Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

The current legislative framework has not been effective in dealing with the clear problems in this industry and deterring people from breaking the law. I remind the Senate that the Grocon dispute in yesterday's court decision occurred only weeks after Labor gave into union demands and abolished the ABCC. When Labor abolished the ABCC, it also cut the maximum penalty for breaking the law by two-thirds and slashed the Fair Work Building Commission's budget and their ability to enforce the law. Who, then, was really surprised when, almost immediately, we saw the construction division of the CFMEU unlawfully shut down parts of Melbourne's CBD?

We do need to fix the deficiencies in the current framework by re-establishing the ABCC and restoring meaningful penalties that actually make people stop and think before breaking the law. The federal government has been very clear: the current penalties have not deterred the CFMEU from repeatedly breaking the law.