Dutton blames CFMEU for companies importing asbestos products

Peter Dutton has attacked the construction union for forcing up building costs and driving companies to ‘cut corners’.

‘There are a number of reasons that they’re cutting corners — one is that they are being driven into the ground by the CFMEU and these other thugs,’ says Peter Dutton. Picture: Chris Higgins

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has attacked the construction union for forcing up building costs and driving Australian companies to “cut corners” by importing cheap Chinese materials that may contain deadly asbestos.

As he defended the government against claims it was failing to stop the growing number of companies importing asbestos-laced products, Mr Dutton blamed the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union for fuelling difficult conditions in the building industry.

“They talk about a 40 per cent additional cost in building a block of units because of CFMEU ­involvement, and obviously that has some behaviours, including driving builders to use this product, which is completely unacceptable,” he told Sydney radio station 2GB.

“There are a number of reasons that they’re cutting corners — one is that they are being ­driven into the ground by the CFMEU and these other thugs … walking around on building sites, including bikies employed by the CFMEU.’’

His comments follow The Australian’s report yesterday revealing that an independent review of Australia’s asbestos border controls had found a need for better investigations and prosecutions.

Mr Dutton said it was “ridiculous” to suggest his department’s enforcement arm, the Australian Border Force, could inspect all 2.4 million containers coming across the border.

The head of the CFMEU’s construction division, Dave Noon­an, said Mr Dutton’s ­attempt to blame the union showed he was trying to “cover up his embarrassment” over the Border Force’s failure to do its job.

He said the union had been ­uncovering asbestos in materials used on building sites, including last month at the $1.2 billion Perth Children’s Hospital and the 1 William St office tower in Brisbane.

It was deeply concerned workers were being ­exposed to contamination from the lethal material. “This foolish comment from the minister demonstrates his incompetence,’’ he said.

The union’s national secretary, Michael O’Connor, this week wrote to Trade Minister Steve Ciobo calling for the suspension of free-trade agreement talks with India — the world’s second biggest manufacturer of products with ­asbestos — until there were better ­systems to stop imports.

“(India) uses asbestos in the manufacture of products including building materials like cement roofing sheets, wall panels and pipes, and auto components like brakes … and brake linings,’’ he wrote.

The head of the federal government’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, Peter Tighe, told the ABC yesterday that Customs inspected only a small amount of all material coming into Australia. “When you’re looking at less than 10 per cent of materials coming into Australia being inspected, you’re not going to pick up a lot of the breaches,” he said.

South Australian senator Nick Xenophon said he would introduce legislation to mandate testing for products imported from overseas companies that had come to the attention of the Border Force. The private member’s bill would increase testing of suspect items coming into Australia, and increase the fines for those who breached the law, he said.

“There’s been a ban for a number of years but the ban has not been effective and I have not been confident with the way the Border Force has dealt with these issues,” Senator Xenophon said. “Anyone who knowingly brings in asbestos items should also face a jail term.”

A higher level of scrutiny would be applied to imports from countries and companies that had lied, forged documents or had insufficient regulatory control, he said.

Asbestos Victims Association South Australia president Terry Miller said his group had been warning about ­imports coming from China in particular.

Death from asbestos-related disease was extremely painful and degrading, he said, and “once a company is identified, we should put a ban on that company and any subsidiary company for a minimum of five years”.