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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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.

THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) has tabled a report recommending the ratification of four major treaty actions.

The major treaty recommendations are:

• Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Republic of Fiji on Cooperation in the Field of Defence and the Status of Visiting Forces (Australia-Fiji agreement);
• Protocol on the Accession of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and associated side-letters (UK Accession to the CPTPP);
• Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity Agreement relating to Supply Chain Resilience (IPEF Agreement); and
• International Labour Organization Convention No. 191: Safe and Healthy Working Environment (Consequential Amendments) Convention (ILO 191).

The Australia-Fiji agreement builds on Australia’s relationship with Fiji through enabling more frequent and sophisticated defence cooperation between the two countries. The agreement enables Australia and Fiji to work together on maritime security issues, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations, co-deployments, and the training of military personnel.

Deputy Chair of the Committee, Phillip Thompson MP, said the Australia-Fiji agreement "strengthens the mutually beneficial relationship with a key defence partner of Australia. It builds on existing agreements and provides a comprehensive, reciprocal, and legally binding framework for the status of visiting forces and civilians, and information sharing."

The UK Accession to the CPTPP treaty enables the UK to accede to a free trade agreement (FTA) that eliminates 98 percent of tariffs in a trade zone that represents a combined GDP of US$14.6 trillion. The UK would be the first country to accede to CPTPP and its accession expands the trade partnership beyond the Pacific region.

Mr Thompson said, "The UK’s accession strengthens economic and strategic ties between Australia and the UK and builds on the significant benefits of the Australia-UK FTA. This treaty enhances trade and investment opportunities for Australian exporters of goods and services and aligns with Australia's broader national interests."

The IPEF Agreement increases Australia’s supply chain resilience by establishing international policy levers, sending market signals on diversification, promoting an international evidence-based approach, and ensuring a systemic and coordinated approach to disruptions.

"The IPEF aims to enhance collaboration to prevent, mitigate and prepare for supply chain disruptions within the Indo-Pacific. Australia experienced supply chain disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic and IPEF’s collaborative approach will help minimise future vulnerabilities and mitigate potential risks," Mr Thompson said.

ILO 191 amends ILO Conventions and Protocols to ensure the right to a safe and healthy working environment is reflected in existing ILO instruments. Ratification of the treaty will ensure Australia meets its obligations as an ILO Member to respect, promote and realise this right.

Mr Thompson said , "ILO 191 demonstrates Australia’s commitment to workplace health and safety as a fundamental principle and right at work. Australia has a strong reputation within the Asia Pacific with respect to supporting and advocating for WHS matters and ratification of this treaty ensures that our reputation is maintained."

The report can be found on the Committee website, along with further information on the inquiries.

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