Senator Eric Abetz

Today’s intervention by former Australian Building and Construction Commissioner, John Lloyd, warning that abolition of the ABCC will mean a ‘return to lawlessness’ , that ‘project delays and disruption will become more common’, that ‘improvements in productivity will be almost impossible to win’ and that ‘ten years of effort will be largely wasted’, is salutary.

“Labor’s abolition of the Australian Building and Construction Commission is politically motivated, to appease the union bosses who want to be back in charge of building sites around Australia.” Senator Abetz said today.

“Former ABCC Commissioner John Lloyd’s comments today are salutary, as they clearly spell out exactly what Australia has to lose if Labor continues with its plans.”

“Abolition of the ABCC will please the union bosses, but perversely it will leave workers worse off, providing them with next to no protection from union thuggery and industrial lawlessness.”

“The ABCC reduced working days lost to industrial action, increased productivity, increased our GDP, generated a $5.5 billion gain to the Australian economy and stamped out lawlessness in the building and construction industry.”

“Labor wants to throw all that away, just to shore up funding from the militant union bosses for the next election.”

“In the interests of productivity, the economy and the rights of workers to go to work in an environment without thuggery and lawlessness, Labor must stop this ideologically-driven assault on the ABCC, which has delivered substantive results,” Senator Abetz concluded.