Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, representing the Minister for Employment. Will the minister outline to the House the government's commitment to ensure that employer and employee organisations always act in the best interests of their members? What policies are being implemented by this government to ensure the future prosperity of all Australians by promoting jobs and growth in our economy? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

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

I thank the member for Robertson for her question. She, like all members of this side of the House, knows that Australia's economy needs reform of the building and construction industry, it needs economic stability and safety in the road transport industry, and it needs to support honest union leaders. The opposition is undermining all three. The Leader of the Opposition abolished the Australian Building and Construction Commission when he was in government as a minister. The Leader of the Opposition presided over the RSRT's introduction and the sordid deal with the TWU for $220,000 of taxpayers' money for a so-called education campaign which, three years later, is yet to be launched. Of course, the opposition does not support the Registered Organisations Commission, which would support honest trade union leaders and make sure that dishonest trade union leaders were rooted out of the system.

Only a Turnbull government will establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission. Only a Turnbull government will pass the Registered Organisations Commission into law. Only a Turnbull government will support owner-driver truck operators in Australia—35,000 individuals whose livelihoods rely on being able to get on with their job free from interference from the RSRT.

The last time we had the Australian Building and Construction Commission productivity in the building and construction industry rose by nine per cent—consumers were better off to the tune of $7½ billion a year—and industrial disputation fell in the building and construction industry. By contrast, in the last December quarter, since the abolition of the ABCC, industrial disputes in building and construction represented two-thirds of all days lost in our economy—two-thirds of all days lost in our economy in the December quarter were in the building and construction industry. There is a lawlessness at large in the building and construction industry.

An opposition member: Rubbish!

'Rubbish,' they say. Who was the brave soul who said, 'Rubbish'? The Heydon royal commission made it all up, I assume! There are 108 CFMEU officials in front of the courts right now and this brave soul says Dyson Heydon made it all up in the royal commission. What a disgraceful interjection.

The truth is that, if we bring the Australian Building and Construction Commission back, we will improve productivity in the building and construction industry, we will have less industrial disputation and we will have safer worksites where workers are looked after and small businesses are not bullied by standover merchants in the CFMEU. The Leader of the Opposition must break his umbilical cord like attachment to the CFMEU. (Time expired)