Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science. I remind the minister that yesterday the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry executive officer, James Pearson, warned that every Australian is paying up to 30 per cent more for building projects than they need to. Will the minister outline how the rule of law promotes more jobs and better investment?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Gilmore. It is absolutely clear, after their votes in this House over the last two days, that the Labor Party are deliberately running a parliamentary protection racket for the thugs of the CFMEU. And it is not just our view. What we heard yesterday from ACCI was absolutely clear: a failure to pass the Australian Building and Construction Commission legislation would add 30 per cent to the cost of what would otherwise be construction in Australia—30 per cent, and that means jobs and that means fewer projects and that means that the outcome is that the workers suffer and the community suffers.

But it is not just ACCI that says this. We know that the Master Builders has done work in this space. In an article headed 'Nation held to ransom by union thugs' in The Courier-Mail, here is what was said:

THE cost of nation-changing projects will fall by 30 per cent if union thugs can be erased from building sites by a powerful new watchdog, according to Master Builders Australia.

But it is worse than that. It is the community that actually suffers from Labor's intransigence and protection racket. What did Master Builders go on to say?

It is the community that is being cheated, it is the community that is being deprived of the much-needed classrooms, the additional hospital beds, the additional childcare places.

So it is clear that Labor are deliberately willing to destroy jobs to protect a union which is thuggish and itself destroys jobs. The one thing that the CFMEU is willing to do is to create some jobs on that side—and right on cue—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat.

Mr Hunt interjecting—

The minister will resume his seat! The member for Grayndler on a point of order—and he will state the point of order.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is casting aspersions on members, which is of great concern, Mr Speaker, but of particular concern are the aspersions that he has continued to cast on you as Speaker.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Grayndler—I can cope. The minister has the call.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Exactly on that point, there are members on that side that owe their jobs to the CFMEU: the member for Calwell, the member for Shortland and the member for Hotham, and that is before we get to the member for Gorton. They all owe their jobs to the CFMEU. But, interestingly, the CFMEU is now selecting Labor's frontbench. An article in The Age is headed 'Factional "Dalek" Kim Carr faces the axe in Labor frontbench reshuffle'. We know that Kim Carr was on his way out. Interestingly, in that article we read, after a little bit of shenanigans: 'CFMEU state secretary John Setka said the move against Senator Carr was being pushed by a "few egos in Sydney"'—no offence, Albo—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will refer to members by their correct titles.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

'who had held "clandestine meetings" during the election.' So what happened is that Kim Carr was reinstated at the behest of the CFMEU. Professor Leigh lost his pay and, as a consequence, he knows what it is like to be a Clean Event worker. (Time expired)