Interview with Chris O’Keefe on 2GB Drive

 **11 January 2023** **Subjects:** Union Membership Fees for Non-Union Members **E &OE…** ‍ ##### **Chris O'Keefe** We've got the Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg. He's joining us now. G'day Andrew. ##### **Senator Andrew Bragg** Hey Chris. How are you? ##### **Chris O'Keefe** Good, thanks. Senator, what do you want to say about all that. You heard Gerard Hayes? ##### **Senator Andrew Bragg** Well, I think your last caller also made a very good point that this is really about an agenda of accumulating new funds and unions are very good at these slush fund jobs, you know they're very good at creating these new entities and I think that's really what it's all about. Look ordinarily you'd say it's an avid claim Chris, but I think in this environment where the Labor government in Canberra has been prepared to legislate for industry wide bargaining, you'd have to say it's potentially a risk. ##### **Chris O'Keefe** Could you honestly see Anthony Albanese going down that path, allowing unions to force non-union members to pay a fee? ##### **Senator Andrew Bragg** Look, I think it would be a bridge too far even for him. But you have to say that all this government has done so far has been to work through the log of claims from their favourite vested interests. You've got Stephen Jones covering up the super fund donations. You've got industry bargaining from Tony Burke. You've got Mark Dreyfus taking away the changes we made to improve class action legal outcomes. So all they're doing is working through the log of claims from the vested interests and frankly the government hasn't got much time to think about the other economic challenges or the real economic challenges that are facing the country. ##### **Chris O'Keefe** Sure, when the Liberal Party gets in, there is a log of claims from the business community and the industry groups too. So I don't think that's all that surprising. But Senator, I will ask you on the flip side right, what Gerard Hayes was saying and the union movement is saying, do you have any sympathy to the view at all if they're spending money going out and negotiating and fighting for pay rises, non-union members should pay for that work? ##### **Senator Andrew Bragg** Well no, because the enterprise agreements that have been agreed by those workplaces have been agreed by the workplaces. I mean that's ultimately the businesses judgement to make those payments to those workers, and we have freedom of association in this country. So I think it is a really crazy idea and as I say, I mean the whole point of it is to line the coffers of these unions. ##### **Chris O'Keefe** Well good on you Senator, I really appreciate you calling in and we'll talk soon. ##### **Senator Andrew Bragg** Thanks Chris, cheers. ##### **Chris O'Keefe** That's the Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg. ‍