Australia's powerful construction union is gearing up for a brawl with the Morrison government after the prime minister threatened to shut it down.
Scott Morrison is considering deregistering the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union after voicing his disgust with a Victorian official using his children to campaign against the building industry watchdog.
CFMMEU Victorian official John Setka posted a picture of his children holding a sign saying 'Go get f*#*ed' with the caption "Leave our dads alone and go catch the real criminals you cowards".
He later deleted the tweet, admitting he shouldn't have included his kids and saying he was emotional on Father's Day after a tough year on his family.
The union's national construction secretary Dave Noonan said the CFMMEU would vigorously resist any attempts to deregister it.
He accused Mr Morrison of trying to distract from problems within the Liberal Party.
Labor leader Mr Shorten said the attack on the CFMMEU was a distraction.
"He wants to create a fight with the CFMEU because he's got no plans for Australians and their jobs and their healthcare, hospitals and schools."
Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek said it was "a bit rich" for the prime minister to threaten shutting down an entire union over one tweet.
"It's like saying we should ban banks because we continue to see bad behaviour from the banking sector," she told ABC radio.
Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer said the government would "consider all options" on the future of the CFMMEU.
"John Setka's use of his own children in an obscene image to target the hardworking officials of the Australian Building and Construction Commission is beyond the pale," she said.
Ms O'Dwyer called on Labor to support a bill before the Senate which would allow unions to be deregistered for widespread lawlessness.
The legislation would also see union mergers, like the CFMMEU's amalgamation with the maritime union earlier in the year, subject to a public interest test.
