THE Australian Constructors Association (ACA) welcomes agreement between the Federal Government and Opposition on the CFMEU Bill, allowing it to be passed into law.

ACA CEO Jon Davies said agreement on the legislation is a welcome first step forward for the industry after the revelations of the last few weeks. 

“Law-abiding unions have an important role to play in the construction industry and the sooner the administrator is able to address all allegations of criminal and coercive behaviour within the CFMEU, the better,” Mr Davies said.

“The ACA is committed to working closely with the administrator to ensure the bill is effectively implemented, but this is only a necessary first step.

“There will be significant work required by the government, industry, clients, the administrator and the unions to make these new arrangements work and to prevent this situation happening again," Mr Davies said.

“We shouldn’t be looking at this simply as a problem that needs to be fixed but rather an opportunity that must be realised.

“This is an opportunity to create an industry that is able to construct the infrastructure Australia needs, when it needs it and for a price it can afford.”

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THE Australian Defence Force, Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force have announced that today Defence, law enforcement, customs and immigration leaders from across the Pacific will come together for the sixth annual Joint Heads of Pacific Security (JHoPS) meeting.

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," Ms Wawn said.

“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," she said.

“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," Ms Wawn said.

“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 said.

www.masterbuilders.com.au

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TODAY, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its first public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific.

During the full day public hearing, the subcommittee will hear evidence from diplomatic and regional representatives of Pacific Island countries, international development agencies, and Australian Government agencies including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Defence, the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Federal Police and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

Chair of the Subcommittee, Josh Burns MP, said, "We are excited to kick off this inquiry by hearing from a range of voices and delving deeper into some of the issues that have been raised in submissions, including climate change and aid and development.

“This is not the first inquiry into the Pacific and it won’t be the last. That’s because Australia is part of the Pacific, we have a shared past and a shared future," Mr Burns said.

"As the focus of this inquiry is Australia’s response to the priorities of the Pacific, the subcommittee is eager to use this first hearing to explore the Australian Government’s understanding of, and programs to support, those priorities.”

Further information, including the hearing program is available on the Inquiry webpage.

Public Hearing Details

Date: Friday 16 August 2024
9:45am – 3:30pm (AEDT)
Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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