The ACT Labor Party should not continue to accept any donations from the CFMEU and Chief Minister Andrew Barr should say so.

Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee has slammed what she calls Barr’s “weak response” to serious national allegations surrounding the CFMEU and demanded the chief minister suspend affiliation with the union while investigations are ongoing around the country.

“We have seen a number of state leaders in other jurisdictions take action on this issue including suspending affiliations with the CFMEU but all Andrew Barr has done is dodge and deflect,” she says

“This includes SA where the premier has written to the state Labor Executive asking it to suspend affiliation despite there being no evidence of criminality related specifically to the SA branch of the CFMEU.

“It is not good enough for Andrew Barr to point the finger at other state branches of the CFMEU and say we don’t accept donations from those branches so it will be business as usual.

“The CFMEU is a member of the ACT Labor Party, provides donations, and has significant input into party leadership positions and Canberrans should be rightly concerned about the recent revelations of criminals and bikie gangs infiltrating the CFMEU.

“We know the integrity commission investigation into the Campbell Primary School modernisation project has heard evidence that a local company missed out on a job despite being the preferred tenderer because it was allegedly not favoured by the CFMEU.

“These are very serious allegations and it is right and proper that Andrew Barr show some leadership and suspend affiliation with the CFMEU and reject donations from the organisation while investigations are happening around the country,” she says.