Jason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer update the House on how ending lawlessness on our building sites will reduce costs and boost productivity in the building and construction industry? Is the Treasurer aware of any vested interests that continue to undermine the efficiency of this important sector of our national economy?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mackellar for his question. Those opposite seem as excited about the topic as we are. It is important that we restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission to improve productivity, improve growth and improve job prospects for those working in the construction industry because we know that the illegal and militant behaviour of unions on construction and building sites is costing Australians jobs, it is costing them better wages and it is costing this country the increased investment that supports the growth of our economy more broadly. We know that Master Builders Australia estimates that the increase in construction costs on schools or hospitals or other important taxpayer funded projects such as roads and so on increases the cost by some 30 per cent.

You would think that the CFMEU and others would at least put aside one particular type of site as being free of the sort of illegal and coercive behaviour that has been found by the Fair Work Commission. You would think that a project run by Common Ground in Brisbane—a project of 146 apartments funded by taxpayers to deal with long-term homelessness—would be exempted from the sort of thuggery that we have seen from the CFMEU, which the Leader of the Opposition describes as 'the side of the angels'.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for Griffith. The member for Sydney has already been warned.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know from the Fair Work Commission that on this project some $545,000 in fines was put on the CFMEU for disrupting work on that site for seven days. On a site of that size you can estimate that the cost to the actual project was probably somewhere closer to $700,000. What we know is that the officials, it says in the statement by Fair Work, showed no contrition, they showed no remorse, but they agreed that they had a engaged in coercion at the site and had disrupted work at the site for seven days in a bid to coerce the head contractor, Grocon, to sign an enterprise agreement.

Ms Butler interjecting—

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

The member for Griffith is warned.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Miles, who is one of the union officials there on the site, used words to this effect—he said to the subbies on the site, 'You have got a long time left in this industry and we can influence your future jobs.' The subcontractor asked, 'What are the consequences to my business if I bring my boys on-site?' Mr Cradden, another official, replied, 'You want to know what the consequences are? You would be committing industrial suicide.' That is what we heard from CFMEU officials on a project that was trying to build housing, shelter, for homeless people, yet this Leader of the Opposition described that behaviour as being on the side of the angels. This is an opposition in the pocket of the CFMEU, with $6 million in donations which they continue to loll around in. (Time expired)

Ms Husar interjecting—

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

The member for Lindsay will cease interjecting.