Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, representing the Minister for Employment. Will the minister outline to the House the importance of a well-regulated building and construction industry to help create new jobs and growth in the economy? What evidence is there that the building and construction industry is less productive than it could be?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dobell for her question. I know that she, like everyone on this side of House, takes a well-regulated building and construction industry very seriously. The building and construction industry is one of the most critical and important parts of our national economy. In fact, in 2015 it was 7.7 per cent of real GDP.

In 2013 Independent Economics handed down a paper on the building and construction industry and the effect of the Australian Building and Construction Commission when it was in existence. It found that the building and construction industry productivity grew by nine per cent and more when the ABCC was in existence. Consumers benefited to the tune of more than $7½ billion a year when the ABCC was operating, and there were fewer working days lost through industrial action when the ABCC was on the beat.

The economy is in transition. Everyone on this side of the House knows that. This side of the House is best placed to manage that transition. We have the right team to manage that transition to a new economy. We need all parts of the economy working and firing. We cannot afford to have any lagging, but the building and construction industry continues to lag.

The evidence that building and construction industry needs reforming was provided by the Heydon royal commission. That found systemic corruption and unlawful conduct, including corrupt payments, physical and verbal violence, threats, intimidation, abuse of right-of-entry permits, secondary boycotts, contempt of court and that a culture of wilful defiance of the law appears to lie at the core of the CFMEU.

That evidence alone is enough for people to support the Australian Building and Construction Commission, but it is not enough for the Labor Party to change their position. The Leader of the Opposition, when he was the minister, was responsible for removing the ABCC. Apparently the unions asked him to do it and three days later he decided it was a good idea. He did not go through any of the usual processes of policy by which cabinet deals with issues; he simply paid the piper who was calling the tune.

This weekend the Leader of the Opposition is going back to the Gold Coast to be with his friends in the CFMEU. He will be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them and the MUA, praising the good work that they do in the industrial sector and shouting from the rooftops his pride to be a CFMEU supporter. It is time the Leader of the Opposition grew out of his union boss persona and recognised that if he wants to be an alternative Prime Minister he needs to support the Australian Building and Construction Commission bill that is in the Senate. It will clean up building and construction; it will improve productivity and create jobs and growth. (Time expired)