Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Melbourne can correct the record after question time if he feels that he has been misrepresented. I will continue. The Greens simply set standards for others, never for themselves. The leader of the Greens and the member for Melbourne talk about rights, but will not ensure the rights of workers to be free from thuggery and intimidation on building and construction sites.

The coalition has a proud record of increasing the productivity of the nation whilst maintaining world's-best-practice working conditions. I stand by our record of productivity gains on the waterfront. I stand by the productivity gains that the ABCC was making in the construction industry. The unions and their political wing, the Labor Party, will consistently cry foul that any productivity gain equates to a reduction in labour standards. But I defy anyone in this chamber to name one other country that has working and wage conditions at the standard Australia has. We truly are the lucky country.

I do not stand alone in pointing out the flaws in the government's plan to abolish the ABCC. It is not just this side of the chamber that has been sounding the warning bell on what this bill would mean for industrial disputation and increased cost in the construction industry. The government's favourite business adviser, the CEO of the Australian Industry Group, Heather Ridout, warned:

Unless a strong, well-resourced regulator and strong legislation is maintained, the risks associated with industrial lawlessness will again be priced into construction contracts, at great cost to project owners, including governments, and the Australian community,

Let me interpret that statement for the benefit of the House: the abolition of the ABCC will be a throwback to the old days of union militancy, industry disruption, kickbacks and intimidation in the construction industry.

Construction managers are also expressing concern over the fact that the abolition of the ABCC will have a particular impact on small to medium firms that cannot defend themselves from the aggressive actions of the more militant unions. Gerry Hanssen from Perth based construction firm Hanssen Pty Ltd has warned that, should the ABCC be abolished, the corruption and standover tactics will be 'back in a flash'.

As with the Treasurer's comments in relation to productivity, the government know how to talk the talk but so rarely do they walk the walk. In the time since the Prime Minister introduced the Fair Work Act, union activism and industrial disputation has increased. In the June 2011 quarter, working days lost due to disputation jumped from 19,700 in the previous quarter to 66,200. In the September quarter it increased again to a staggering 101,300 days. That is a 500 per cent increase in two quarters. This should concern all in this chamber and everyone who simply wants to contribute to building a stronger economy and a better nation. John Mullen, CEO of port operator Asciano Ltd, has cautioned that, 'In the current industrial climate, the country is going backwards.' These are all very dire predictions of where this country is heading and the abolition of the ABCC is a giant leap in that direction.

The government's response to any analysis or criticism of its Fair Work Act is to mount a scare campaign, flogging again the dead horse of Work Choices. But this is wearing thin, like so much of the government's rhetoric. It is plain that the industrial relations system in this country has gone backwards and unless the government starts to address the concerns that are raised by businesses, both big and small, and their employees, there will be ever-increasing industrial action, unrest at the workplace and decreased productivity. The best way the government can start to address this issue is by abandoning this legislation and keeping the ABCC with its full powers.

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