Rex Patrick (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to contribute to the urgency motion relating to the need for enforcing compliance with Australian building product standards.

On 23 June 2015, three former senators—Nick Xenophon, John Madigan and Jacqui Lambie—referred an inquiry into non-conforming building products to the Senate Economics References Committee. Since then, the committee has tabled three interim reports. The most recent, on protecting Australians from asbestos, was tabled in the Senate on 22 November 2017. The evidence presented to the committee was concerning and demonstrated significant issues with non-complying and non-conforming building products.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the committee and, in particular, Senator Ketter, for the extensive work done on this important issue of public policy. I'd also like to acknowledge the work done by the Building Ministers Forum, who I understand has commissioned Professor Peter Shergold AC and Bronwyn Weir to assess problems in compliance and enforcement within the building construction system across Australia. I look forward to seeing the results of this work.

From glass windows that cracked and disintegrated at ASIO's new headquarters in Canberra to non-complying electrical products, such as the Infinity electrical cables that posed serious risks to the health and safety of Australians, the impact of non-complying and non-conforming building products cannot be overstated. The cladding issue is a most serious public safety issue that requires urgent attention. The issue was brought to the public's attention in November 2014 when the Lacrosse building in Docklands in Melbourne caught fire. Since that time, governments, both federal and state, have failed to respond adequately. The Lacrosse incident was the trigger for the Senate inquiry. The Lacrosse apartment building in Docklands had aluminium cladding fixed to its exterior. Flames raced up several floors, and it was only through sheer luck that no lives were lost. Builders who consciously chose to cut costs by using non-compliant panels saved only about $3 per square metre, putting profit ahead of lives. I could talk about the follow-on fire in the Grenfell Tower where, sadly, the luck at Docklands was not present. I don't feel the need.

The Senate inquiry also received submissions and heard evidence that compliance and enforcement are not keeping pace with rapid changes to our economy and global supply chains, or how or where products are manufactured or sourced. There appears to be a growing number of fraudulent documents associated with imported products, and this makes it hard for surveyors to identify what is compliant and what is not. Overseas laboratories are now testing to Australian standards, but their reports have identified major testing and reporting flaws in addition to misuse. This is simply not good enough.

I note that everyone who has spoken here today has done so in earnest agreement with the principles behind the motion. This need not have been an urgency motion. If there had been action when these issues were first raised, it could have been managed calmly, strategically and without ever-present risk to life. I look up in the gallery and see primary school children that I fear may still be debating this topic when they are in the Senate. Unfortunately, Senator Burston is right in saying that this is a matter of urgency, and I thank Senator Burston for bringing it to the Senate's attention.

Question negatived.