The Prime Minister’s first question time was dominated by fierce debate about the future of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
Even after Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke scraps the building code,the Australian Building and Construction Commission can take legal action.
Commissioner Stephen McBurney will continue to earn more than $450,000 with his powers all but removed until the government can legislate his removal.
Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke said the Australian Building and Construction Commission would have powers stripped from Tuesday.
Tony Burke said some of the controversial ABCC’s “ridiculous rules” under the building code were a waste of taxpayer money.
The crossbencher has criticised the government for killing off the Australian Building and Construction Commission while almost 40 cases remain on the books.
The Australian Building and Construction Commission has 36 outstanding cases against unions,including allegations of death threats during a picket line.
Labor’s election costings show it plans to rip $28m from the ABCC’s operating budget next year as it moves to scrap the controversial watchdog altogether.
Australian Building and Construction Commissioner Stephen McBurney says without a strong national regulator,“sustained” unlawful conduct will continue.
The union gave the impression it regarded the penalties imposed by the court as simply a cost of conducting its industrial affairs in the manner it chose,a federal court judge said.
The ABCC says spending taxpayer money pursuing the union to the High Court over a dispute about a women’s toilet on a worksite was a reasonable expense.