Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Will the minister advise the House how militant union behaviour has impacted on small business in the building and construction sector? And how will the Australian Building and Construction Commission and Registered Organisations Commission restore integrity to the sector and generate jobs for hardworking Australians?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hughes for his question. The 300,000 small businesses in the construction industry annually contribute more than $50 billion to GDP. There are 2,359 small businesses in the construction industry in the member for Hughes's electorate. They make up 20 per cent of the number of small businesses in his seat.

The coalition government is absolutely committed to creating an environment for these construction small businesses to thrive, not one in which they are concerned for their livelihoods. We have passed the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Bill 2014. We have delivered on a key election commitment to improve the transparency of registered organisations.

However, the most critical part of successfully creating this environment is bringing back the Australian Building and Construction Commission, to tackle the bullying and to tackle the lost productivity and the threats from disgraced union members. The most critical part, absolutely, is doing this.

We heard from the minister for health, aged care and sport, talking about the Gold Coast and the Commonwealth Games construction a little earlier on. We of course remember what happened on the Gold Coast not that long ago—we heard the Prime Minister enunciate it, at this very dispatch box: the CFMEU official who said: 'I know your phone number. I know where you live.' And that sort of bullying and that sort of intimidation has to be outlawed. Mind you, the swearing that he continued with I will not repeat in this chamber.

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

No, you won't.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is reserved only for CFMEU officials and water ministers from South Australia. But I do like this particular quote: 'The list of projects affected by CFMEU lawlessness is simply staggering—everything from major gas export projects to major road and rail projects to children's hospitals, schools, social housing and community facilities. Lawlessness and dysfunction means all these facilities cost more, get delayed or both.' That was our employment minister, Senator Michaelia Cash. And you would expect her to say that. However, let me also quote from Wilhelm Harnisch, who was the CEO of Master Builders Australia:

The ABCC, in particular, is what the community deserves. At its very core, the ABCC provides statutory backing that will see the cost of construction for schools, hospitals and roads reduced significantly.

I would have thought that the member for Grayndler, given his position, would want to see the cost of roads reduced significantly.

Master Builders has backed the ABCC for over a decade.

Harnisch said that. James Pearson, the CEO of the Australian chamber of commerce, also agrees. The cost of infrastructure—and we have heard the Treasurer say this—is up to 30 per cent higher than it should be, due to unlawful practices. So taxpayers get less value from government spending and we all pay more. We need to reinstate the ABCC. We need to do it immediately.