Labor attack on building watchdog imminent

Labor is preparing for an assault on the construction industry watchdog at the start of parliament next month.

Labor is preparing for an assault on the construction industry watchdog at the start of parliament next month, when the federal opposition will raise questions over the leadership of agency boss Nigel Hadgkiss and claim signs of “dysfunction”.

Senator Doug Cameron, who has deluged Employment Minister Michaelia Cash with questions on notice about the Fair Work Building Inspectorate, intends to raise the pressure over a bitter internal dispute involving a senior legal officer at the agency, which is also known as Fair Work Building and Construction.

He told The Australian yesterday he intended to “raise further questions about the conduct and operation of the FWBC under its current director”.

The pressure could threaten the Coalition’s overtures to crossbenchers to support the upcoming bill to reintroduce the Australian Building and Construction Commission, FWBC’s more powerful predecessor.

However, the government yesterday made a strong defence of Mr Hadgkiss, accusing Labor of “distractions” and “smears” on behalf of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union.

Malcolm Turnbull pledged to introduce the ABCC Bill in the first week of parliament on the recommendation of the Heydon royal commission.

The Australian revealed this week that the case brought by a senior lawyer against Mr Hadgkiss in the Federal Circuit Court amassed $50,000 in legal bills in three months late last year.

The agency briefed top employment lawyer Steven Amen­dola, a partner at the private law firm Ashurst, to deal with the claim against Mr Hadgkiss, who demoted the senior lawyer.

It’s understood Mr Hadgkiss began a code of conduct hearing after the officer “lost it” with a junior staff member.

Agency sources claim the officer was under “stress” after a protracted period of infighting and had previously complained to agency management about poor treatment.

She also lodged a claim against Mr Hadgkiss in the Fair Work Commission’s anti-bullying jurisdiction last year.

The matter has been scheduled for mediation after February 1.

Senator Cameron said he had written to Senator Cash questioning the use of large amounts of public money on a “human resources problem”.

“There have been significant internal problems within the FWBC,” Senator Cameron said.

“I can’t understand why a human resources problem requires some of the most expensive private solicitors in the country, why the Australian Government Solicitors have not been used. This is public money and I will be demanding public accountability.”

Senator Cash’s spokeswoman yesterday accused Labor of “trying to distract and deflect from the findings of the royal commission and avoid an examination of the industrial unlawfulness the CFMEU has adopted as its business model. Labor’s smears of the independent head of the FWBC is just another element of the protection racket Labor senators run for the CFMEU.”