CFMEU, NDIS bills top-of-mind as government hopes for ‘more productive’ week

The government is hoping to have a better week in the Senate as it aims to push through key bills.

The Albanese Government is “hoping” for a “more productive” week as it tries to push a tranche of big ticket bills through the Senate, senior minister Katy Gallagher told reporters on Sunday.

Both houses were abuzz with familiar shouting, taunting and postured chuckling as Parliament resumed last week, but little got done to clear the government’s packed legislative agenda.

The Senate passed only one bill - a dusty collection of two-year-old Consumer Data Right Framework reforms.

Federal minister Katy Gallagher has said she is hoping for a ‘more productive’ week for the government’s legislative agenda. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We’re on the eve of another sitting week ... it’s going to be an important week for the Parliament,” Senator Gallagher said, pointing to the government’s CFMEU and NDIS bills.

“Both of those bills really do need to be dealt with very promptly.”

Coalition and Greens senators knocked back the CFMEU bill last week, with the opposition saying it did not go far enough and the Greens saying they needed more time to look over the detail.

The legislation proposes a series of measures to clean up the embattled union, including forcing it to accept a government-appointed administrator for at least three years.

“We’re hoping that we could get the Fair Work bill through tomorrow (Monday),” Ms Gallagher.

“The minister has been working over the weekend with the Coalition to address any concerns they have, but we really do need that bill to pass tomorrow (Monday) so that it can go to the House and then pass the Parliament by the end of the week.”

Meanwhile, the construction industry is rife with uncertainty, according to peak body Master Builders Australia.

Master Builders Association Deputy CEO Shaun Schmitke says the industry is ‘very tense’ at the moment. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“At the moment, everyone’s very tense, but I can tell you that the industry needs that certainty,” deputy chief executive Shaun Schmitke told a parliamentary inquiry on Friday.

“They need to know that they will be able to move forward in a period where they’re going to be able to deal with the union in administration or otherwise, which is responsible, lawful and sensible.

“The longer the bill is delayed, the greater the concern amongst industry participants, and the bigger the pressure that is mounting.”

Though, pressure is also mounting on parliamentarians of all political persuasions to take action on the ballooning NDIS.

The government’s bill would cap the scheme’s growth at 8 per cent per annum in a bid to stop it costing taxpayers up to $50bn by the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

It would also tighten eligibility for new applicants.

Senator Gallagher said the government was “pretty close” to getting the Coalition onboard.

“Obviously, we’ve got to do some work to do with the states and territories as well, but that’s a really important bill to start trying to control that scheme to a 8 per cent growth cap as opposed to the speed with which it’s been moving,” she said.

“It really is about the long term sustainability of that scheme.”

Originally published as CFMEU, NDIS bills top-of-mind as government hopes for ‘more productive’ week