Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

Flexible workplaces are very important for manufacturing in this country. We know, and I think it's been completely admitted by those opposite, that the conduct of the CFMEU, that rogue criminal organisation that has supported them financially for many, many years, has made it much harder for manufacturing in this country. As shadow housing minister and as a former housing minister, I can see what it's done to manufacturing in this country. We have a proud manufacturing industry that supports residential construction in this country. The truth is that the Labor Party has turned a blind eye to the CFMEU for years. One can only infer that's because of the material financial support that they have provided to the Labor Party for many, many years. It's also instructive that the Labor Party only takes huge offence when the connection between them and the CFMEU is drawn to the attention of the House. Maybe it's because of the close personal relationships that many of them have with the senior leadership of the CFMEU, the close personal relationships between John Setka and themselves. That adds to the cost base of businesses in this country and makes it a lot harder to manufacture in Australia. We've got inflexibility being driven by the government here. We've got a lack of ability to deliver affordable and reliable energy. We all know about businesses, whether they be in Victoria or South Australia, who are ordered at peak times of energy need to turn off their plants because we don't have an energy system that can support that sort of manufacturing 24/7. There are times of the year when I know businesses will contact me in Victoria and say, 'We've been ordered to cease manufacturing for'—it might be four hours during a particular period on a particular day. That is a direct consequence of Labor Party policy in that state over many years.

In order to have a viable and strong manufacturing industry in this country, I go back to the earlier points. You need to have affordable and reliable energy. You need to have flexible workplaces. You need less regulation on businesses. I'm sure even the geniuses on the other side would understand that you need less regulation in order to manufacture. You need an even playing field. There are products that are imported into this country that do not meet the standards that we require of our manufacturers, and that is exacerbated by this government. We will not be supporting this bill. We won't be supporting the pork-barrelling of the government. Certainly, a government that is in bed with the CFMEU has no credibility. (Time expired)

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