is not about the AFP as far as I am concerned. Let’s really get to the heart of this matter – the government doesn’t like the fact that unions make donations to progressive causes promoted by Labor candidates and the government don’t like me, but they shouldn’t be using taxpayer resources on this nonsense. | |
| We didn’t get a chance to ask any questions on this, as we did not receive an alert for the press conference. It doesn’t look like a lot of media organisations did. | |
| Updated | |
| at 10.41pm BST | |
| 10.17pm BST | |
| 22:17 | |
| Bill Shorten has extended his condolences to Linda Burney and her family. | |
| Yesterday, her son passed away. A dearly loved, 33-year-old son, of Linda Burney. I can’t imagine what it is like as a parent to lose your child. I know how much her son loved Linda and how much Linda loved her son. At this time, on behalf of Linda and her family, we would request that the media respect her privacy. | |
| Updated | |
| at 10.37pm BST | |
| 10.13pm BST | |
| 22:13 | |
| It doesn’t feel right to jump straight back into politics after learning of such heartache, but that is the job. | |
| Malcolm Turnbull has just finished his press conference. He tried to make it about energy, and continued what has become his latest press conference gimmick–holding his own question and answer session with a business owner. | |
| But as you would expect, it was all about the AWU raids. Here is some of what he had to say: | |
| The AWU has questions to answer, Bill Shorten has questions to answer, why his union was making $100,000 donation to GetUp, an organisation which I might say, is opposed to most of the industries which employ members of the AWU. But they are questions for Mr Shorten to answer and I just want to say that the hysterical attack by Brendan O’Connor on the integrity of the Australian federal police is a disgrace and Bill Shorten should disown that and apologise for that immediately. The police keep us safe. They keep us safe from crime, they keep us safe from terrorism and they uphold the rule of law. And the AWU should comply with the law and when they have spokesman like Mr O’Connor, that would prefer to defend the thugs and the criminals in the CFMEU then stand up for the police that keep us safe, that shows you a lot of the values of the Labor party of Bill Shorten. | |
| Updated | |
| at 10.28pm BST | |
| 10.01pm BST | 10.01pm BST |
| 22:01 | 22:01 |
| Our thoughts are obviously with Linda Burney and her family. | Our thoughts are obviously with Linda Burney and her family. |
| 9.56pm BST | 9.56pm BST |
| 21:56 | 21:56 |
| Linda Burney has made a statement, following the death of her son Binni overnight. | Linda Burney has made a statement, following the death of her son Binni overnight. |
| I will be taking leave from the parliament. | I will be taking leave from the parliament. |
| I wish to advise that my beloved son, Binni Kirkbright-Burney was found dead last night at our family home in Sydney. The NSW police advise that there appears to be no suspicious circumstances but the cause of death is yet to be determined. | I wish to advise that my beloved son, Binni Kirkbright-Burney was found dead last night at our family home in Sydney. The NSW police advise that there appears to be no suspicious circumstances but the cause of death is yet to be determined. |
| I returned to Sydney last night to be with him this one last time. Binni is 33 years old. He is a caring and loving man. He has struggled with mental health and with addiction. He tried so hard to conquer his demons, as I and my family have tried so hard to support him in every way we could. I don’t want to pre-empt subsequent inquiry but we all thought we were getting somewhere. I don’t know what life will be like without him. | I returned to Sydney last night to be with him this one last time. Binni is 33 years old. He is a caring and loving man. He has struggled with mental health and with addiction. He tried so hard to conquer his demons, as I and my family have tried so hard to support him in every way we could. I don’t want to pre-empt subsequent inquiry but we all thought we were getting somewhere. I don’t know what life will be like without him. |
| I understand I am a public figure but in this dire, grief-stricken time for me, I ask that you respect my and my family’s privacy in all respects. When I can, I will speak about this. | I understand I am a public figure but in this dire, grief-stricken time for me, I ask that you respect my and my family’s privacy in all respects. When I can, I will speak about this. |
| In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Hotlines in other countries can be found here | In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Hotlines in other countries can be found here |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 10.10pm BST | |
| 9.54pm BST | 9.54pm BST |
| 21:54 | 21:54 |
| Good morning | Good morning |
| We left you yesterday as the Australian Workers’ Union offices in Melbourne and Sydney had been raided by the Australian federal police, at the direction of the Registered Commissions Organisation, which is looking into some historical donations under Bill Shorten’s stewardship. | |
| The fallout continues today. Labor have labelled the raids “an abuse of ministerial power” and have pointed the finger squarely at Malcolm Turnbull. | The fallout continues today. Labor have labelled the raids “an abuse of ministerial power” and have pointed the finger squarely at Malcolm Turnbull. |
| The prime minister returned fire this morning, calling the Labor response an “hysterical attack” and said Shorten and the AWU had questions to answer. He accused Brendan O’Connor of smearing the AFP, by claiming the raid was politically motivated and called on Shorten to apologise. | |
| He and Josh Frydenberg tried to take back the agenda this morning, heading to Sutton to carry out another Q&A in front of the cameras with a business owner about power prices. | |
| It didn’t work. All questions were about the raid. That’s going to continue all day. | It didn’t work. All questions were about the raid. That’s going to continue all day. |
| Estimates continues, with community affairs, Treasury and Defence under the spotlight today. That includes the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. So that should also keep us busy. | |
| Mike Bowers will be out and about, and the Guardian Australia brains trust will be keeping their eyes peeled. Comments are open, and as always, you can reach us on Twitter @mpbowers and @amyremeikis and Mr Bowers adds a few more pictures to his Instagram @mikepbowers. | Mike Bowers will be out and about, and the Guardian Australia brains trust will be keeping their eyes peeled. Comments are open, and as always, you can reach us on Twitter @mpbowers and @amyremeikis and Mr Bowers adds a few more pictures to his Instagram @mikepbowers. |
| Got your coffee? You’re going to need it today. | Got your coffee? You’re going to need it today. |
| Updated | |
| at 10.12pm BST |