George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

It is a very pertinent question, if I may say so, Senator Bernardi. When the Labor Party abolished the ABCC in 2012, it reduced the maximum penalty for breaking the law by more than two-thirds. The maximum for a corporation or union went from 1,000 penalty units down to 300 penalty units. At the time, this was a drop from $110,000 for contravention of the law to only $33,000. These lower penalties are now even less effective as a deterrent to stop rogue union officials—particularly but not only from the CFMEU—breaking the law. That is why our government is committed to reinstating the maximum penalties a court can impose for breaches back to a maximum of 1,000 penalty units—which is currently up to $170,000 in the case of a corporation, by the way.