Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Kroger for her question. The new building code will promote best-practice workplace relations in the construction industry. Too often, contractors and large building companies have entered into lazy, unproductive agreements that create increased costs. These costs are not met by the building company but are passed on to those ultimately paying for the work—namely, the Australian taxpayer. If a contractor wants to undertake taxpayer funded work, the government requires that it be able to do that work efficiently and productively. The priority of the code is squarely on ensuring that taxpayers receive value for money.

The building and construction industry has been subject to either a legislative building code or administrative guidelines since 1998. Unfortunately, the strong code under the Howard government was emasculated by the previous government when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. The Productivity Commission's recently released draft report on public infrastructure recommended:

All Australian governments should adopt the Victorian building code guidelines—

those of the state from which Senator Kroger comes—

(or ones with an essentially similar framework) for their own major infrastructure purchases. The Australian Government should require compliance with these guidelines …

The Fair and Lawful Building Sites Code is based on those 2006 federal guidelines. The new building code will put taxpayers' interests first, unlike Mr Shorten's building code, which put union bosses first.