Union’s tweet is not kid’s stuff: PM

LABOR has warned the Federal Government not to overreact and ban a union because of an inappropriate tweet sent by a Victorian official.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is considering deregistering the construction union after a high-profile member used a picture of his kids in a campaign against the building industry watchdog.

CFMEU Victorian official John Setka uploaded to social media on Sunday a photo of his young children with the caption: “Leave our dads alone and go catch the real criminals you cowards.”

The children are holding a sign that reads: “Go get f*#*ed”.

“The CFMEU has behaved under John Setka like a bunch of thugs and to involve his children in that, I think, is one of the ugliest things I’ve seen,” Mr Morrison said yesterday.

“When you see children being used in these sorts of protests ... this stuff just makes your skin crawl.”

Mr Setka, state secretary of the union’s construction division, has since deleted the tweet.

“Mea Culpa. Was emotional on Father’s Day after tough year on family. Shouldn’t have included kids. Now deleted,” he posted on Twitter.

Senior Labor MP Anthony Albanese acknowledged the tweet was inappropriate but said the Government never spoke about the crucial role of unions in keeping people safe on construction sites.

“An individual sent a tweet – let’s put this in some perspective here,” Mr Albanese said.

“It’s an inappropriate tweet, but we shouldn’t determine policy over what occurs in the construction industry over a tweet.”

Mr Morrison said he would “of course” consider deregistering the union and discuss this with Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O’Dwyer. The militant union was out of control, he said.

TO INVOLVE HIS (CFMEU OFFICIAL JOHN SETKA’S) CHILDREN IN THAT, I THINK, IS ONE OF THE UGLIEST THINGS I’VE SEEN

“This is the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” he later told Melbourne radio 3AW. “I’m looking very seriously at this.”

The Prime Minister called on Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to sever all ties between the Labor Party, Mr Setka and the CFMEU.

“You’re known by who you stand next to,” Mr Morrison said. “Bill Shorten’s got his arms all around John Setka, and John Setka’s got his arms all around Bill Shorten.”

The Builders Labourers Federation was deregistered in the mid-1980s after a royal commission into corruption in the industry.

SCOTT MORRISON