Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

There was a good reason the coalition established the Australian Building and Construction Commission in 2005. As with most things the Howard government did, it was based on solid evidence, a community and industry need, as well as on facts. That was the way of the Howard administration: clear, careful and considered policies thought through and implemented in the national interest.

In the past four-and-a-bit years, and certainly since the current Prime Minister took over, we have seen the complete opposite. Ill-conceived, knee-jerk decision making at the behest of minorities are anything but in the national interest. The Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Transition to Fair Work) Bill 2011 falls into this typical Labor category. The coalition strongly opposes this bill. We believe that every Australian, whether an employer or an employee, deserves to be able to go to their workplace and operate in an atmosphere where basic law and order is enforced. That goes without saying, and I take exception to the member for Shortland having a go at the coalition, saying that we do not believe in fairness or in safety. Those issues are paramount. We do not distort facts and we do not betray people.

The bill abolishes the body that ensures that law and order is enforced in the building and construction industry. We know why Labor is so keen to bring about an end to the ABCC, and that is because they are beholden to their union mates. They are beholden to the union hierarchy who use hard earned union fees to go on to work sites and into workplaces, close down productivity and put red tape and bureaucracy in front of employers.

See this speech in context