Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the government's decision to abolish the construction watchdog. Why is the government prioritising the interests of its union bosses ahead of tackling important issues in regional Australia, such as rising construction costs? Why is Labor making a bad situation worse?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm asked about the government's priorities, and we showed our priorities this morning with the first bills that we introduced: the clean energy target of 43 per cent by 2030, the aged-care reforms, the creation of Jobs and Skills Australia—all of the legislation that we did as well for 10 days paid domestic and family violence leave. That's where we're showing our priorities. We show our priorities through the legislation that we introduce; the opposition are showing their priorities through the questions which they're asking, and people will draw their own conclusions.

I make this point about industrial relations in the workplace. Australians must have a workplace relations system that is based on fairness, that's based on mutual trust and respect, and based on obeying the rule of law—and the rule of law should be obeyed constantly. And where there are breaches of the rule of law by either unions or employers, including in the construction industry, then the rule of law should apply.

We have a simple view though that all workers should be subject to the same laws and regulations as others. That is simply our view. It was our view when we opposed the creation of this body. It's been our view throughout.

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

120 years!

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wouldn't really say 20 years; I'd say since 1891. Our view has been that, in workplaces, workers deserve a fair go, and when that occurs through their representatives then unions should behave appropriately.

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But they don't.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Where they don't, action should be taken. And where employers don't behave appropriately, action should be taken.

What we have seen with the ABCC, just like with the ROC, the Registered Organisations Commission, is its politicisation. Remember the whiteboard over there and the minister hiding behind it? Remember the tip-offs to the media for raids on the AWU—how did that go? How much taxpayer money was used in pursuing something that was then abandoned? My view is very clear: that all workers should be treated equally, that unions should behave properly, that employer organisations should behave properly and that there is a common interest between unions and employers, which is why they will be brought together in the Jobs and Skills Summit.