19 August 2024
Today the Senate has taken the critical first step of cleaning up the CFMEU with the passage of the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Administration) Bill 2024.
Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn said the building and construction industry is finally on the road to meaningful cultural change.
“The industry has been at a standstill with a great cloud of uncertainty on the current operating environment and the future of the CFMEU.
“We thank the Government and Coalition for working in a bipartisan way to reach an agreement on a series of amendments while not delaying the Bill’s passage beyond this sitting period.
“Our members are intimately familiar with the ingrained culture of lawlessness and thuggery that has plagued the sector for decades.
“We continue to call for increased protections for businesses so they can come forward and provide evidence to the Fair Work Commission without fear of CFMEU retaliation.
“Permanent and lasting change requires long-term regulatory reform. The Federal Government must now move to establish a dedicated building and construction industry watchdog with real teeth.
“Countless Royal Commissions and inquiries have told us that building and construction needs an industry-specific regulator and laws.
“If we don’t learn from history, we will be doomed to repeat it.
“The regulator needs to be home to a dedicated cross-jurisdictional police unit to oversee and coordinate a strong law enforcement presence in the building and construction industry.
“To get it right, it must go further than industrial relations and have oversight on a broader range of matters, including workplace, safety, competition, corporations, governance and training.
“Australians expect a thriving and safe building and construction industry to deliver the roads, hospitals, schools and most importantly housing that they are crying out for.
“Master Builders will continue to work collaboratively with both the Government and Opposition to achieve a strong, safe, and prosperous sector,” Ms Wawn concluded.
Media contact: Dee Zegarac, National Director, Media & Public Affairs
0400 493 071 | dee.zegarac@masterbuilders.com.au