Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

Like Senator Cameron, the ETU is now promoting a research paper, surprisingly initiated by the ETU, paid for by the ETU and conducted by a former Labor staffer who worked for former Senator Nick Bolkus and Brian Howe under the banner of the Australian Institute. The Australian Building and Construction Commission existed from October 2005 to 2012, and in that time it brought confidence to workers, to contractors, to small business and to the industry generally. In court case after court case the courts have found that building unions simply ignored the law. Indeed, in the Grocon case they were so flagrantly in breach of a Supreme Court injunction that they were found guilty of criminal contempt and fined $1.25 million. That speaks for itself, and we need to restore the rule of law. (Time expired)