Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training representing the Minister for Employment. Will the minister update the House on the action the government is taking to remove the threat of thuggery in our workplaces? What support is there for the government's approach?

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

I thank the member for Reid for his question. He knows a thing or two about dealing with thuggery, having run pubs for 23 years before he came into this place. He did a very good job. He was very successful. He knows a thing or two about dealing with thuggery and bad behaviour—

Honourable members interjecting—

He is not the only one, Madam Speaker, who knows a bit about dealing with thuggery in this place—former members and current members—

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence for the answer.

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—

The member for Gorton!

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

'The CFMEU needs to be brought to heel over the way it conducts itself in this country.' They are not my words; they are the words of Martin Ferguson, a very distinguished former member of this House, and a very distinguished former resources minister in this place—

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is far too much noise.

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

In fact, his distinguished brother still sits here and, I am sure, agrees with Martin's assessment of the CFMEU. He said, in fact, very recently: 'The manner in which the BLF conducted themselves is now rife within branches of the CFMEU. The CFMEU should be brought to heel and required to conduct themselves in a fair and reasonable way.

Martin Ferguson is absolutely right. He went on to say:

… for the sake of the industry and the need to attract investment in Australia, especially in this very challenging economic time, we need a policeman on the beat to bring a sense of stability and decency to the building industry.

Martin Ferguson is absolutely right. That is exactly what this government is trying to do by re-establishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

The obstacle that stands in the way of doing that is the Labor Party and the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition is coming perilously close to the way Luke Foley has conducted himself as the Leader of the Opposition in New South Wales. Martin Ferguson had some things to say about Mr Foley as well, quite recently. He said:

Luke Foley's campaign has been tarnished by rank opportunism and blatant scaremongering … Luke Foley is sending a very clear message that he doesn't care about jobs or energy security for NSW.

Martin Ferguson is talking there about Labor's extremely opportunistic campaign on poles and wires in New South Wales. But it applies equally to the Leader of the Opposition's approach to bringing back the Australian Building and Construction Commission. Any serious political party that opposes that bill has no interest in sovereign risk and no interest in investment confidence in Australia. What they are saying is that they believe the building and construction industry in Australia does not need the kind of oversight that the ABCC brought to building and construction in Australia. I urge the Leader of the Opposition to get out of the way and get on the program with Martin Ferguson.