Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

or less, indeed, Senator Fierravanti-Wells—for a change in legislation.

Having said all that, this bill is designed to restrain the activities of the Australian Building and Construction Commission. Indeed, there are senators in this place that have little posters up in their windows condemning the ABCC. Let us just put it on the record: the man that is in charge of the ABCC has had to put up with people spitting at him in public, and I do not hear many public statements from those opposite condemning that sort of behaviour. They have to be asked; it has to be probed out of them. They do not voluntarily say, ‘This is the sort of activity which we want to outlaw and get rid of.’ My view is that that sort of behaviour has no place in Australian society. In particular, the thuggery, the vandalism and the assaults—you name it—that occur on building and construction sites in Australia, especially in Western Australia and Victoria, need a tough cop on the beat.

So what does Labor want to do? Instead of having an independent body administering these laws, an independent policeman, or an independent, tough cop on the beat—listen to this—the independence is going to be removed by giving the minister the capacity to issue directions to the director about the policies, the programs, the priorities and the manner in which the powers and functions of the building industry inspectorate are exercised and performed. Would that be acceptable for any other police force in the Western world, for a police force that exists in a society where the rule of law should be in prime position? Just imagine it: halfway through an investigation, the minister could say, ‘Well, I’m sorry, Mr Building Industry Inspectorate, but I’m going to change your priorities and the way you exercise your powers and functions.’ That is the rule of law, that is the tough cop on the beat according to Mr Rudd, the economic conservative—say one thing and do another, and this is a classic case.

The Australian people have just recently witnessed what the trade union movement is willing to do in Western Australia with the Maritime Union of Australia. (Time expired)