Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As a little bit of background on myself, before I came into this place I was always a member of a union. I was with the PKIU and also in the Police Association of New South Wales all my working life. For 35 years in the workforce, I was a member of a union and proud of the fact that I always got paid a good day's pay for a good day's work. So, I am really appreciative of unions myself. But there are also times when something goes wrong within unions, and sometimes it might be a union official.

But I rise today to support the Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Bill 2013 [No. 2], which re-establishes the Australian Building and Construction Commission. I represent an electorate where the future of this industry is vital for workers, bosses, business owners and the local residents. In Macarthur there are many new housing developments and new suburbs being built. These include new homes in Oran Park, Harrington Grove, Gregory Hills, Spring Farm, Elderslie and Macarthur Heights. These new developments will accommodate an extra 200,000 new residents in my electorate over the next 25 years. That is a population increase of more than 300 per cent, a huge number of new residents who will rely on the stability and efficiency of this industry.

The building and construction work taking place in my electorate employs thousands of workers from Macarthur and south-west Sydney. They make up a major part of the industry that is stimulating our local economy and keeping locals employed. There is no doubt that the industry is vital to job creation in my electorate. It is also an essential sector of the Australian economy. In fact, it is the third largest employer in the country. That is why it is imperative that the Australian Building and Construction Commission is re-established. It is a strong watchdog that will maintain the rule of law to protect workers and their employers in this industry and improve productivity on building sites and construction projects.

When Labor abolished the ABCC in 2012 the commission was replaced with a weaker regulator. At the same time, Labor also removed certain provisions that addressed problems of industrial unlawfulness in the construction industry. Under the current legislation, the Fair Work (Building Industry) Act, standards of behaviour in the industry have declined; there is no doubt about that. The industry has returned to its previous practices, where disputes are violent and thuggery and disregard for the rule of law thrive, and that is very unfortunate. This bill we speak on today will reverse Labor's changes to the laws that underpinned the Australian Building and Construction Commission before it was abolished in 2012. The ABCC will replace the Office of the Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate and will put in place stronger and more effective laws that existed under the former Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2005.

The main objective of this bill is to provide an improved workplace relations framework for building and construction work. This will ensure that it is carried out fairly, efficiently and productively for the benefit of all building industry participants and for the benefit of the Australian economy as a whole. It prohibits unlawful industrial action, unlawful picketing, coercion and discrimination. In Macarthur and across the nation the construction industry provides many jobs for workers in small business and large enterprises and for contractors. If we combine this with primary and secondary businesses that directly supply to the construction industry, we are looking at very strong figures in terms of employment and output.

Debate interrupted.

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