Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) | Hansard source

Thank you. Now that it's slightly quieter, I'd like to make the point as to why this matters. These sorts of arrangements have been used in Queensland, and it has reduced productivity in the construction industry, which is holding back housing supply in this country. So this really matters. It matters because these sorts of provisions were used and abused by the CFMEU in terms of driving organised crime and corruption that cost the taxpayer in Victoria an estimated $15 billion. These are big numbers, and this really matters. So this legislation matters. There are not the safeguards there to stop it affecting the construction industry; it's just an assertion by the minister. That is not good enough, and it exposes other parts of our government to the sorts of enterprise agreements that have happened in the past.

I support enterprise agreements. I wish the government would simplify the awards to make it easier for good businesses to do good enterprise agreements, particularly small businesses, because the awards are so complicated that it's impossible. But we should be using government money to get value for taxpayers, not to support industrial relations arrangements that you guys support. Thank you.

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