E&OE
Senator Cash
The powers of the Australian Building and Construction Commission will, as of tomorrow, be stripped back to the bare legal minimum and this is just a reminder for all Australians of the chaos that is now going to happen in the construction industry across Australia. This decision by the Labor Government at incredibly short notice for industry is going to be a huge economic impact right across Australia at a time of rising inflation and rising interest rates. Why? Why would you put this type of economic hardship on the construction industry? Under the Coalition we restored the building regulator back in 2016. And what you have seen since then is a decrease in working days lost, is a decrease in the lawlessness that under Labor was wrecking the construction industry in Australia. The building and construction industry is Australia’s fifth largest industry. It contributes around 8% in terms of GDP, it employs over 1.1 million Australians, around 400,000 small and family businesses right across Australia. They wake up every single morning and they go to work because of the building and construction industry within Australia. And yet Labor, they are prepared to put all of this at risk. And we all know why. It’s very, very simple. It’s because they are beholden to the CFMMEU in Australia. Just look at the record of the ABCC since it was restored by the Coalition government in 2016. In terms of the cases that it has brought before the courts, it has had a 91% success rate. That is the courts of Australia saying that the ABCC was successful in its prosecutions. The ABCC has seen awarded around $16 million in penalties and fines since we re-established it in 2016. And in terms of assisting employees get their lost wages, you’ve seen them recover over $5 million since 2016. And in relation to subcontractors alone, and progress payments in the last financial year alone, they assisted subcontractors in getting around $5 million in progress payments that were not going to be made. And then you’ve seen this morning, Denita Wawn, who runs the Master Builders Association of Australia. They had commissioned EY to undertake an economic analysis of the ABCC. And what did EY themselves say? That if Labor go ahead and abolish, as they are going to do, the Australian Building and Construction Commission in Australia, you will see approximately a $47.5 billion hit to the economy between now and 2030. Again, at a time of rising inflation, at a time of rising interest rates, when we are just coming out of COVID-19, why would the Australian Labor Party take this step and literally destroy the construction industry in Australia. 1.1 million workers every day, they wake up and they go to work because of this important industry, and Labor because of their relationship with the CFMMEU they are prepared to put all of that at risk.
Journalist
Senator Cash, can you give a commitment that the Coalition will go to the next election promising to bring back, to restore the ABCC?
Senator Cash
Thank you, Joe. It was the Coalition Government in 2016 that dissolved the parliament and went to a double dissolution election because it believed so strongly in holding those responsible for the lawlessness in the construction industry across Australia to account. When you look at the potential impact on costs, Master Builders last time estimated, that construction in Australia, so you’re talking about hospitals, you’re talking about schools, they actually cost 30% more because of the lawlessness that we were seeing on building sites.
Journalist
But will you bring it back?
Senator Cash
Absolutely, yes. We have made that commitment, it does not change. But again, why? Because the economy is too important. The building and construction industry, as an economic entity is just too important to Australia to go back to the bad old days of chaos and lawlessness that we saw last time the ABCC was destroyed.
Journalist
[inaudible question – abolition and restoration of the ABCC related]
Senator Cash
This is not about stickers on helmets. That is a very easy excuse by Labor. If Tony Burke really thought this was just about stickers on helmets, why then not just get rid of that part of the building code? Why do you have to go in, because you have an ideological hatred of good behavior in the building industry, and actually literally throw the baby out with the bathwater. You look at even former prime ministers Rudd and Gillard. They recognized after commissioning the report by the late Mr. Willcox into the construction sector, even they recognized that because of the nature of the unlawful behaviour in the construction sector, that the specialist watchdog was required. So you’ve got two former Labor Prime Ministers and a former Labor Government that recognized because of the report that they commissioned by Mr. Willcox, which clearly stated because of the nature of the unlawful behavior in the construction industry, a specialist building regulator was required.
Journalist
The Federal Court on actual multiple occasions has accused the ABCC of overreach and being quite cavalier in its approach. I mean, isn’t this just a correction of that?
