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Anthony Albanese will seek Victorian construction union boss John Setka's expulsion from the ALP for disparaging family violence campaigner Rosie Batty.Credit:AAP,Joe Armao

"I don't want him in our party. It's that simple."

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also broke a long silence on the matter to join the push for Mr Setka's expulsion over the comments,revealed inThe Age andSydney Morning Herald on Saturday.

Mr Andrews will also move to remove the union official from a government board,with the Premier saying some of the union leader's recent conduct was"disgraceful".

Mr Andrews said Mr Setka's comments about Ms Batty"cannot be defended in any context".

ACTU secretary Sally McManus has also,for the first time,called for Mr Setka's resignation from the union if allegations of violence,including that he threw an iPad at a woman,are correct.

"There is no place for[these actions] ... in leadership positions in our movement,"Ms McManus'statement said.

She is returning to Australia from a trip overseas to deal with the issue.

Pressure has been mounting on Mr Setka,the secretary of the Victorian branch of the powerful Construction,Forestry,Maritime,Mining and Energy Union,to resign since it was reported hetold a union meeting last Wednesday that Ms Batty's advocacy work had led to men having fewer rights.

Mr Setka has previously said his comments about Ms Batty did not amount to an attack on her and those claiming otherwise had taken him out of context or were being mischievous.

Ms Batty,a previous Australian of the Year who was on Sunday appointed anOfficer of the Order of Australia for her work,has said she was disappointed that Mr Setka's comments distracted from her Queen's Birthday honour.

Ms McManus had previously declined to comment,and then,on Monday,altered this position to call on Mr Setka to apologise for the remarks about Ms Batty,which she said,if correctly reported,were"appalling and totally unacceptable".

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has also strengthened his position in recent days and called on Mr Setka to apologise.

Mr Albanese stressed that Mr Setka's likely party expulsion was not a response tocharges laid against the union leader for harassing a woman. Mr Setka has indicated he will plead guilty to two charges.

Police analysis of Mr Setka's phone revealed that in one night last October he called the woman 25 times and sent her 45 text messages,one of which called her a"weak f---en piece of shit".

At a doorstop at Burwood Girl's School on Tuesday afternoon,Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Mr Setka should have resigned"a long time ago".

"I can tell you,they can root out one Labor thug in the union movement,but there's plenty more where John Setka came from,because the CFMMEU is one of the most litigated against and charged union movements in the country,"Mr Morrison said.

"Their charge sheet is longer than your arm,and John Setka is just one of many."

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