Keith Wolahan (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of the amendments put by the member for Mackellar. In particular, I would like to refer to the references to the ABCC. Before I do that, I just want to compliment the member on her fantastic mum joke—Sophie's choice was very well done. We should hear more mum jokes in this place—not just dad jokes.

There are 1.2 million workers, or thereabouts, in the construction sector in Australia, so this is a significant percentage of Australians. One in 10 jobs are in this sector, so we are talking about an enormous percentage of Australians and the economy. When you break that number—of who is employed in the sector—down they are often also small business people. We've heard discussion about small business in other amendments that've been put, and I won't speak to that.

I come from a family that is employed in the construction sector. My father is a roof plumber. If anyone needs their leaky roof fixed he's pretty good! When I meet him on a building site, or talk to tradesmen that have worked for him or others in the sector, something pops out that is quite concerning: there is a different standard of living if you are in a union protected job or if you're not. You notice it in the wages, in the quality of the house that you have and in the sort of work that you get. There are insiders and there are outsiders, and the insiders have your ear; the outsiders don't. They don't get considered.

In another debate that will come to this house, we heard about integrity and the corruption commission. At some stage we will have a report tabled in this house and we'll have an important, momentous occasion in this parliament and in our democracy and the debate will happen. But when we look at the difference between insiders and outsiders, we see that the insiders get a special place where they get special carve-outs. We had the Prime Minister on Monday say that the reason for that is that we do not want the duplication of regimes.

Well, we see in this particular example a regime that is effective and is doing a good job getting cut away. So I rise in support of the amendment. There shouldn't be insiders and outsiders. We will always be listening to all voices, including those in small business who work in the construction sector.

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