Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

In response to Senator Abetz’s question yesterday asked of me in my capacity representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, I seek leave to incorporate the answer in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The answer read as follows—

Additional information—Question without Notice

Senator Abetz asked the Minister Representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations (Senator Ludwig), on 22 September 2008:

Given that the Government has recently moved to expand the investigative powers of the ACCC, will the Government be doing the same with the ABCC?

Response

The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations has provided the following information:

The Government’s Forward with Fairness Policy Implementation Plan includes a number of very clear commitments in relation to Australia’s building and construction industry, including a commitment to retain the Office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC) until 31 January 2010. Specifically, the ABCC will retain all its current powers and its full resources for this period.

At that time the Government will replace the ABCC with a specialist building and construction division of the inspectorate of the Government’s new independent umpire, Fair Work Australia.

Consistent with our commitments, the Government has commenced a process of extensive consultation with industry stakeholders to ensure that the transition to those new arrangements will be orderly, effective and robust.

Consultation on the structure, independence, powers, resourcing and other matters relating to the new specialist division is being conducted by the Honourable Murray Wilcox QC, a former Australian Federal Court judge who has been asked to report to the Government by the end of March 2009.