Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for her question. The government is committed to doing everything that we can to create jobs. We announced our Improve the Fair Work Laws policy in May 2013, more than four months before the election. Our plan will improve business competitiveness and fairness to workers.

It includes reforms to greenfields agreements which will stop rogue unions extorting unfair deals from employers—a serious impediment to national productivity and jobs. Our plan closes Labor's 'strike first, talk later' loophole in the bargaining laws that Labor refused to fix and we were promised would never occur. It clarifies individual flexibility arrangements, confirming the way Labor promised they would operate under the Fair Work Act. Employees can only trade up, must genuinely agree to the arrangements and be better off overall.

Our plan will also re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission. Fair, productive and lawful commercial building sites are critical to Australia's competitiveness and job creation potential. After Labor abolished the ABCC, the bad old days in the construction industry returned: wildcat stoppages, militant protests, demands that mates be employed on projects, and an increase in disputes.

I remind senators of the recent allegations of corruption within the CFMEU, including kickbacks to keep the peace, favours for crime figures and threats to kill those who are prepared to speak out against the dodgy union deals. It is time these reforms were passed so that we can facilitate jobs growth in our nation.