'Thuggery cannot be part of recovery' say Master Builders

“CONFIRMATION that an Albanese Labor Government will abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) is deeply disappointing and will severely undermine builder’s contribution to economic recovery." That is the view of Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia.

“Unleashing construction union thuggery will undermine recovery,” Ms Wawn said. 

“The ABCC is crucial for the building and construction industry, crucial for the economy and crucial for the entire community.

“The economic impact of the pandemic cannot be ignored. Just as governments around the country are putting construction front and centre of their economic recovery plans, Labor is planning to take the leash off construction union thugs and bullies.

“By upholding the rule of law on worksites, the ABCC means construction workplaces can operate like normal workplaces and is central to tackling the toxic culture of lawlessness and thuggery deployed by building unions that has been plagued the sector for decades,” Ms Wawn said. 

“There is absolutely no evidence to support abolishing the ABCC but there is a mountain of evidence to support its retention, including hundreds of Federal Court judgements, countless inquiries and reviews, and four separate Royal Commissions of Inquiry spanning three decades. 

“Thuggery and lawlessness on construction sites rob the community by driving the cost of much needed community infrastructure by up by as much as 30 percent. These behaviours cheat the community of more classrooms, more hospital beds and more childcare places,” Ms Wawn said. 

“Giving a green light to thuggery and bullying will undermine the economic recovery and is contrary to the community’s interests."

www.masterbuilders.com.au

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