The Senate has passed one of the Coalition government's key bills targeting unions with the support of every crossbencher except the Tasmanian Jacqui Lambie, in a marathon session that extended until just after 2am on Tuesday morning.
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The Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment Bill 2014 passed the senate 33-30 at 2.13am having been rejected twice by the last Parliament.
It fulfils one of the Coalition's key promises made by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott ahead of his election success in 2013 and in the wake of the Health Services Union corruption scandal.
The passage of the legislation means unions will be subject to the same regulations required of corporations. A new regulator, the Registered Organisations Commission, will oversee unions instead of the Fair Work Commission.
The bill also includes harsher punishments for corrupt union officials caught breaching their obligations.
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said in a statement the Labor party was wrong to oppose the reforms.
"I commend the crossbench senators who negotiated constructively to deliver good policy in the national interest," Senator Cash said.
"Bill Shorten's Labor Party has again shown that it would rather defend union rorters than protect union members. Mr Shorten's position on this legislation embodies all that is wrong with the modern Labor Party."
"Labor even voted against enhanced whistle-blower protections to protect union members who are the subject of mistreatment."
Labor Senator Penny Wong told the Senate the bills were an ideological attack on trade unions from the Coalition.
"This bill is deeply flawed," Senator Wong said.
"It is not only deeply flawed as a piece of substantive legislation but also part of a deeply offensive ideological agenda on the part of this government," she said.
The extra whistleblower protections were put forward by South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon and Victorian Senator Derryn Hinch.
Senator Hinch said they could be the "best in the world."
He defended his decision to support the government's union-busting bills saying he was "pro-worker and anti-corruption."
"If the union movement is to be strengthened, then it will only happen if potential members can be confident that their leadership is working to benefit members and not themselves."