Senator Cash
No, absolutely not. And again, I go to the actual statistics. In relation to the cases that the ABCC have brought – a 91% success rate. That’s the courts of Australia upholding the decisions by the ABCC to prosecute. A 91% success rate, over $16 million in penalties have been handed down. When you look at the recovery of wages since 2016, over $5 million in lost wages have been recovered. And as I said in relation to subcontractors themselves, [inaudible], in just the last financial year, they have assisted these subcontractors get over $5 million. But go to the recent Patterson decision. What did the High Court in the Patterson decision say? They recognized the need for the specialist regulator. Why? Because they said the CFMMEU, they are a recividist offender, they have no regard for the law, they see their behaviour as merely the cost of doing business, and they take no regard to the fines. That is the High Court of Australia. And again, this is all about the economy. This is about the impact on our economy at a time of rising inflation, at a time of rising interest rates. Just look at the EY report, you know, $47.5 billion hit to our economy between now and 2030. Why would you put Australia’s fifth largest industry at risk? And there can only be one answer. And that’s because you are beholden to the CFMMEU in Australia, and they have demanded the abolition.
Journalist
[inaudible question – FWO related]
Senator Cash
Even under Rudd and Gillard when they commissioned the Willcox report, it was recognized that because of the unique nature of the construction industry in Australia, because of the nature of the types of bullying and thuggery that you see on work sites across Australia, before we restored the Australian Building and Construction Commission, that a specialist regulator was required. The other agencies they are just not equipped to undertake the type of work that the ABCC does. And as I said, this was under the former Labor Government. Rudd and Gillard, even they recognised the need for a specialist regulator within the building and construction industry in Australia.
Journalist
Senator Cash, are you embarrassed to have been a minister in a government that would compromise national security by announcing an Operation Sovereign Borders interception before the operation was complete?
Senator Cash
Well, that was answered by Karen Andrews, the former minister. And she was very clear that no caretaker convention had in anyway been breached. I’m actually incredibly proud to be part of the former government that made it very clear to Australians, that the fundamental responsibility of any Commonwealth Government is to keep Australia and Australians safe.
Journalist
[inaudible question – Foot and Mouth Disease border closure related]
Senator Cash
Well clearly Murray Watt is not capable of doing anything in relation to the potential Foot and Mouth Disease disaster that could hit Australia. Too little too late. I actually returned from Bali recently, I was very lucky to have some time off. I went up to Bali as a Western Australian and I can assure you, there were no checks at Perth airport when I came through. The fact that they are taking some action now, that is just delayed action. It shows the contempt that Labor have, in particular for our economy, the rural and regional sector within Australia, that they have not taken more action in a timely fashion. So the reason people call for border closures is because they have absolutely no faith whatsoever in the current Australian Government and the lack of action that they have taken to date.
Journalist
[inaudible – Coalition border closure position]
Senator Cash
The Coalition’s position is that [this] is a decision for the Australian Labor Party and certainly what they have done to date is little or nothing. This could have a devastating impact, a devastating impact on the Australian economy. You’ve got what we’re talking about today, the ABCC and winding back their powers to a bare minimum, a devastating impact on our economy. You’ve got the lack of inaction by Murray Watt in relation to what could again be a potential disaster on the Australian economy. Too little too late is what we’re seeing from the Australian Labor Party.
Journalist
Petter Dutton called for it this morning, do you agree with him or not?
Senator Cash
Absolutely. Too little too late. You call for closed borders because no action has been taken. I tell you, go to Western Australia at the moment, people are absolutely up in arms. Why? Because they understand as an island nation, you have the ability to keep such diseases out. And what we are seeing under Murray Watt, what we are seeing under Murray Watt and Labor is a complete disregard for the potential economic impact, the devastation that could be reaped on Australia.
Journalist
[inaudible question – climate change policy and crossing the floor related]
Senator Cash
The Coalition’s position on climate change has been very, very clear. We are committed to net zero by 2050 utilising technology and not taxes. Again, we are not going to devastate the Australian economy and in particular at a time where finally we are coming out of COVID-19 and the last two years that have just caused so much pain on Australians and Australian families. Just look at our record when we were in government, in particular in relation to emissions reductions. I also though come from the side of politics where you don’t get thrown out because you have your own opinion. But again, the Coalition’s position is very, very clear. Thank you all very much.
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