DISGRACED ABCC RECORDS $3.4 MILLION LOSS

The Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) annual report released today reveals that Minister Cash and her disgraced, hand-picked Commissioner presided over an operating loss of more than $3million.

 

Not only did former Commissioner Hadgkiss breach the Fair Work Act, his agency, which Minister Cash is ultimately responsible for, spent an extraordinary $1.2 million on travel and more than $10 million on external legal fees.

 

The question needs to be asked how much of this expenditure was for Mr Hadgkiss’ travel, and for the legal fees to drag out litigation against him which we know were personally approved by Minister Cash.

 

There is one thing we agree with former Commissioner Hadgkiss about - his description in the report that “the 2016-17 reporting year was a watershed year for the agency”. It certainly was a “watershed” year - the Commissioner had to resign for breaching the Act he was supposed to uphold; Minister Cash not only appointed Hadgkiss and failed to disclose the litigation against him to Cabinet or to the parliament, she also personally approved the taxpayer covering his legal fees; and not only did the ABCC run a $3.4 million operating loss, it spent $10 million on external legal fees and $1.2 million on travel!

 

When will the Minister take responsibility for the actions of her regulator and her hand-picked Commissioner?

 

It is clear that like the ROC, the ABCC is nothing more than politicised regulator designed purely to attack the Liberals’ political opponents and should be abolished.

 

This body is a disgrace and should be abolished.