Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Fisher for his question. I know that he, like the rest of the government, is very interested in the effect that the Australian Building and Construction Commission can bring to the wider economy in Australia, creating jobs, investment and growth. I am very pleased to say that the last time the Australian Building and Construction Commission was in place it saved consumers $7½ billion in costs, it increased productivity in the building and construction industry by 16½ per cent and it led to a very real reduction in days lost due to industrial strife. Last year, as the House would know, the Turnbull government passed legislation to bring back the Australian Building and Construction Commission—a signature achievement—after many attempts over the previous three years.

One would assume that every member of the House, whether they were Labor, crossbench or government, would want to create the kinds of jobs that can be created through higher productivity in building and construction by having less union militant behaviour and by reducing the price to consumers. But it is not so. The Leader of the Opposition led the Labor Party into opposing the Australian Building and Construction Commission. Many of us in the national policy area scratched our heads and wondered why. I think we have now picked up a few reasons why. There may well be a coup because of the revelations of the year of funding up to the 2016 federal election. The union movement spent an incredible $26½ million of other people's money campaigning against the Turnbull government.

Ms Butler interjecting—

See this speech in context