Senator Eric Abetz has called on opposition leader Bill Shorten to condemn the CFMEU after its leadership questioned the motivation for a raid on its Canberra office earlier this week.
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But the construction union says the Tasmania senator should concentrate on explaining unanswered questions about his relationship with disgraced former Victorian Liberal state director Damien Mantach.
The raid, which took place on Tuesday, was prompted by evidence given to the trade unions royal commission, and came as commissioner Dyson Heydon considers whether to withdraw himself on the grounds of apprehended bias.
It is understood about 20 police – including forensic and IT specialists – attached to the royal commission raided the Dickson headquarters at 10.30am Tuesday. They stayed for about 13 hours, until almost midnight.
In a statement, the union said the raid was "overkill" and a waste of police resources at a time when they should be focussing on more pressing issues, such as terrorism.
Senator Abetz said the comments were an attempt to smear the integrity of the police force and to conceal alleged criminality.
"These smears have no basis in reality and are offensive to all police forces, which act independently and free of political direction," he said.
Senator Abetz said the union had repeatedly attacked Justice Dyson Heydon along with the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner and the Fair Work Building and Construction agency.
"It is highly disappointing, yet entirely predictable that the CFMEU leadership has once again responded to reports of serious corruption in its ranks by attempting to smear those who have uncovered it," he said.
"This is a disturbing pattern of behaviour."
But CFMEU construction division national secretary Dave Noonan said: "This continues a pattern of strange and nasty behaviour by Senator Abetz. He should concentrate on explaining the unanswered questions about his relationship with disgraced Victorian Liberal Party apparatchik Damien Mantach.
"He should concentrate on answering questions over his role in that scandal."
Senator Abetz was this week drawn into the party's funds scandal with claims he was briefed on a Tasmanian debt long before Mantach's alleged $1.5 million embezzlement.
Senator Abetz was said to have been told about the $48,000 personal spending debt racked up in 2008 by Mr Mantach, when he held the director's position in Tasmania.
On Thursday, Mr Shorten said the royal commission had devolved into "a shambolic and politicised state" and "a mess of some amazing proportions".
"I and Labor have said that ever since Mr Abbott set up a royal commission to investigate his political opponents that it would end in tears," he said.
"Labor has never believed that the royal commission was necessary if you want to stamp down on crime in workplaces."
Mr Shorten said police needed to be given greater support to investigate allegations of bribery and blackmail, although a multimillion royal commission was not needed.
