Master Builders Australia welcomes the Government’s commitment to re-establish the powers of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) by reintroducing the ABCC Bill in the Parliament.
“The Bill will help stamp out the ingrained and institutionalised culture of unlawfulness which was found by the Heydon Royal Commission to pervade the building unions,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.
“The Bill will stop the endemic unlawful behaviour used by the nation’s building unions, particularly the CFMEU, from cheating the community,” he said.
“The Heydon Royal Commission conclusively found, a culture that creates an environment where corruption and criminality can flourish. This and other union practices sees the cost of construction higher by up to 30 per cent cheating the community of more class rooms, hospital beds and child care and aged care places,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.
“The challenge is for the Parliament this time round is to stand up for the community and pass laws that can stamp out such behaviours. Failure to do so will condemn the community to remain hostage to a group of thugs who deliberately flout the law and who think they are above it,” he said.
“The Royal Commission found the building union’s institutionalised culture of unlawfulness can only be countered by an equally strong institutional response. The Victoria Police submission to the Royal Commission makes it quite clear that bullying, threats and extortion cannot be dealt with by the Police,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.
“Master Builders is calling on the nation’s elected representatives to stand up for their communities and support legislation that reintroduces the powers of the ABCC,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.