Australian Building and Construction Commission could be scrapped under Labor proposal

Queensland’s Industrial Relations Minister has backed Anthony Albanese’s proposal to scrap the construction watchdog, spurring claims Labor is kowtowing to the union movement.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace has backed Anthony Albanese’s proposal to scrap the construction watchdog, spurring claims Labor was kowtowing to the union movement.

But Ms Grace couldn’t say who would crack down on militant behaviour in the absence of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

Ms Grace, who has previously criticised the body, echoed calls by her federal leader that it was “a highly politicised body with unprecedented and broad coercive powers”.

“Even the multimillion-dollar Heydon Royal Commission did not even recommend the reinstatement of the ABCC,” she told The Courier-Mail.

“But despite this, successive Coalition Governments have nurtured and supported it.”

Asked who would instead prosecute unlawful behaviour, Ms Grace said the ABCC was not the only body able to prosecute matters under industrial law.

Queensland Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“Matters can be initiated by employers, workers, unions and other affected parties,” she said.

“Claims that an abolition of the ABCC will stop industrial matters being dealt with by the courts is false and misleading.”

Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has vowed to scrap the watchdog as part of Labor’s industrial relations reform if elected, saying it was “discredited and politicised”.

But Mr Albanese has been unable to say who would prosecute should the ABCC be axed, earlier this month saying, “Who prosecutes when you break the law? The same people.”

The industry has warned scrapping the commission would leave the sector exposed and that “thuggery will undermine recovery”.

LNP industrial relations spokesman Jarrod Bleijie said Labor was kowtowing to the union movement and “doing the bidding of the unions.”

“It is concerning that a political party would want to get rid of a commission that goes after corruption, illegal activities on building sites,” he said.

“Who will prosecute union officials that are bullying businesses and worksites?”

Mr Bleijie, who said Labor should be giving the ABCC more resources, said police couldn’t prosecute unlawful behaviour on construction sites because they didn’t have the resources.

In 2016, Ms Grace told Queensland parliament the ABCC was an “abject failure”.

“This side of the House will never support the ABCC, and we do not support the opposition’s union bashing,” she said.