Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

The building and construction industry is of vital importance to economic growth, the employment of subcontractors and the advancement of regional development. I will just repeat that: the building and construction industry is of vital importance to the advancement of regional development. Sometimes I think some speakers in this place—not 'speakers' as in the chair you are occupying, Deputy Speaker Scott, but members speaking, and certainly the Deputy Leader of the Greens, who has just preceded me—may forget about regional development and the importance thereof. In order to ensure builders, subcontractors and homeowners are able to work together—and work well together—it is critical, essential and vital that the balance is restored between builders and unions. That is why the Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Bill 2013 is so important. It is a bill for an act to re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner and for related purposes. It is important, and it needs absolutely to be agreed to by this parliament, by this House of Representatives.

Many building companies in my electorate of the Riverina are small businesses. We heard the member for Fisher, just a little earlier, talking about family businesses, and, indeed, many of those in country areas are just that. They are family businesses and they want to build quality homes and other fit-outs for local, regional, community people. Their work will employ many subcontractors, labourers and other workers during the construction of homes and other projects. It is vital that this industry is supported by government so it can help our nation be the best it can be—to help our nation be a productive, competitive and prosperous economy.

We have heard the Prime Minister saying that we are open for business, but to have a construction industry which is so bogged down by union thuggery—and that is what happens even in, I am sad to say, regional areas—is not good for business. It certainly does not allow the construction industry to be open for business. The coalition government recognises the importance of the building industry and its marvellous contribution to the growth and strength of the Australian economy, particularly in regional and rural areas.

During the lead-up to the 7 September election, the coalition promised the Australian people we would be a government which would grow and strengthen the economy, and we will be. We want to be an infrastructure government, where businesses, families and individuals are encouraged to build and to create jobs. We want to be a government with a diversified economy, where we can restore the balance between those who run our nation's businesses and those who work in them. Unlike the previous government, building companies also know the benefit of being able to balance the books. We want to be a government which pays back the debt. We want to be a government which is open for business, and this piece of legislation will do just that. The building and construction industry is critical to the coalition's plan for economic growth, and prosperity is just what we need in this country right now.

This bill will re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission, which is much needed. It will recreate a strong and independent watchdog for the building and construction industry and assist in the coalition's plan to restore the balance between the industry and the unions. I will be up-front: my wife, Catherine, works in the industry. She is on the Housing Industry Association's Wagga Wagga committee to further enhance and further advance the construction industry in my home city of Wagga Wagga, which has a population of 63,000 and is, thankfully, growing. It is growing thanks to a vibrant industry—an industry which needs a watchdog just like this to be able to grow even further.

This bill also reverses the decision by the Labor Party, when it was in government, to abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission, which it did in 2012. I certainly spoke very vehemently against that at the time. In fact, when the ABCC was abolished by the former government in February 2012, I told this parliament that the decision was an ill-conceived, knee-jerk decision made at the behest of minorities and that it was in anything but the national interest. I stand by that comment today. We have just heard the member for Melbourne, in his usual sanctimonious way, going on about the fact that this was an assault on the rule of law. It is not an assault on the rule of law; it is common sense. He talked about the Liberal Party being reactionary and about extremism masquerading as liberalism. What a crock of rubbish! I am sure the member for Mayo sitting beside me would absolutely agree with me on that score.

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